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This has been the OU's strategy for almost a year now so it predates Martin Bean. It marks a diversification of approach away from almost total reliance on the traditional business referred to in 1 above. The OU has always been a serious user of technology in education and due to its size has been in a position to invest at a level that few other HEIs can contemplate. The one to watch in this regard is SocialLearn. Due to go public this winter it will offer a disaggregated set of social and educational services – some free and some paid for – that learners can combine in ways that make sense to them and meet their needs. It’s all quite a far cry from UKeU though every bit as radical in how it seeks to add to the manner in which higher education can take place.

A very clear articulation of their strategy, thanks for the post. I am a bit surprised that the OU on-line stream is restricted to their post-graduate offer. It will be good to watch this develop.

I am not surprised at the initial restriction to postgrad. It is consistent with what most other UK unis do in their overseas online activity (there is more of this than many think), and fits what market research there is (not much, not public anyway).

Today in many of the countries across the world that might be OU targets, the local providers are more and more using e-learning - by no means just the US and developed Commonwealth now - 90 countries could mount some online defence, at my last count. Almost all the other leading open universities have gone online to a significant extent.

So online is not the differentiator it once was. What is, are convenience and the ability to link to global brand and to research-led teaching.

Notice that the "OU" contains no mention of "UK" - unlike the UKeU (one mistake of many - but the times were much more nationalistic then in the online world.)

Having said that, and not just driven by a desire to immigrate, a degree (u/g or p/g) fully recognised by UK authorities is still more valuable to students than one not fully recognised by the delivering developed country - and not all US providers can deliver that aspect. Of course Australia and New Zealand can - but watch other players like Sweden - teaching in English is no longer a differentiator of UK/US/Commonwealth either. (Bologna has increasing power - and beyond Europe - separate topic.)

I would not agree completely with the "far cry from UKeU" claim - perhaps true in what UKeU shrunk to but not so far from the planning documents.

Funny how "fully online" is respectable now - how the worm turns? (what was that "blended" word?) But it was not only the OU who brought that into being again, as several UK unis will probably point out shortly, such as at ALT-C !

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