Open Education - The Journal for Open and Distance Education and Educational Technology Volume 9, Number 1, 2013 Section one. © Open Education ISSN: 1791-9312 75 ǻδİλİτθβıβ IJπθ ασοİπθ φκδIJβIJυθ IJκ ΜΠ΢ ‘΢κįΫμ ıIJβθ Ǽεαέįİıβ’ ΰδα IJβθ İι ακıIJΪıİπμ İιαIJκηδεİηΫθβ ηΪγβıβ IJκ ǼǹΠ - Μέα ηİζΫIJβ İλέIJπıβμ Investigation of students’ views attending the postgraduate programme “Studies in Education” about distance individualized learning at the HOU - A case study Μαλέα ΣαυIJακ Ǽεήεσμ ǹΰΰζδεάμ Γζυııαμ ΠέǼέ Νέ ǹδIJπζήθέαμ, M.A, M.Ed mtzotzou@yahoo.gr ΝέIJıα ΜδΰδζΪεβ -Ǽδįδεσμ ǼδıIJάηκθαμ ıIJκ ΢θάΰκλκ IJκ ΠκζέIJβ ΢ǼΠ Ǽζζβθδεκτ ǹθκδεIJκτ ΠαθİδıIJβηέκ ndimakou@hol.gr Abstract Open and Distance Education constitutes not only a simple teaching method, but also a self-sufficient education system, different from the conventional one. It is not based on ‘face to face’ knowledge communication, but on the ‘individualization’ of learning, mainly through the individual study of the educational material provided by the educational institute, in the present case by the HOU. Within this educational framework adult students are far apart from the instructor (tutor-counselor) and the educational instituteέ Their role is upgraded, as they are involved in an ‘individualized learning’ process, or otherwise ‘self-learning’ process, on the basis of which individual/personal diversities, needs, experiences, preferences and expectations are to be satisfiedέ δearning is experienced as an ‘individual matter’ presupposing and entailing adulthood enhancement and independence. This paper refers to the investigation of the postgraduate students’ views attending the programme “Studies in ϋducation” about distance individualized learning at the ώτUέ We have investigated six main aspects involved in the implementation of the individualized learning at the HOU: a. educational material, b. interpersonal communication, c. student support, d. instructor’s role, eέ use of new technologies and fέ service provision (registration and library departments)έ Through the investigation of the students’ views, the advantages and disadvantages of the individualized learning at the HOU have been recorded and analysed. Moreover, recommendations have been stated concerning the reinforcement of the advantages and the restriction of difficulties and problems that adult learners have to cope with during their distance individualized studies. Πİλέζβοβ Ǿ ǹİιǹǼ įδαφΫλİδ ασ IJβ ıηίαIJδεά ıIJκ σIJδ įİθ ίαıέαİIJαδ ıIJβθ ‘λσıπκ ηİ λσıπκ’ ηİIJΪįκıβ IJβμ ΰθυıβμ, αζζΪ ıIJβθ ‘İιαIJκηέεİıβ’ IJβμ ηΪγβıβμ, ελέπμ ηΫıα ασ IJβθ εαIJ’ δįέαθ ηİζΫIJβ İεαδįİIJδεκτ ζδεκτ κ λκıφΫλİδ IJκ İεαδįİIJδεσ έįληαέ Οδ İθάζδεκδ ıκįαıIJΫμ İηζΫεκθIJαδ ıİ ηδα įδαįδεαıέα ‘İιαIJκηδεİηΫθβμ ηΪγβıβμ’ ά αζζδυμ ‘αIJκηΪγβıβμ’, ίΪıİδ IJβμ κκέαμ αθαΰθπλέακθIJαδ εαδ δεαθκκδκτθIJαδ κδ αIJκηδεΫμ įδαφκλΫμ, αθΪΰεİμ εαδ λκıįκεέİμ IJκμέ Ǿ ηΪγβıβ ίδυθİIJαδ πμ ‘αIJκηδεά σγİıβ’ ηΫıα ασ IJβθ İιαIJκηέεİıβ IJβμ ηαγβıδαεάμ įδİλΰαıέαμ κ λκςκγΫIJİδ εαδ ıθİΪΰİIJαδ IJβθ İθέıξıβ IJβμ