Taking degrees at home

[Paulclem]

Flexible learning

Mr Willetts is promoting the idea of students studying for a degree at any university in England, with lectures and classes being held at their local further education college or other institute.

From the article in the link below. Degrees from home colleges?


http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/education/10278662.stm

Whay do you think?

[kasie]

Has anybody here any experience of 'distance learning', such as that offered by London University, as mentioned in the news item? How does it work? How does it differ from the Open University method, for example?

I can only say that I have the greatest admiration for people who take the Open University route: it not only takes huge self discipline and organisation, it takes a great toll on energy, mental and physical, to settle to learning after a day's work, imo.

[Paulclem]

Some of our Tutors have done their teaching quals with distance learning. They meet up once a month. The blogs, e-mail and websites are fine if you like that way of learning. There might be more teaching in the local colleges rather than in situ in the unis. Can't see why not.

[Niamh]

I'm currently working towards a degree with the Open University which is probably the most well know distance learning college across the globe. You are given a schedule of what to study per week. As a part time student i'm expected to devote about 16 hours to studying a week.
They supply text books, DVDs, CDROMs, Audiobooks etc, although some external texts you have to get yourself. The course i finished in May (AA100: The Arts Past and Present 60 point course) was based on 7eTMAs (electronic Tutor Marked Asignments) and one ECA (end of course assessment, marked by an ECA group). There is a deadline for all assignments and the last one plus the ECA are compulsory. If you dont do them you fail the course and the points dont build towards the 360 points needed to get your honours degree. Some have exams at the end like you would in college or Uni.
You have tutorials nearly every month as well as Day schools, internet tutorials and telephone tutorials (think conferencing) I'm currently doing a short 10 point course (SA188 Archaeology: The Science of Investigation) Which is tougher than the AA100 course even though both are level one courses. There are three levels of courses and a certain amount of points needs to be devoted to level two and level three courses; courses being harder the higher the level.
The OU site has student home with loads of online resourses for students, as well as transcripts of the course DVDs etc.

[Paulclem]

They've got a good reputation - Open University. Does the home study asect suit everyone?

My friend pointed out that some students - invariably poor ones - need to get away int a different "climate" for whatever reason.

[Niamh]

They do have a great reputation and i've enjoyed my experience so far. No it definitely doesnt suit everyone! Having experienced attending colleges in the past, i have to say its a lot more difficult that studying in college. You teach yourself everything, rather than sit in lectures or tutorials all day long. You cant read someone elses notes if you dont go to class to find out what was done, or catch up in a tutorial the next day. You have to discipline yourself to devote the time, which can be hard when you work full time doing shift hours and are tired. Its very easy to slip out of the routine but very hard to get into it. You also need to make time to go to the library to research for your assignments. Some weeks i feel like i might as well be in full time education again. Researching on top of study can add an extra 10-12 hours of work into your week.
Do you mean "poor Students" as in ones lacking strength in education? or "poor Students" as in ones from poorer backrounds who might not necessarily have to opertunity of going to a proper college for financial reasons? If the former, I would say the OU or other universities and colleges that offer distance learning education are not for poor students. Personally i dont think they would be able to discipline themselves enough to do it all on there own. If the latter, it does give those who could not attend college an opertunity to obtain a degree while working.

[Paulclem]

I mean those for whom their home circumstances ae less than conducive to study. That a not just be fnancially poor ones com to think of it.

If they are proposing teaching the degrees in the local colleges, it might reinvigourate them as they are being hit hard at the moment.

[Niamh]

Yeah i know what you mean. It could be benificial for them especially If students had young children at home etc.

[OrphanPip]

I question how such a system could deliver quality higher education, especially in the sciences where high level lab courses require equipment that can sometimes cost millions.

I can see how it could work better for the humanities.

[Niamh]

I think with the lab based courses you have to go away for a week or two to a location. Some of the courses arent fully at home courses either.. they have schools that students go to once or twice a week. This might be the case for the more science based courses, but i'm not sure.

[wessexgirl]

I got my degree with the OU when my children were young, and I was working, but part-time then. I don't know how I would have done it if I was working full-time. It's very hard, and you're right Niamh, you really have to be dedicated. It does have an exceptional reputation however, and I think it is harder than the traditional route. It's not often I agree with Edwina Currie, but I heard her say once that she used to teach with them, and she would always give someone who studied with them a chance over the traditional graduate, as she knows how difficult it is and how hard you have to work to get through. It is probably better suited to older students, as I think younger ones want to get away from home and University is so much more than just studying. They need to get out into the world and get experience. It's a social thing as much as an academic one.

I'm not sure about the suggestion from Willets. It may work, but to be honest, I don't trust a word they say, so I would be very wary of giving it whole-hearted support yet.