Online e-learning has evolved from €Distance Learning', which started with Correspondence Courses. In the UK in early 70's these were replaced with Open University courses, offering a University Degree at the end of the study period.
In the year 2000, the UK government launched the e-University, which was expected to be both a success and an income generator with export potential. It was a failure, the reasons why are identified, together with reasons why today's connected visuals learning are the way forward.
Distance Learning and The Correspondence Course
If there is a requirement and gap in the market, a product often emerges, or if it is already in existence it becomes successful.
After the second world war, (1938 to 1945) many people in England and the Commonwealth had missed vital years of their education. Those with qualifications were more likely to become managers, however many had to start on the bottom rung of the employment ladder due to their lack of qualifications.
The Correspondence Course
Those whose education had been disrupted and wanted to progress at work turned to €The Correspondence Course'. These were fairly successful because the learning would be done in a home environment. There would be face to face help and discussions about the €course work' both at home and in the workplace. Learners worked slowly through their course material in a methodical way, thoroughly absorbing the information in preparation for an exam which they could not afford to fail.
The Open University
In the 1960's it was easy for University graduates to find a good management position in the UK. Due to the disruption of education during the war, there had been proportionally less graduates in the 50's, as older managers retired they were often replaced by €a University Graduate'. Those who had completed a correspondence course found a University degree was considered better.
In 1964 Labour won the General Election, and their election manifesto contained a commitment to establish €The University of the Air', a wireless, €Open University'; in 1969, the Open University was formed. Those who could not afford to go to University could now get a University degree, it was success and employers found there was little difference between Open University Graduates and those who had attended the established Universities.
Why The Open University Distance Learning was a Success
1) Students were allocated a tutor in their local area where they could have real discussions and discuss any difficulties they were having. If they did not understand a concept then help was at hand.
2) The lessons were a mix of real lectures that were recorded in a television studio and course work books. In many respects this was marginally better than many established University lectures, where the lecturer simply delivers a lecture, that is the same as was delivered the previous year, and lacked preparation. A lecture that is tobe recorded will be more carefully to give the best delivery possible. If an open University student did not understand something, they could watch it a second time. After the introduction of the VCR around 1976, they could record a lecture and watch it as many times as they wanted.
3) Each year Open University students went on a Summer School at €a real University'. This enabled them to meet and chat with their peers and become immersed in their course work if they wanted.
4) Most importantly it was a mix of written course work and audio visual learning from €real lecturers' even if they were on the TV and not in a Lecture Theatre.
The failure of the e-University
Labour could quite rightly take the credit for the success of the Open University. New Labour launched the concept of an e-University and in 2001 Tony Blair met Bill Gates in Downing Street. The first online courses were launched in March 2003, it was scrapped at a cost to the UK taxpayer of 62 million in 2004.
Why e-learning and the e-University failed:-
It was quite simply too far removed from real video/visual interactive learning. Open University lectures were recorded for TV. Computers in 2000 to 2005 could only provide simple animations or €PowerPoint', they did not compare with the quality of a TV video recording.
Whilst PowerPoint can be used effectively to assist a real person delivering a lecture, it is not a good learning tool on its own or with distance e-learning.
Conclusion
Open University demonstrated that learning is effective with a blend of recorded lectures and real time €student / tutor' communications.
In 2012, smart TV, connected TV, computers, iPads, tablets etc., enable e-learning using connected visuals to be as effective as the Open University, which was as effective as established Universities.
In the year 2000, the UK government launched the e-University, which was expected to be both a success and an income generator with export potential. It was a failure, the reasons why are identified, together with reasons why today's connected visuals learning are the way forward.
Distance Learning and The Correspondence Course
If there is a requirement and gap in the market, a product often emerges, or if it is already in existence it becomes successful.
After the second world war, (1938 to 1945) many people in England and the Commonwealth had missed vital years of their education. Those with qualifications were more likely to become managers, however many had to start on the bottom rung of the employment ladder due to their lack of qualifications.
The Correspondence Course
Those whose education had been disrupted and wanted to progress at work turned to €The Correspondence Course'. These were fairly successful because the learning would be done in a home environment. There would be face to face help and discussions about the €course work' both at home and in the workplace. Learners worked slowly through their course material in a methodical way, thoroughly absorbing the information in preparation for an exam which they could not afford to fail.
The Open University
In the 1960's it was easy for University graduates to find a good management position in the UK. Due to the disruption of education during the war, there had been proportionally less graduates in the 50's, as older managers retired they were often replaced by €a University Graduate'. Those who had completed a correspondence course found a University degree was considered better.
In 1964 Labour won the General Election, and their election manifesto contained a commitment to establish €The University of the Air', a wireless, €Open University'; in 1969, the Open University was formed. Those who could not afford to go to University could now get a University degree, it was success and employers found there was little difference between Open University Graduates and those who had attended the established Universities.
Why The Open University Distance Learning was a Success
1) Students were allocated a tutor in their local area where they could have real discussions and discuss any difficulties they were having. If they did not understand a concept then help was at hand.
2) The lessons were a mix of real lectures that were recorded in a television studio and course work books. In many respects this was marginally better than many established University lectures, where the lecturer simply delivers a lecture, that is the same as was delivered the previous year, and lacked preparation. A lecture that is tobe recorded will be more carefully to give the best delivery possible. If an open University student did not understand something, they could watch it a second time. After the introduction of the VCR around 1976, they could record a lecture and watch it as many times as they wanted.
3) Each year Open University students went on a Summer School at €a real University'. This enabled them to meet and chat with their peers and become immersed in their course work if they wanted.
4) Most importantly it was a mix of written course work and audio visual learning from €real lecturers' even if they were on the TV and not in a Lecture Theatre.
The failure of the e-University
Labour could quite rightly take the credit for the success of the Open University. New Labour launched the concept of an e-University and in 2001 Tony Blair met Bill Gates in Downing Street. The first online courses were launched in March 2003, it was scrapped at a cost to the UK taxpayer of 62 million in 2004.
Why e-learning and the e-University failed:-
It was quite simply too far removed from real video/visual interactive learning. Open University lectures were recorded for TV. Computers in 2000 to 2005 could only provide simple animations or €PowerPoint', they did not compare with the quality of a TV video recording.
Whilst PowerPoint can be used effectively to assist a real person delivering a lecture, it is not a good learning tool on its own or with distance e-learning.
Conclusion
Open University demonstrated that learning is effective with a blend of recorded lectures and real time €student / tutor' communications.
In 2012, smart TV, connected TV, computers, iPads, tablets etc., enable e-learning using connected visuals to be as effective as the Open University, which was as effective as established Universities.