Chapter 25
Survey of distance training in Germany

The Länder take part in the process of Federal legislation and administration through the Bundesrat. Exclusive responsibility for education rests with the Länder.

1997 European Union documentation gives the population of Germany as 80,974,632.

The gross national product per capita is 22,642 and the workforce is broken up thus:
 

Population	80,974,632
GDP per head	22,642

General and vocational education are still sharply separated in the German educational system, and young people choose relatively early whether they will go on vocational or university education. The school types available guide their students towards general education or vocational training: Gymnasium leads to university studies while Hauptschule or Realschule leads to vocational training within the dual system. Several mixed forms have been established in some federal states (Länder), and a new trend in upper secondary education emphasises 'permeability' of the upper secondary school programmes. Many young people aspire to Abitur (Matriculation Examination) without really wanting to go to university, a situation which requires reformers to pay careful attention to the educational or training expectations held by the young.

Ant et al (1996) present continuing vocational training Germany thus:

The development of continuing training has to be seen in the context of economic, social and demographic trends, where the changes resulting from the German reunification process deserve special attention.

In addition, the separate responsibilities of the Federal Government and the Länder as well as the marked development of the vocational education system, particularly with regard to the dual system and full-time vocational schools, are of further importance for a better understanding of the continuing training system.

As initial education by itself is no longer considered adequate, continuing training is becoming ever more important, to the point of becoming the 'fourth pillar' of the global education system.

Government distance training provision

Distance teaching university

University level distance education

Proprietary distance training provision

The providers of distance training  apart from the FernUniversität in Germany are:
 

Deutsches Institut für Fernstudienforschung (DIFF)

Distance polytechnics

Funkkolleg and Telekolleg

Proprietary providers.

For the purposes of this study public distance training provision is calculated from the technical colleges (AKAD), the Funkkolleg and the Telekolleg structures, though it is acknowledged that these latter have as much private as public control and they are listed as public provision because of the public contribution to the broadcasting installations and the fact that their statistics are collected and published separately from the private sector.

51 private distance training institutions are members of the Deutscher Fernschulverband (German Distance Training Federation - DFV). The courses of the members are accredited by the Staatliche Zentralstelle für Fernunterricht (ZFU) in Köln.

The ZFU in Köln also evaluates and controls the quality of all courses and had given approval in 1994 for 96 new courses, especially in Business (34), Health professions (18) and Languages (15). This brings the course offering for Germany to 1.103 courses, of which 68 are in Italian, Spanish, Serbo-Croatian or Turkish for immigrants. The 1993 total was 1041 courses.

Statistics for the proprietary distance training colleges are submitted by regulation to the Ministry annually and are published officially. In recent years the enrolment has been maintained at the 180.000 mark.

Distance learning and studying in the former German Democratic Republic (GDR)

Whilst during the 1950s and 1960s the number of distance students was very high because the capacities for training full time students at universities were limited and the working students were obliged to qualify for their leading positions, during the 1980s the number of distance students diminished because mostly only tasks in the field of continuing education had to be realised.

Whereas in 1971 out of 158,014 students in total at universities 39,344 studied at a distance in 1984 the total number of students was 129,628, 12,175 of whom were distance working students at universities. The situation at technical schools (Fachschulen) was quite similar: in 1984 the total number of students was 163,573, 53,662 of whom were distance students and 8,160 studying in the evening alongside their professional work.

It is are not surpring about the fact that 20 -25 per cent of the graduates in the former GDR took distance education programmes and courses in order to graduate. The equivalence between final examinations of distance and full-time studies was accentuated again and again. This was also expressed by the uniform 'Regulation concerning counselling, application, selection and admission to full-time and distance studies and learning programmes at universities, colleges and technical schools - selection regulations' which was enacted on 1-9-1966.

In the former GDR special attention was paid to the "implementation of the education of women in special courses at universities and technical schools", as was stated in the special regulation which took into account their specific working and living conditions in order to ensure the successful completion of studies as of the 1970s.

The Ministry for Higher Education founded the Zentralstelle für das Hochschulfernstudium (Central Office for Higher-level Distance Education) in Dresden to co-ordinate distance education in economics, agriculture and technical sciences. The former Institute for technical education was authorised to develop distance education focusing on technical education.

In East Germany distance and evening studies including their preparation only took place at official institutions. No private initiations were allowed.

Distance learning and studying in West Germany

Discussions in the field of education policy in the 1960s led to the embodiment of distance education in the educational laws. In the law on vocational training (Berufsbildungs gesetz) of 1969, the claim for investigation in the field of vocational training and its future development was included.

Professional distance education programmes and courses were to be controlled on demand. According to the agreement signed by the federal states in 1969, the State Central Office for Distance Education was founded in Cologne. The Bundesinstitut für Berufsbildungsforschung (Federal Institutes for Research in Vocational Training) was founded in 1971 and included a section for distance learning. The discussion of distance education was completed by the law on the protection of distance education in 1976.

The first institution of distance education which was founded in west Germany in 1967 was the Deutsches Institut für Fernstudien (German Institute for Distance Education) at the University of Tübingen (DIFF). At first specially printed materials (Studienbriefe) for the continuing education of teachers were distributed, later on they were also produced for other interested working people via distance learning service institutions. The materials accompanying the "Funkkolleg" (radio college) were developed by the DIFF.

The FernUniversität (Distance Education University) was founded in the largest federal state -in North Rhine Westphalia - in 1975. Its study centres were mainly founded in this federal state but also within all other federal states, including the neighbouring German-speaking foreign countries.
Degree study programmes were stared in electrical engineering, information technology, mathematics, and economics, magister artium study programmes included education sciences, sociology, philosophy, history, political sciences as main subjects. Supplementary study programmes were added.

The private Akademikergesellschaft für Erwachsenenfortbildug (Academic Society for Adult Continuing Education) (AKAD) founded in 1957 , founded Hochschulen für Berufstätige (polytechnics for working adults) in Rendsburg in 1980, in Lahr (Black Forest region) in 1991 and in Leipzig (Saxony) in 1992, all with three degree study programmes (degree in business administration), (degree in business- related information technology) as well as Ökonomie für Nichtwirtschaftswissenschaftler (Economics for academics from non-economic backgrounds).

Funk- and Tele-Kolleg (Radio and TV college), operating since 1966 and 1968, are multimedia systems on the basis of radio and television, featuring topics of scientific continuing education and serving preparation for entrance into polytechnics.

112 private distance education institutions offered general or vocational courses for 173,000 participants in 1991, who only represented one per cent of the 17 million participants in continuing education out of the total population, though participation in distance education courses (with an average duration of 12.5 months) is of greater significance.
The three largest private institutions, Studiengemeinschaft Darmstadt (Study Association at Darmstadt) and DAG-Technikum (DAG-Technical School) in Essen and ILS Institit für Lernsysteme (Institute for Learning Systems) offer nearly half (48 per cent ) of all courses. The majority of the distance education courses (59.6 per cent) are devoted to vocational and professional training, the remainder (40.4 per cent) to general education. 21.1 per cent of the courses are completed by state-recognised or public examinations.

Distance education courses which only use print still dominate, audio cassettes and other media are additional .

General and vocational distance learning at further education level

They could be classified into the following groups themes: 264 business and economic practice ( in total 62,740 participants), and 74 leisure, health and housekeeping (16,640 participants). There were also 201 distance courses in mathematics, the natural sciences and technology (10233 participants) and 206 distance courses in foreign languages (13,996 participants).

There were 47 distance courses preparing state certified industrial managers (Betriebswirte), technicians and translators (in total 17,469 students). We counted 201 distance courses and other courses with 10,713 participants.

All these distance education course were approved by the State Central Office for Distance Education. The Report on Vocational Training for 1996 identified 159 institutions offering 1,086 distance courses in 1994, which were successfully taken by 152,626 participants. Most of them (that is 71,168 persons or 46.6 per cent) were applicants in economics and business practice, with females exceeding males in number, 12,709 participants were concentrated on the group of themes leisure, health and housekeeping. More than half of them (52 per cent) were women.

Distance education courses in foreign languages followed (including 14,883 participants or 9.8 per cent). In mathematics, natural sciences and technology there were 11,554 participants, that is 7.6 per cent, mostly consisting of male participants (82.2 per cent). This is also true of distance education courses for industrial managers, technicians and translators, representing a relatively high percentage of 13.6. The male proportion was 86.4 per cent.

Distance education courses at school-level and of a similar character were also strongly represented. 11,454 participants formed 7.5 per cent. The age structure can also be studied. The age groups up to 25 years and between 25 and 30 years were highly represented, quotas being 21 per cent and 22.1 percent, respectively. For the year 1993 distance education courses in economics and business practice were in the leading position. The number of participants was 66,246, equivalent to 40.3 per cent.

These courses were followed by distance education courses in leisure, health, and housekeeping with 12,709 participants (7.7 per cent). Foreign languages were studied by 16,689 participants at a distance, the quota being 10.2 per cent. Distance education courses for industrial managers, technicians and translators were attended by 22,585 (13.7 per cent). Distance courses at school-level and similar distance courses were successfully passed by 11,105 participants (6.8 per cent).

The trend is evident. Although since 1992 the number of distance education courses has been increasing, the number of participants has diminished. The number of participants from Eastern Germany has dropped rapidly owing to the aggravated economic situation and rising unemployment. The reduction of state support in the field of continuing education is an obstacle.

As already stressed in Germany there is a concentration of distance education courses on a few institutions. Three institutions (i.e. 2.7 per cent of all institutions) meet with their range of 451 distance education courses 42 per cent of the demands in distance education below university level. 89 distance education institutions (56 per cent) only offer one distance education course.

Out of the 1.086 distance education courses (68 per cent of a professional and 32 per cent of a general character) offered all together, 43 per cent culminate in an examination. Last but not least, 460 distance learning courses are combined with accompanying face-to-face sessions.

As an example of the distance education courses at this level, we look more closely at the state-organised Telekolleg (the TV college). It was started by six federal states and four TV stations 25 years ago. The current Telekolleg 1996/98 focuses on enabling participants to study at a short-cycle institutions of higher education (or a polytechnic) within two years and qualifies 9.500 participants in this way. Because the Radio Station of the Saarland is now retiring from co-operation with Hessen radio, west German radio and radio Germany, the continuation of the Telekolleg is uncertain. In total nearly 30,000 participants completed successfully the Telekolleg.

Of the large private associations, the Academic Society for Adult Continuing Education (AKAD) founded in Germany with its headquarters Stuttgart in 1959 forms the next example. At first only current distance courses are mentioned which are offered at its Institute for language Diploma (AKAD Lingua), for Professional Further Education (AKAD Business), for Final Examination (Refeprüfungen), and Language and continuing Education Courses (AKAD Forum) during the academic year 1996/97.

There are 1200 students at the Institute for Language Diploma, 900 students at the Institute for Professional Further Education and 600 students attending the Institution for Final examination. About 5,300 participants are studying within continuing courses, that is to say in foreign languages distance courses 2,724 students, in vocational training distance courses 1,600 students, and in general education distance courses 956 students.

Out of these distance education institutions 53 are members of the Deutscher Fernschulverband e. V. (German Association of Distance Education Colleges). 6 members offer no distance education courses. Nearly 90 per cent of all German distance learners are enrolled at these members institutions. Each year a press conference is organised into the development of distance education which is data process by the Statisticches Bundesamt (Federal Statistical Bureau) in co-operation with the Bundesministerium für Bildung, Wissenschaft, Forschung und Technologie (Federal Ministry for Education) and afterwards published.

As a third example is one of the largest German firms, Deutsche Telekom, and its internal 16,000 distance educational students, using different combined media for the professional qualification of 150,000 participants each year. For several years Telekom has used the multimedia Funline system, a computer-based system with video and audio segments. The themes are training software usage, quality management, accountancy, and also environment protection. The distribution of lectures in the form of software (CD-ROM) is combined with tutoring via telephone, fax and E-mail.

Teleteaching with seminars in a virtual classroom uses interactive TV, feedback is ensured by telephone, fax or PC-conferencing and video-conferencing. Experts can also participate at their workplaces. In 1997 60 transmissions will take place. A modern concept for qualification is realised by using a media mixture

Fernuniversität

Economics 55 per cent, educational sciences, social sciences and humanities 23.2 per cent, information technology 10 percent, electrical engineering 4.2 per cent, mathematics 3.3 per cent, law 3.1 per cent, 1.3 per cent of the students are in a related subject area.

Higher-level distance education is based on self-study of media, mostly print media combined with other media. This distance students are allowed to participate in non-obligatory face-to-face sessions at the study centres, 29 of which are situated in North Rhine Westphalia, 23 in other federal States and 5 in neighbouring foreign countries using the German language.

At the moment the FernUniversität Hagen is developing a virtual university.The FernUniversität also has a home page on the Internet: http://www.fernuni-hagen.de, containing much important information.

The cooperation of the FernUniversität with other traditional German universities which has gone on for many years using central offices for distance education is of special interest. The offer of the FernUniversität's programmes and courses is thus broadened to cover a regional basis. Moreover, separate developments of distance education are realised, as promoted by the European Union.

10 central offices have been set up at the universities of Bremen, Frankfurt on Main, Hamburg, Hildesheim, Kaiserslautern, Koblenz-Landau, Lüneburg, Oldenburg and Saarbrücken, using funds of the respective federal states. They have all united to form an Arbeitsgemeinschaft für Fernstudien an Universitäten (Working group for distance education at universities) in 1995.

Such analogous institutions have also been created in the new federal states, such as at the universities in Berlin (Humboldt Universität) for 805 distance students, in Rostock for 377 distance stdents, in Frankfurt on Oder for 242 distance students, in Leipzig for 1,064 distance students and in Erfurt (belonging to the Friedrich Schiller University in Jena) for 456 distance students.

There are in Austria 1,837 students of the FernUniversitat, additionally 217 students in Switzerland, 208 students in Hungary.

DIFF

The DIFF nearly totally developed the accompanying materials for the Radio college. Approximately 13,000 up to 15,000 participants in total receive their continuing education every year on this basis.
 

Distance education at Fachhochschulen (polytechnics)

Examples follow:

The Märkische Fachhochschule Iserlohn and the Fachhochschule Bochum presented the concept of combined studies for working people, of a combined face-to-face study programme and a programmme of self-learning. This interdisciplinary study programme "Technical business administration" was created as a model. The first enrollment followed for 100 students for the academic year 1994/95. Lectures are replaced by media. Block seminars and sessions held on Saturdays take palce. The studies last 6 semesters.

AKAD

These user-oriented programmes are based on self-learning from media and integrated face-to-face sessions. AKAD currently augments its traditionally print-based programmes and courses with computer-based segments and modules. The ratio between print and electronic media and face-to face sessions will change from 85:0:15 to 60:25:15 by the year 2000. The unity of distance learning and support services in the form of face-to-face sessions at regional study centres will be preserved.

The number of students at AKAD Germany has risen to 7,500 with 3,500 students both at the Rendsburg and the Lahr polytechnic. The Leipzig polytechnic now has 600 degree students. In the field of business administration there are 5,000 students, in economics-oriented industrial engineering 1.500 students, and in business-related information sciences 1,000 students. Academically and socially interesting themes of final undergraduate dissertations are published to enable the further usage of the results.

AKAD's learnline on the Internet (http://www.Akad.De) offers complex information for receiving knowledge, studying (including a test lecture) and progress for working people in connection with AKAD-Germany and AKAD-Switzerland.
 

Darmstadt

Funkolleg

Written accompanying materials (up to 150 pages) and study circles (around 313 per Kolleg) were combined with the dominating medium, the radio. Subsidiary measures for orientation (Orientierungshilfen) and self-tests were introduced. Hessen Radio was the initiator together with the university of Frankfurt on Main and the Ministry of Education and Cultural Affairs of Hessen. The DIFF was the author of the study material, the accompanying circles took place at adult education institutions (Volkshochschulen). It is possible to receive a certificate. From time to time students from nine federal states participated.

In total half a million adults participated; that is to say the ratio was 24,300 participants per Kolleg.

5 per cent of them passed the final examination of a 9 year elementary school (Hauptschule), 15 per cent the school leaving certificate after ten years (Mittlere Reife) and 76 per cent the Abitur or final examination after 12 years.

The continuation of the Funkkolleg is only ensured till 1997.

The dominating trend for several years of a diminishing number of participants in continuing distance education has ceased. The ratio of younger participants (participants younger than 30) has been increased to 51.6 per cent; the ratio of women has increased by 2.7 per cent. Large firms are increasingly using their own courses, sometimes in connection with distance education institutions. Distance education institutions with on-line presence thus offer their distance education programmes and courses and support their distance learners and students.

New developments are also ensured at the higher education level. The aim is the virtual college for working people and the developemtn of the FernUniversität as a virtual institution. Coordination and integration in the European network is strengthening.
 
 

The talks were lengthy the costs were extensive and the negotiations went on from year to year. Finally, one of the delegates - the Minister of Higher Education of the State of North Rhine-Wesphalia left the discussions and founded an open university. The open university legislation went through the North Rhine-Wesphalia parliament in November 1974, was approved by December 1974 and the new open university opened in October 1975 with an extraordinary seventy-five courses designed, written and published.

Today the Fernuniversität has over 54.728 enrolments and has developed important new faculty buildings at its headquarters in Hagen. Nearly all are degree students, as, unlike nearly all the other open universities throughout the world, it does not teach at further education level nor does it teach continuing education programmes.

Only 34.3% of the enrolment in 1995 was from the Land of North-Rhine Westphalia, whose taxpayers pay for the university. Only 5.6% of the enrolment comes from outside Germany; 1.767 of these were from Austria.

During the last year an unofficial discussion was raised on whether the Fernuniversität could become a national open university rather than a North-Rhine Westphalia open university. Cultural affairs are Land affairs in Germany and, as a consequence, it was unlikely that the government of North-Rhine Westphalia would countenance such a development, nor was it likely that the University Assembly (Konvent) would consider changing the university's constitution.

There are no official statistics on the provision of distance education courses from conventional German universities and such courses are dependent on the autonomy of German universities.

There is still some provision from universities in the new Länder, especially Dresden, and other initiatives from universities in Berlin, Hanover, Bremen, Oldenburg and Kaizerslautern. A number of conventional German universities have interests in Internet-based distance education programmes, notably the universities of Bielefeld, Paderborn, FU Berlin, but most of these are more at the project development stage rather than being full university courses for degree credit which students pass or fail. These are continuing education programmes and are not for the German university degree, the Diplom. Many of these universities are technology-rich and are developing courses and course structures for the World Wide Web.

s
 

	Bremen	Frankfurt	Hamburg	Hildes-heim	Kaiserlautern	Karlsruhe	Koblenz	Luneburg	Oldenburg	Saarbrucken	Total
Enrolments	830	5019	2314	2494	574	2456	727	724	701	1297	17136
Full-time	111	784	428	400	79	423	96	103	98	190	2712
Part-time	497	3002	131	1416	326	1356	409	416	413	605	9791
Audit	154	781	336	333	83	394	102	97	143	174	2597
Repeating	68	452	199	223	86	283	120	108	47	328	1914

Tabelle 1	Full time		Part time		Repeats		Doubles		Auditors		Total
New	1,744	15.4%	7,118	49.6%	1,348	9.2%	773	24.1	3,533	24.1%	14,836	26%
Continuing	6,935	17.4%	23,834	60%	2,641	6.6	1,367	12.6%	4,967	12.5%	38,744	72%
Repeat	49	14.9%	183	46.5	117	35.6%	0	0.0%	0	0.0%	329	1%
Total	8,728	15.9%	31.285	57.1%	4,106	7. 5%	2,140	3.9%	8.500	15,5%	54,759	100%

 

Tabelle 1.2	Full time		Part time		Repeats		Doubles		Auditors		Total
Male	5,418	15.4%	20,031	57.1%	2,867	8.2%	1,478	4.2%	5,284	15.1%	35,078	64%
Female	3,261	16.9%	11,091	57.3%	1,122	5.8%	662	3.4%	3,216	16.6%	19,352	36%
Total	8,579	15.9%	31,122	27.2%	3,989	7.3%	2,140	3.9%	8,500	15.6%	54,430	100%

	Full-time		Part-time		Repeats		Doubles		Auditors		Total
Brandenburg	62	11.0	384	68.0	14	2.5	6	1.1	99	17.5	585
Macklenburg-vorpommern	50	10.6	272	57..5	12	14.0	14	3.0	125	26.4	473
Sachsen	115	12.0	601	62.8	46	25.0	25	2.6	170	17.8	957
Sachsen-Anhalt	59	12.5	314	66.7	19	13.0	13	2.8	66	14.0	471
Thüringen	52	10.7	334	68.4	20	4.0	4	0.8	78	16.0	488
Summe NBL	338	11.4	1,905	64.5	111	3.8	62	2.1	538	18.2	2,954
Schleswig-Holstein	223	15.5	867	60.1	70	4.9	37	2.6	246	17.0	1,443
Hamburg	292	21.0	744	53.6	88	6.3	49	3.5	215	15.5	1,388
Niedersachsen	620	14.3	2548	58.7	264	6.1	204	4.7	706	16.3	4,342
Bremen	50	12.0	252	60.4	29	7.0	22	5.3	64	15.3	417
Nordrhein-westfalen	2740	14.7	10126	54.5	2159	11.6	909	4.9	2645	14.2	18,579
Hessen	807	18.8	2496	57.4	244	5.6	123	2.8	680	15.6	4,350
Rheinland-Pfatz	353	15.7	1288	57.2	139	6.2	107	4.8	364	16.2	2,251
Baden-Württernberg	930	16.5	3359	59.5	279	4.9	165	2.9	916	16.2	5,649
Bayern	1221	17.6	4042	58.1	383	5.5	243	3.5	1064	15.3	6.953
Saarland	143	15.2	471	50.2	59	6.3	134	14.3	132	14.1	939
Berlin	299	18.0	925	55.7	120	7.2	54	3.3	262	15.8	1.660
Total for Germany	7,678	16.0	27118	56.5	3.834	8.0	2047	4.3	7.294	15.2	47,971
Outside Germany	663	18.9	2099	59.9	44	1.3	31	0.9	668	19.1	3,505
Total	8,679	15.9	31,122	57.2	3.989	7	2140	3.9	8.500	15.6	54,430

 

Government distance training provision

Private distance training providers: Statistics

Open universities

other  universities
 

Those listed in table	17.136
Other German Universities	1.713
Total	18,849

1994
 

FernUniversität	52,750
Conventional Universities distance education	5,000
Government distance training provision	100,000
Proprietary distance training provision	173,000
Total	330,750

1995
 

FernUniversität	53,245
Conventional Universities distance education	5,000
Government distance training provision	100,000
Proprietary distance training provision	180,000
Total	338,245

1996
 

FernUniversität	54,728
Conventional Universities distance education	4,500
Government distance training provision	83,017
Proprietary distance training provision	200,000
Total	342,245

1997
 

FernUniversität	61,809
Conventional Universities distance education	18,849
Government distance training provision	48,000
Proprietary distance training provision	147,825
Total	276,483

Enrolments in proprietary distance education in Germany, 1983-1997, from the Central Statistical Office, in thousands: