Breaking Higher Education’s Iron Triangle through Distance Education: The Case of IGNOU in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia

This article addresses the issue of access to quality postgraduate distance education. It was developed within an argument that access to conventional face-to-face postgraduate studies is still a challenge in developing countries. It argues that distance education can be used as an alternative means of meeting the increasing demand for higher education in the country concerned. This study used a case study of Masters of Arts in Rural Development (MARD) program that is offered by Indira Ghandi National Open University in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. Semi-structured interviews and document analysis were used to gather the relevant data. The study established that distance education has a huge potential as an alternative and cost-effective means of providing quality higher education in Ethiopia. The study suggests that careful planning and integration of distance education into the national higher education policy will enable effective and efficient provision of quality distance postgraduate education in developing countries like Ethiopia

This article addresses the issue of access to quality postgraduate distance education. It was developed within an argument that access to conventional face-to-face postgraduate studies is still a challenge in developing countries. It argues that distance education can be used as an alternative means of meeting the increasing demand for higher education in the country concerned. This study used a case study of Masters of Arts in Rural Development (MARD) program that is offered by Indira Ghandi National Open University in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. Semi-structured interviews and document analysis were used to gather the relevant data. The study established that distance education has a huge potential as an alternative and cost-effective means of providing quality higher education in Ethiopia. The study suggests that careful planning and integration of distance education into the national higher education policy will enable effective and efficient provision of quality distance postgraduate education in developing countries like Ethiopia