Title Accessibility and distance : issues of register in ...
Key issues in open and distance learning
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Transcript of Key issues in open and distance learning
Key issues in open and distance learning
Will SwannDirector, Students, The Open University, UKPresident, European Association of Distance Teaching Universities
The Open University
• Founded in 1969• Over 200,000 students• Nearly 7,000 part time tutors• 1,200 academic staff• More than 3,500 administrative and support staff
Key issues
• Scale• Access• Cost• Open-ness• Student-centredness• Quality based on outcomes• Technology enables and liberates people …
but it’s just a tool
Open University students
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• Aged from 12 to over 90 with an average of 32
• 70% work and study• 44 per cent without
standard HE entry qualifications
• 18% live in the UK’s 20% poorest areas
• 12,000 students with disabilities
Where the students are
167,000
15,700
8,400
4,200
8,800
6,300
Mia
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David
Deborah
Bobby
What do you like about the OU?
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Socio-economic profile
New UK undergraduates, by IMD quintile
Age profile
New UK undergraduates, 18+
1999/00 2004/05 2009/10
Under 21 3.7% 5.2% 6.5%
21 - 24 10.2% 14.0% 14.3%
25 - 49 75.8% 70.6% 68.7%
50 and over 10.3% 10.2% 10.5%
What makes for successful teaching?
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Learning materials
Student support
Business systems and processes
Annual volumes
1.25 million telephone calls 580,000 emails 240,000 registrations (33% online) 500 courses and 200 qualifications 800,000 student assignments 125,000 examinations 87,000 end-of-course assessments 33,000 qualifications awarded
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Learning to learn at a distance
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Structure andorganisation
16Support from real people
17Supporting tutors
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Information and support online… and offline
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Managing relationships with students
Rank UniversityPercent satisfied/very satisfied with overall
quality of course
1 Open University 93%
2 Buckingham 92%
3 Cambridge 92%
4 Oxford 92%
5 Bath 91%
6 Exeter 91%
7 Heriot Watt 91%
8 Keele 91%
9 Kent 91%
10 Lancaster 91%
UK governmentNational Student Survey, 2012