Distance learning through online courses could help to solve the shortage of higher education opportunities in developing countries, a senior educator has said. Writing for CNN, Daphne Koller, a professor at Stanford University’s Computer Science Department, said that in sub-Saharan Africa just six per cent of students who are of age are enrolled in higher […]
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Schools ‘failing’ poorer pupils, says Ofsted chief
Children from disadvantaged backgrounds are being let down by schools, according to Ofsted chief inspector Sir Michael Wilshaw – and many of those being left behind are now in suburbs, market towns and resort towns rather than inner cities. The chief inspector believes such pupils often form an “invisible minority” in affluent areas where they […]
State pupil intake slows at top universities
Students educated at state schools are increasingly being turned away from the UK’s elite universities, according to a new report from the Social Mobility and Child Poverty Commission. Published on July 17th, the report says there were 126 fewer students from the most disadvantaged backgrounds at Russell Group universities in 2011-2012 than there were in […]
UK unis prepare to launch ‘moocs’ this autumn
Distance learning courses are set to take off in a whole new way, as 21 universities in the UK prepare to launch their own “moocs” – massive open online courses, which have already seen considerable success in the USA. Leeds, Bristol and Southampton are among the institutions that will begin the courses this autumn, according […]
The Future of GCSEs
What initial conclusions about the future of GCSE exams can we draw from the mountain of documents which Michael Gove and the Department for Education released last week? And who will the winners and losers be if these proposals come to pass in their current form? There can be no doubt that such a new […]
Gove announces wide-ranging GCSE reforms
Education secretary Michael Gove has unveiled reforms to the GCSE system, promising to make the exams “more challenging, more ambitious and more rigorous” in a bid to drive up standards of education. The changes, which were announced on June 11th, will have considerable impact on students taking the exams in future, including those in school […]
Two youngsters owe success to distance learning
Two young people who have already carved impressive careers for themselves have described the key role distance learning courses played in their success. Speaking to the Guardian, 22-year-old James Elwood, a business manager at Santander, said he left school without going to university and took a job as a bank cashier. During his job, he […]
NIACE celebrates Community Learning Champions
The achievements of 11 Community Learning Champions have been recognised by the National Institute of Adult Continuing Education (NIACE), which has published their stories as part of National Volunteers Week. The week, which ran between June 1st and 7th, is an annual celebration of the contributions volunteers of all kinds make to the lives of […]
Christmas opening
Oxford Open Learning will be closed for the Christmas break from 5.00pm Friday the 21st of December and will re-open 9am Wednesday the 2nd of January. We wish all of our students and tutors a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.