Tony Nixon and Dave Meara

1
Introduction

• Tony Nixon and Dave Meara

2
Who are we?

• Tony Nixon
• 15 years working for the UKOU
• Staff Tutor East Anglian Region
• managing 80 Associate Lecturers, staff
  development etc
• Teaching experience
• Astronomy, Mechanical Engineering, Logic Design,
  Physics
• Central Academic
• electronic materials, project course, information
  systems, structures
• Research
• X-ray Photoelectron Spectroscopy

3
Who are we?

• Dave Meara
• 25 years working for the UKOU
• Head of Strategic Planning
• Learning and Teaching Solutions
• Managed many ICT projects within the OU
• Conferencing system
• Content Management systems
• Asset management system
• Teaching experience
• Associate Lecturer Technology Faculty

4
Objectives

• Understanding of the UKOU
• distance learning methodology
• structure and operation
• Identify issues critical to success of the
  delivery of distance learning and evaluate their
  application within the context of Ohio
• To place distance learning in a wider social
  context

5
Main sessions

• Session 1
• Critical success factors for the UKOU
• Session 3
• Production processes within the UKOU
• Session 5
• Motivating learners
• Session 7
• Inclusiveness and social justice

6
Options

• Dave Meara
• Session 2
• Current thinking on the VLE
• Session 4
• Course materials
• Session 6
• Significance of standards and specs for e-learning

• Tony Nixon
• Session 2
• Teaching with the UKOU
• Session 4
• Quality assurance
• Session 6
• Conferencing the student and tutor experience

7
The Open University

• 1969 first University to enable students to study
  in their own home
• Open entry
• 158,000 Undergraduates
• 25,000 Postgraduates
• Over 360 undergraduate and postgraduate courses