JISC

HEFCE has recently set up a new Online Learning Task Force chaired by Dame Lynne Brindley, Chief Executive of the British Library, to help the UK higher education sector maintain and extend its position as a world leader in online learning. To support the work of the Online Learning Task Force, JISC, on behalf of HEFCE, has commissioned the TALL team, based at the University of Oxford Department for Continuing Education, to undertake a study of online and distance learning provided by, and on behalf of, UK institutions in the higher education sector.

Aims and objectives

The aims of the study are to:

• Provide an overview of the current UK offer of online and distance higher education courses to undergraduates, postgraduates and professionals (including continuing professional development) - noting key players and models of provision. 
• Illustrate this overview with a number of case studies (to understand the financial value and student numbers involved). 
• Provide details regarding common barriers to, and motivations for, the growth of higher education online and distance learning in the UK, and where possible to suggest where and how these barriers can be overcome and these motivations better supported. 
• Advise the Online Learning Task Force where further work is required to provide a fuller unders

Project  Methodology

The study will explore the current ‘state of play’ in online distance course provision at higher education level in the UK from two perspectives:

1. A quantitative overview of providers, types of courses available and the cost of courses to learners (or their sponsors). 
2. A qualitative, case study based, enquiry into business and pedagogical models, and institutional challenges/successes.

By drawing on both these approaches the study will provide an overview of current provision of higher education level online distance learning in the UK and illustrate the overview with case studies to demonstrate examples of the financial value and student numbers involved.

Anticipated outputs and outcomes

The output of the study will be a final report on emerging trends and common barriers to the provision and uptake of online courses. The report will include a number of case studies to highlight successful strategies and growth areas and will conclude by making a series of recommendations to the Online Learning Task Force as to where future interventions/support should be targeted to ensure that the UK sustains its reputation for quality and continues to expand its market share of online courses strategically between now and 2015.

Please note that the Final Report for this project will be published in June 2010.