Open and distance learning (ODL) has evolved over the last century, but the ways in which its benefits are marketed to students and other stakeholders have remained relatively unchanged. The benefits are still relevant but they are no longer sufficient as marketing strategies in the context of education systems in the 21st century. Educational institutions need to incorporate the benefits of ODL into a more comprehensive marketing strategy based on the relationships they develop with their students and stakeholders.

The typical reasons given for using ODL are:

* It gives more equal access to educational opportunities.
* It gives learners more flexibility to combine learning with work, family and community responsibilities.
* Content quality can be enhanced through the use of well-designed materials, which are increasingly accessible online.
* A multitude of research studies have concluded that there is no difference in content mastery between students who complete their studies via ODL and students who learn through traditional classroom-based instruction.

These arguments are still valuable today in terms of advocating the use of ODL methods but they do not address issues that are specific to the 21st-century world. In order to have a stronger impact, they need to be bundled into a much more comprehensive view of marketing and branding for ODL. The marketing and branding strategies described in this guide should help leaders of ODL institutions in their efforts to successfully position their institutions within their respective education systems.

This guide may be useful if:

* you have been designated to lead the development of a public or private institution such as an open school, technical/vocational institution, college or open university;
* you are leading an ODL initiative within an institution that is primarily campus and classroom based (often referred to as dual mode);
* you are responsible for an ODL initiative by a non-governmental organisation (NGO), whether it is a professional association of accountants or one focused on literacy; or
* you work with a government ministry that uses ODL to provide services such as agriculture extension or health education.

Keywords

distance education · marketing · OER policy · PLAR · toolkit