===Introduction===
Besides being the first of its kind to be founded in 1969, UK’s Open University is ranked first place out of the twelve internationally known open universities, as well as the thirteen distance education universities in the world (Peters, 2001, p.193). The number of students enrolled swelled from 24,000 students in the first year, to 90,000 by 1990, and 210,000 by 1998, which makes it the largest university in the world, and also known as a mega university (Open University, 2005). The university’s aim was to provide a second chance for mature adults to obtain a university degree and, to provide more accessible higher education to the UK population, especially students who were educationally disadvantage at traditional universities and special priority for disabled students (Open University, 2005). Since its creation, the Open University in the UK has inspired an era of distance education and has set new benchmarks ever since.
===Teaching and learning strategies===
Firstly, as vital roles in the teaching system, radio and television were utilised as mediums for disseminating educational teaching programmes (Peters, 2001, p.197). Secondly, structured printed distance-teaching materials were developed by professional course teams who specialize in the learning requirements of distance students (Peters, 2003, p.21). It aims to assist individualistic stay-home students to control their own learning. Hence the structured printed materials were designed to be self-instructional, which was different from the printed materials found in traditional universities.
Thirdly, there is more support for students in the form of more regional and local study centres (Reddy, 1993, p.244). Therefore, the university is decentralized and made more accessible to students as they are able to attend tutorials liberally and gain moral support by exchanging experience with fellow students. There is further genuine help and support from tutors and professors alike for distance students in the form of counselling and face to face teaching, and seminars. Lastly, the university provides a firm foundation especially for mature students as it regards them as their main clientele and focal mission (Powar, 2003, p.68). Hence self-study cultures can be created, something that is seldom seen in “dual-mode universities as teachers are unable to adjust so intensively and exclusively to the new clientele�?.
===Future Orientation===
To improve the quality and effectiveness of teaching, strategies are being developed not only to utilise audio and visual mediums but also “computer supported and multimedia teaching programmes�? (Peters, 2001, p.199), as well as digitalised communication. “Standardise presentational elements and models for cooperation�? (Peters, 2001, p.199) are being composed to improve feedback procedures so that the university would be updated quicker and more reliably on the learning process. Therefore, improvements and amendments to the teaching and learning system can be made based on these empirical facts. Furthermore, a restructuring of the teaching system is intended to convert the teaching programme from supplier-orientated to being user-orientated (Daniel and Mackintosh, 2003, p815). This ensures that the work of the Open University will be assessed on the basis of its involvement in customer contentment.
Contents |
Daniel, J. and Mackintosh, W. (2003) “Leading ODL futures in the eternal triangle: The mega-university response to the greatest moral challenge of our age�?, in M. G. Moore, and W. G. Anderson (ed.) Handbook of Distance Education, New Jersey: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates, pp. 811-826. ISBN 0-8058-3924-0
Peters, O. (2003) “Models of open and flexible learning in distance education�?, in S. Panda (ed.) Planning and Management in Distance Education, London and Sterling, VA.: Kogan Page Limited, pp. 15-27. ISBN 0-7494-4068-6
Peters, O. (2001) Learning and Teaching in Distance Education: Pedagogical Analyses and Interpretations in an International Perspective, London: Kogan Page. ISBN 0-7494-3594-1
Powar, K. B. (2003) “Management of institutions�?, in S. Panda (ed.) Planning and Management in Distance Education, London and Sterling, VA.: Kogan Page Limited, pp. 15-27. ISBN 0-7494-4068-6
Reddy, G. R. (1993) “Open universities: the new temples of learning�?, in K. Harry, M. John, and D. Keegan (ed.) Distance education: new perspectives, London and New York: Routledge, pp. 261-275. ISBN 0-415-08941-7
Open University (2005) “Open University,�? retrieved October 20, 2005, from
http://www.open.ac.uk/
GuoguangKim 22:48, 25 Oct 2005 (EST)
