Originally published in 1986, The Planning and Management of Distance Education examines the problems faced by those who are setting up and managing distance education systems of various kinds. The book begins by considering definitions of distance education and various models which can be used to describe and understand distance education systems. The second chapter considers various general education models and relates these to distance education. The concepts introduced in the first two chapters form a background to the rest of the book.

The next section looks at the aspirations of those setting up distance education systems, the economics and costs of such systems, and the process of planning a distance education system from scratch (chapters 3-5).

Chapters 6-11 consider aspects of planning and management – organisation, staffing, planning, budgeting, the management of the academic processes related to materials development and the provision of local student services, production management (the management of materials production and distribution), operations management (the management of the delivery of student services) – and the impact of new technology on production and operations management, and finally, evaluation. The short concluding chapter draws together some of the themes running through the book.