BOOK REVIEW: OPEN AND DISTANCE EDUCATION IN AUSTRALIA, EUROPE AND THE AMERICAS: NATIONAL PERSPECTIVES IN A DIGITAL AGE

This book review examines Open and Distance Education in Australia, Europe and the Americas: National Perspectives in a Digital Age, edited by Adnan Qayyum and Olaf Zawacki-Richter, offers a comparative analysis of open and distance education within diverse national higher education systems. Moving beyond technology-centered explanations, the book situates distance education within historical, political, regulatory, and socio-economic contexts. Through country-based chapters covering Brazil, Canada, Germany, the United Kingdom, and the United States, the volumes illustrate how open and distance education has evolved from marginal and experimental practices into institutionally recognized—though unevenly integrated—components of higher education. The book highlights differing governance structures, public–private dynamics, quality assurance mechanisms, and policy frameworks shaping digital and distance learning across regions. By foregrounding national trajectories rather than universal models, the work contributes to a nuanced understanding of digital transformation in higher education. Overall, the book provides a valuable resource for researchers, policymakers, and practitioners seeking to understand the structural conditions, opportunities, and limitations of open and distance education in a global yet nationally embedded context.