Twenty-Five Years of Innovation and Knowledge Sharing: The Legacy and Future of the International Review of Research in Open and Distributed Learning

Authors

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.19173/irrodl.v26i1.8490

Keywords:

online journal, open access, open source, publication

Abstract

Since its founding in 2000 by Athabasca University, the International Review of Research in Open and Distributed Learning (IRRODL) has emerged as a leading platform for the dissemination of scholarly work in open and distributed learning. This article revisits IRRODL’s foundational goals, the institutional support that facilitated its creation, and its evolution over 25 years. Through this retrospective, we celebrate the journal’s achievements and examine its future as a freely accessible repository of information and knowledge for practitioners and researchers in open and distributed learning.

Author Biographies

Terry Anderson, Athabasca University

Terry Anderson PhD is a Professor Emeritus and former Canada Research Chair in the Centre for Distance Education at Athabasca University. Terry has published widely in the area of distance education and educational technology and has co-authored or edited 10 books and numerous papers. Much of Terry’s research work revolves around studying interaction amongst and between students, teachers and content. Terry’s books and research articles have, since 2004, been published under open access licenses so as to maximize their availability to all distance education practitioners, students and researchers.
Terry was active in provincial, national, and international distance education associations and is a regular keynote presenter at professional and academic conferences.

He has served as President of Riverdale Community League on the board of the Edmonton Social Planning Council and Westwood Unitarian Boards and was the first Director of the North Country Fair at Lesser Slave Lake. He is woodworker, bicyclist, hiker and musician.

Peter S. Cookson, Delaware State University

Dr. Peter S. Cookson, now retired, was a distinguished educator specializing in adult and distance learning. With advanced degrees in sociology, Latin American studies, and adult education, he has served in pivotal roles at institutions such as Athabasca University, Penn State University, a United Nations-affiliated university in Costa Rica, and the Veracruz state-financed Consorcio Clavijero in Mexico.  A founding editor of The International Review of Research in Open and Distance Learning and contributor to global educational initiatives, Dr. Cookson has worked extensively across Latin America, Asia, and Africa to advance access to education. His career reflects a deep commitment to leveraging technology and collaboration to expand learning opportunities worldwide.

Serena Henderson, Athabasca University

Serena Henderson is the Managing Editor of The International Review of Research in Open and Distributed Learning (IRRODL). With over a decade of experience in educational technology, open education, and academic publishing, Serena excels in fostering global collaboration and efficient research dissemination. She holds a Master of Arts in Interdisciplinary Studies and a Master of Education in Open, Digital, and Distance Education. Serena is actively involved in initiatives and volunteer activities that advocate for open licensing practices and equitable access to knowledge, supported by her certifications in Creative Commons, Canadian Copyright, and Teaching English as a Second Language (TESL). Her research interests include intergenerational trauma, open educational practices, policy development, social change, disruptive technology, and expressive writing.

Rory McGreal, Athabasca University

Prof. Rory McGreal is the UNESCO//International Council for Open and Distance Education Chair in Open Educational Resources (OER); and Director of the Technology Enhanced Knowledge Research Institute (TEKRI) at Athabasca University. He is presently on leave from his position as Editor-in-Chief of IRRODL (International Review of Research in Open and Distributed Learning).  He is the founder of the OER Knowledge Cloud, a repository of research articles on OER. Previous positions include Assoc. VP Research, Executive Director of TeleEducation NB, a Canadian province-wide elearning network and Supervisor at Contact North/Contact Nord in Ontario.  He is also the recipient of several national and international awards for open and distance learning.

Downloads

Published

2025-02-25

How to Cite

Anderson, T., Cookson, P. S., Henderson, S., & McGreal, R. (2025). Twenty-Five Years of Innovation and Knowledge Sharing: The Legacy and Future of the International Review of Research in Open and Distributed Learning. The International Review of Research in Open and Distributed Learning, 26(1), 1–15. https://doi.org/10.19173/irrodl.v26i1.8490

Issue

Vol. 26 No. 1 (2025)

Section

25th Anniversary

License

Creative Commons License

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License. The copyright for all content published in IRRODL remains with the authors.

This copyright agreement and usage license ensure that the article is distributed as widely as possible and can be included in any scientific or scholarly archive.

You are free to

  • Share — copy and redistribute the material in any medium or format
  • Adapt — remix, transform, and build upon the material for any purpose, even commercially.

The licensor cannot revoke these freedoms as long as you follow the license terms below:

  • No additional restrictions — You may not apply legal terms or technological measures that legally restrict others from doing anything the license permits.