Organisational strategies for open and distance learning remain deeply problematic. I believe that four issues must be resolved before strategies are worked out: traditional paradigms for teaching and learning no longer work in the post- industrial age; open and distance learning are not synonymous; relationships between educationalists and technologists are a weak factor of policy making and planning; and educational institutions, particulary face to face institutions, must change their internal cultures. The first issue requires us to fashion new paradigms of teaching and learning, the second requires governments to devise policies which create environments for distance and other forms of guided self instruction. The third issue requires more emphasis on the educational ends to be served by new technologies and a corresponding commitment to relevant research and development. Finally, success depends on radical cultural changes within traditional learning institutions.