In the paper Technology, Distance Education and National Development, Bates (1997) 

presents three models of international technology based distance delivery: 

1.  Direct delivery to individuals in another country. 

2.  Inter institutional direct delivery from one country to another. 

3.  Joint partnership between institutions in different countries. 

In Distance Education across National Borders, Mason (1994) distinguishes between four 

categories of intercultural courses: 

1.  Franchise Type: in which one partner designs, develops, examines and makes awards, 

while the other recruits students and provides support mechanisms. 

2. Marketplace Type: in which one institution purchases course materials from the other, 

adapts and delivers them and examines learners and awards credits. 

3.  Collaborative Type: in which several institutions jointly design and develop courses 

which they use in their respective institutions independently of each other. 

4.  Technology Based Type: in which students from other countries access the host 

institution via electronic communication (possibly enhanced by printed materials, 

occasional videoconferences or even face to face meetings). 

Independent of which type an institution chooses, the pivotal issue of global courses is how 

well cultural issues are addressed. These issues include language, educational tradition, 

perception of educational imperialism, national policy on certification and transfer of credit, 

and local support structures. 

The four institutions listed as transnational in the catalogue are the International 

Telecommunication Union [1], LEB [2], Nordisk Netthogskole [3], and The African Virtual 

University [4] (Case Study 1). These institutions are very different as described in the 

following paragraphs. 

The International Telecommunication Union [1] (

http://www.itu.int/VTC

) reports to have 200 

students in 3 courses. In the framework of its activities aimed at fostering the use of 

information technologies in the telecommunication training sector in developing countries, the 

ITU has developed the Virtual Training Center (VTC). The aim of the center is to offer 

services typically provided by a traditional training center, online. It also aims at satisfying 

some of the new training requirements generated by a modern, information oriented society. 

Services offered include the access to information (for example about material and courses 

available, service providers), access to training material, distance tutoring and participation in 

virtual classes, distance consultancy services, etc. The VTC currently offers the following 

non accredited web based courses: Developing Distance Learning Material, Using the Internet 

for Distance Learning, and Spectrum Management. These courses make extensive use of the 

web for access to course resources, student interaction with tutor and fellow students, access 

and submission of assignments, and asynchronous discussions. Additional courses with 

similar characteristics are under development: Business Management Development Plan, 

Frontline Management, Wireless Access Systems, and so on. 

LEB [2] (

www.geocities.com/Athens/Delphi/9648/Index.html

) is an initiative to share Internet 

information to the Hispanic people. It provides non formal education translated to Spanish 

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