The Open University of the United Kingdom has been at the forefront of open and distance learning for over the past 25 years. Through a combination of degree programmes, short courses and self-contained study packs, the University offers many adults their only opportunity for higher education.
Within the university, one project in particular shows the extent to which information technologies are changing the roles and nature of learning: The Information Technology and Society Project, a collaborative development between the Open University's Technology and Social Sciences faculties and Institute of Educational Technology . The project's course is built around social and technological issues and is supported by the interaction of three key technologies: CD-ROM, computer-mediated communication and Internet for search and delivery. There are no academic prerequisites for entry to the course and so students are drawn from differing educational backgrounds and occupations. The intensive use of technology within a home setting makes the course particularly attractive to physically disabled students.
Within the project, CD-ROMs provide students with a distribution medium for a purpose-built library of interactive resource materials including journal articles, research reports, newspaper extracts, book chapters and audio and video interviews. Appropriate hyper-text links are created between documents, offering contrasting viewpoints, and 'concept maps' provide a graphical overview of the library contents. The viewer software permits free text searches of the entire document set as well as cut and paste and book marking. A computer-based learning package was created to teach students how to use these resources.
Computer-mediated communication services provide a combination of electronic mail (with file attachments) and computer conferencing (no attachments). Experience has shown a multimedia approach with these two forms of communication can support different learning activities, styles and needs. E-mail offers one to one and one to many private messaging services, whilst conferencing supports a many to many style of public messaging. General chat groups help students gain confidence about the new technology; this structure is then used to establish private conferences for individual tutors and their group of students (about 25 students per tutor).
Finally, Internet offers students facilities to search public database services and the World Wide Web, and for the course team to deliver, or identify, updated resource components. In some cases, students find the Internet a more cost-effective access route to the services. Students are still required, however, to have printed materials for the study guide and assessment package. In addition, a number of key articles are delivered in book form to provide a measure of flexibility in study patterns. The project has a strong research element and aims to explore the impact which information technologies are having on everyday lives, promote team work among students, validate the professional and personal backgrounds of students through appropriate forms of assessment and provide greater opportunity for personal choice in the selection of study content. For students uncomfortable with the use of new technology, a service was established to support those encountering difficulties with course-related software and communication problems.
The most noticeable outcome of this media mix for instruction has been the development of group learning activities and, in particular, an assessed group project. Most important of all, students can draw on their personal lives and add their experiences to the body of resources. The diversity of contributions from 1,300 students is quite overwhelming; the greatest task for the teaching staff is to keep abreast of activities and offer guidance when appropriate. Many of the student groups remain in close contact after the course and there is now a very active and committed open learning community readily awaiting the next cohort of students.
Contact information:
Prof. Nicholas Heap
Open University,Walton Hall
Milton Keynes, MK7 6AA
United Kingdom
Tel: (44) 1908 274066
Fax: (44) 1908 653744