UKOU overview, Distance Education then and
eSTEeMNUC – OU workshop
Distance Education then and now
Keith Williams
Distance Education then and Distance Education then and
UKOU-Distance Education then
• Expansion of UK University provision– Low participation in higher education ~10%– Large numbers denied access
eSTEeMInternational Colloquium
– Large numbers denied access– No routes to HE for vocational qualitication holders
• The Open University– Open access– National reach, large scale– Use domestic media– Must Higher Education continue to be campus + classroom
based?
Distance Education then
Expansion of UK University provisionLow participation in higher education ~10%
No routes to HE for vocational qualitication holders
ust Higher Education continue to be campus + classroom
Distance Education now
• Expansion of University provision worldwide– Developed world knowledge economy demands broader participation– Developing world population growth + knowledge economy demands drive
demand for rapid expansion
eSTEeMInternational Colloquium
demand for rapid expansion– More for the same resource is the message from many funders
• Communication Systems explosion– BBC, CNN, DW, Al Jazeera, Reuters, Bloomberg
providers of information led content– Internet links individuals and organisations worldwide– GOOGLE. Wikipedia- universal access to information– Must Higher Education continue to be campus + classroom based?
Distance Education now
Expansion of University provision worldwideDeveloped world knowledge economy demands broader participationDeveloping world population growth + knowledge economy demands drive
More for the same resource is the message from many funders
Communication Systems explosionBBC, CNN, DW, Al Jazeera, Reuters, Bloomberg --worldwide commercial
Internet links individuals and organisations worldwideuniversal access to information
Must Higher Education continue to be campus + classroom based?
Stakeholder interests• External
– Able and effective graduates– Increased numbers– Acceptable costs
eSTEeMInternational Colloquium
• Internal– Able and effective graduates– Realistic numbers– Well resourced and funded
Reasonable market expectations different?
Reasonable market expectations --- but is university education
Quality in Higher Education:Interpretations• Simply the best
– Exclusivity – Highly selective entry
eSTEeMInternational Colloquium
• Compliance + Consumer Protection– Accreditation– Guarantee of uniform standards
• Process improvement– Internal focus, institutional mission– Stakeholder engagement– Added value measures
Quality in Higher Education:
Compliance + Consumer Protection
Guarantee of uniform standards
Internal focus, institutional mission
Scaleability in UK Open Univ
eSTEeMInternational Colloquium
Central Faculty
Media Design+
Reg Acad
Design and develop course, set assessments exam and marking schemes
x20Recruit, develop and performance monitor tutors
Tutor Team
Student
+Production
Admin + logistics
x75
Teach, support and assess students to standard procedures
Scaleability in UK Open UnivDesign and develop course, set assessments exam and marking schemes
Recruit, develop and performance monitor tutors
Student
Teach, support and assess students to standard procedures
x20Distributed students study to same pattern and standards
Total 30,000 per faculty
Massification and Quality
• Can Quality be maintained in mass systems?–Expansion of existing institutions
ESMU UNNSenior Leadership Programme
–Creation of new institutions–Re invention by existing institutions – New concepts and technofixes
Massification and Quality
Can Quality be maintained in mass systems?Expansion of existing institutionsCreation of new institutionsRe invention by existing institutions New concepts and technofixes
Scaleability and Quality• Scaleability demands consistency
– Team development of materials ensures academic and technical quality– Materials substantially unchanged for many presentations– Large student populations provide statistical base for performance
monitoring
eSTEeMInternational Colloquium
monitoring
• Devolution of responsibility – Devolution of teaching responsibility demands performance specs for staff– Marking schemes provide model for student performance– Staff monitoring systems ensure consistency of staff performance
• Industrialised teaching--- industrial quality systems?– In practice - but never tested against ISO or other systems
Scaleability and QualityScaleability demands consistency
Team development of materials ensures academic and technical qualityMaterials substantially unchanged for many presentationsLarge student populations provide statistical base for performance
Devolution of responsibility Devolution of teaching responsibility demands performance specs for staffMarking schemes provide model for student performanceStaff monitoring systems ensure consistency of staff performance
industrial quality
but never tested against ISO or other systems
E-learning milestones
• Programmed Learning - text based 1960s• Computer Based training, authoring languages PLATO
etc 1970s• Interactive Video 1980s
eSTEeMInternational Colloquium
• Interactive Video 1980s• Video classroom 80s-• Reusable Learning Objects SCORM etc late 90s
onwardsE-learning always the “next big thing”
mainly a “cottage industry”
text based 1960s, authoring languages PLATO
1980s1980s-90s
Reusable Learning Objects SCORM etc late 90s
“next big thing” but in universities
Scaleability in UK Open Univ
eSTEeMInternational Colloquium
Central Faculty
Media Design+
Reg Acad
Design and develop course, set assessments exam and marking schemes
x20Recruit, develop and performance monitor tutors
Tutor Team
Student
+Production
Admin + logistics
x75
Teach, support and assess students to standard procedures
Scaleability in UK Open UnivDesign and develop course, set assessments exam and marking schemes
Recruit, develop and performance monitor tutors
Student
Teach, support and assess students to standard procedures
x20Distributed students study to same pattern and standards
Total 30,000 per faculty
E-learning Current Context
• Spectrum of e-learning – Specialised high interactivity simulations– Routine multiple choice quizes– Use of community tools , Facebook etc
• Credibility gap
eSTEeMInternational Colloquium
– High quality commercial applications software vs home grown applications
• Communications tools– the dominant use of online tools by the student generation?
• Can E-learning bring the best learning experience to the individual’s desk
learning Current Context
Specialised high interactivity simulations
Use of community tools , Facebook etc
High quality commercial applications software vs home grown
the dominant use of online tools by the student generation?
learning bring the best learning experience to the individual’s desk-top ?
eSTEeMInternational Colloquium
Milestones to convergence ?
Systems stable
DL : text led
Conv: classroom led, some video classroom outreach
1st standalone PC use in OU
1st online conferencing in OU course
WWW PC use in OU course
WWW raises profile of text resources
1985 1990 1995
Milestones to convergence ?1st Fully online OU course
Intro to WWW
11,000 studs pa
MIT Open course-ware launched
OU selects Moodle VLE
Openlearn
Distribution of course materials PDFs, quizes etc via VLEs reduces barriers of entry to distance learning for conventional univs
i-tunes U You Tube
OU
Google Apps
2000 2005 2010
The Future is Blended?
eSTEeMInternational Colloquium
Distinctions between “conventionalDistance Education disappearAll universities offer a “blended” experienceVariations in the “blend” according to institutional Variations in the “blend” according to institutional mission.Use of e-learning increases capacity of conventional campus baseThreatens scaleability of large DE institutions ?
conventional” and disappear
All universities offer a “blended” experienceVariations in the “blend” according to institutional Variations in the “blend” according to institutional
learning increases capacity of
Threatens scaleability of large DE institutions ?
eSTEeMInternational Colloquium
Convergence in mode of operation
Cost
Convergence in mode of operation
Increased service demand
Invest
Improve efficiency
Student Number
Costs for entry reduce
Convergence: Methods and ToolsF2F
• Teachers emphasise role as learning managers and facilitators– Plan programmes, support and manage learners
• Teaching increasingly resource based– Web resources for information and learning materials
eSTEeMInternational Colloquium
– Web resources for information and learning materials– Changing role of text book publishers, resource service packages
• Lectures have increased focus on student activity– Lecture as means of information transfer superceded
• Participation in group activities– Employers increasingly demand group work skills of graduates
• VLE for distributing information• VLE as focus for class activity• Extensive informal student-student comms
– Always happened but now increased scope for real time online communication with wider participation
Convergence: Methods and Tools
Teachers emphasise role as learning managers and facilitatorsPlan programmes, support and manage learners
Teaching increasingly resource basedWeb resources for information and learning materialsWeb resources for information and learning materialsChanging role of text book publishers, resource service packages
Lectures have increased focus on student activityLecture as means of information transfer superceded
Employers increasingly demand group work skills of graduates
student commsAlways happened but now increased scope for real time online communication
Convergence: Methods and ToolsDistance Education
eSTEeMInternational Colloquium
Changing Communication patterns between students and tutorsDemand for increased communicationsExpectations of 24x7 support
Web Resources replace text materialInformation and learning resources not limited by book ownership or library Information and learning resources not limited by book ownership or library access
Student –student communication increasesAsynchronous communication expands participation
VLE used for materials distributionMore effective delivery but demands rapid updating
VLE formal focus of student communities Extensive informal student-student communication
Student forums and chat rooms extend informal communication
Convergence: Methods and Tools
Changing Communication patterns between students and tutorsDemand for increased communications
Information and learning resources not limited by book ownership or library Information and learning resources not limited by book ownership or library
student communication increasesAsynchronous communication expands participation
More effective delivery but demands rapid updating
student communicationStudent forums and chat rooms extend informal communication
Convergence in Themes
• From teacher centred to student centred learning.
eSTEeMInternational Colloquium
• From what students know to
student centred learning.
to what students can do