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An important objective of European education policy is to explore possibilities of increasing the participation of adult learners in higher education by means of distance education. Against this background, the UNESCO Institute for Lifelong Learning (UIL), together with the International Council for Open and Distance Education (ICDE) and StudyPortals (SP), set out to examine the potential of the distance education programmes provided by higher education institutions on adult learning in Europe. Their research project entitled Impact of Distance Education on Adult Learning (IDEAL) was funded by the European Commission's Lifelong Learning Programme.

The task force for the project consisted of experts on adult and distance education from the European Association of Distance Teaching Universities (EADTU), European Association for the Education of Adults (EAEA), European Distance and E-Learning Network (EDEN), European Foundation for Quality in E-Learning (EFQUEL) and European Society for Research on the Education of Adults (ESREA). The project aimed to: (1) offer policymakers and distance education providers insights into the needs of adult learners; (2) strengthen the social dimension of higher education by better meeting the needs of adult learners; and (3) increase the participation of adult learners in higher education through distance education. This final report highlights the findings of the research which was carried out from October 2013 until November 2015. The report presents a meta-analysis of the research undertaken in an attempt to answer the central research question: How can the distance education programmes offered by European higher education institutions be better matched to the needs of adult learners? In other words, how to close the gap?

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The [Impact of Distance Education on Adult Learning] IDEAL project has been designed to get a better understanding of distance education offered by higher education institutions and to examine how higher education institutions can contribute to adult learning by way of distance education. The central research question of the project is: How can the distance education offer of European higher education institutions be better matched to the needs of adult learners? This report documents the second study in the project which surveyed adult learners enrolled in distance education and analysed their social profile, their motivations, and the barriers they encounter. The report consists of five chapters. Following the introductory chapter, chapter two outlines the research methodology and data set used. Chapter three discusses the data set in the context of existing knowledge about distance education students. In chapter four, the data itself is presented. Chapter five provides a summary of the findings and general conclusions. A glossary of key terms used is included at the end of the report.

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The [Impact of Distance Education on Adult Learning] IDEAL project has been designed to get a better understanding of distance education offered by higher education institutions and to examine how higher education institutions can contribute to adult learning by way of distance education. The project aims to: offer insights on the needs of adult learners to both policy makers and distance education providers; strengthen the social dimension of higher education by better meeting the needs of adult learners; and increase the participation of adult learners in higher education through distance education. The central research question of the project is: How can the distance education offer of European higher education institutions be better matched to the needs of adult learners?

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An important objective of European education policy is to explore possibilities of increasing the participation of adult learners in higher education by means of distance education. Against this background, the UNESCO Institute for Lifelong Learning (UIL), together with the International Council for Open and Distance Education (ICDE) and StudyPortals (SP), set out to examine the potential of the distance education programmes provided by higher education institutions on adult learning in Europe. Their research project entitled Impact of Distance Education on Adult Learning (IDEAL) was funded by the European Commission's Lifelong Learning Programme. The specific aims of the IDEAL project are to: (1) offer insights on the needs of adult learners to both policy-makers and distance education providers; (2) strengthen the social dimension of higher education by better meeting the needs of adult learners; and (3) increase the participation of adult learners in higher education through distance education.

This report focuses on the analysis of study three, 'Distance education in European higher education - the potential', which examines the profile of potential students within the target group of adult learners. The aim is to find out their profiles, their reasons for entering distance education, and the barriers they face in doing so. The report presents the research methodology and data set and an overview of the empirical results of the analysis of the three different methodological approaches. The last chapter provides a synthesis of the findings and general conclusions. The report is accompanied by five detailed country case studies: Finland, Germany, Greece, Hungary, and the UK.

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