The Open University (OU) has launched a campaign to take distance learning global - as it attempts to catch up with online course offered by US colleges.
The famous distance learning school has teamed up with 10 British universities, in a venture called FutureLearn.
The plan is to give free virtual lectures that are supplemented by digital learning tools to help promote UK institutions.
Wholly-owned by the OU, it has the potential to give a cyber taster for millions of people around the world.
The university's vice-chancellor Martin Bean told Sky News: "You won't be able to get a degree through FutureLearn but you will be able to get free access to some of the best higher education content on the planet.
"In a world of higher fees - where people are taking on more of that responsibility for themselves - I think they're going to demand better teaching... and I'm sure it will help these universities really develop new, innovative and experimental teaching practices."
The decision to go global comes after leading US colleges, including Harvard, MIT, Texas and Georgetown, launched various learning partnerships.
A partnership involving Stanford already has two million users around the world.
Professor Bean admitted: "There's no doubt the Americans have got a little out in front of us on this one."
But he insisted the move would benefit Britain's universities.
"It strengthens brand and competitiveness, it allows them to experiment and develop new teaching strategies for their students on campus and online," he said.
"And it also creates some revenue opportunities in being able to compete for all of those trans-national students that are often in developing parts of the world."
The OU has taught by distance since 1971, initially using late night television programmes to supplement course notes.
Universities minister David Willetts said the UK is helping to open avenues to tertiary education for people in emerging economies.
Supporters see the scheme as an important way to put students on a path that may lead to traditional tertiary education - a lucrative sector for colleges.
Known as massive open online courses (Moocs), one US course has 160,000 users enrolled.
Academics are believed to support the concept as it helps broaden the demand for their literature and increase stature.
But sceptics question the ability of the sector to monetise the concept.
Moocs do not carry degree credits and concerns have been raised about plagiarism and the manpower needed to check the work of tens of thousands of students that may be on a single course.
Money-making concepts have included offering the free courses but charging for exams, certificates and tutoring.
Anda sedang membaca artikel tentang
Open University In Online Bid To Go Global
Dengan url
http://temannyakawanya.blogspot.com/2012/12/open-university-in-online-bid-to-go.html
Anda boleh menyebar luaskannya atau mengcopy paste-nya
Open University In Online Bid To Go Global
namun jangan lupa untuk meletakkan link
Open University In Online Bid To Go Global
sebagai sumbernya
0 komentar:
Posting Komentar