ukou overview, distance education then and now...•computer based training, authoring languages...

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


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


• 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


• 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


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


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


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


• 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


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


Scaleability in UK Open UnivDesign and develop course, set assessments exam and marking schemes

Recruit, develop and performance monitor tutors

Student


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


– 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 ?


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

Facebook

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?


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 ?


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


– 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


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.


• From what students know to

student centred learning.

to what students can do

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