ICODeL, the biennial international conference series on open and distance e-learning (ODeL), was launched on 22-24 February 2012 in Manila, Philippines to provide a forum for distance education on and e-learning scholars, practitioners and policymakers to share and reflect on experiences, and collaboratively create and explore spaces and possibilities for ODeL for development. The second ICODeL was held in Manila in 2014. In 2018, UPOU partnered with National University of Kaohsiung to organize the third ICODeL in Taiwan.
‘Open and distance e-learning’ (ODeL) is a term coined by the University of the Philippines Open University (UPOU) to refer to the convergence of an open learning philosophy, distance education pedagogies, and e-learning technologies.
Open learning is a learner-centered philosophy: it recognizes the importance of learner control over the me, place and pace of study. This philosophy animates distance education, which aims to make education on and lifelong learning opportunities accessible to learners everywhere, especially those whose circumstances prevent them from availing themselves of conventional education. e-Learning, on the other hand, refers to learning that is facilitated or supported by the new information and communications technology (ICT). Today e-learning is provided by both conventional universities, through what is called ‘blended learning’, and distance education on universities that engagein online distance education on or online learning, as well as by training institutes, alternative education on providers, and learning organizations.