Reaching the Unreached: The Role And Contribution Of Open And Distance Education For Communities In The Island Region

Abstract

Accessibility and reachability are the strengths of open and distance education (ODE) with its cost-effectiveness and flexibility. The territory of the Republic of Indonesia, which is an archipelagic country, proves that Open and Distance Education (ODE) has proven to be able to reach remote areas in the archipelago of the Republic of Indonesia.  Open and Distance Education (ODE) provides higher education opportunities for people who are unable to continue their formal education due to their remoteness.  This article discusses efforts to increase the reachability of open and distance education (ODE) in the Kepulauan Riau Province.  This article also presents the experience of Universitas Terbuka regional office Batam which is part of the Universitas Terbuka Indonesia in contributing to increasing reachability and providing access to education for people in the area.