open university

[nextqueen]

when i spoke to someone randomly the other day they said they taught for the open university. they said they were part time and had between 16-25 students to teach flexible learning, ie online, phone, meetup every now and again. surely that numbers not right, did i mishear them?

[tamborine]

OU introduce your regional support tutor when you enlist your course. The registration figure is about right as are the occasional group meetings.

[Mosaic]

I think that is about right for a FE tutorial group - maybe even a bit on the high side. You must bear in mind that this tutor will only be paid pro rata for the time that they teach.

[nextqueen]

so that tutor can be teaching 16-25 students as individuals on a part time basis? if you only have 16 hrs a week for example how can that work logistically? im sure thats how many hours they said they worked.

[Buenchico]

The 'teaching' element of OU courses is carried out by videos and software-based courses (which replace the old OU programs which used to be broadcast overnight on BBC channels). Thoses methods replace the traditional lectures in a 'normal' university. Students will watch the videos (or interact with the software) then work on their assignments. When they want support (or just to check that they're doing everything properly) they've got a tutor to turn to with, I guess, each student being allocated one hour of one-to-one tutorial time per week.

When I did my Mathematics degree (the 'conventional' way, at Sheffield Uni) I was timetabled for one hour per week of one-to-one time with a tutor, so that would be consistent with the workload of the person you spoke to.

Chris

[boxtops]

I have a friend who teaches for the OU, it's exactly as you describe. He has a part-time job and teaches OU modules which maybe last for 3 or 6 months. I studied with the OU and there were 11 in my tutor group.

[nextqueen]

following on from this, if you are a student with the OU, how many hours, times per week do you have contact with your tutor? do you go online during the evening and weekends too or just during the day?

[boxtops]

I studied with the OU some years back and I hardly ever had contact with my tutor. I think it's different these days if some of your work is submitted on line - but he only got in touch (and me with him) if needed, and I didn't go to any of the workshops - not because I didn't want to but because my tutor group was miles away. I like the OU but I am a fan of independent study- it doesn't suit everyone.
I could only study at night because I work full-time in the day - but if you email, the tutors get back to you.

[pastafreak]

My last OU course was 4 years ago,and I was unable to attend the tutorials (aimed at all students on a particular course in a particular region), as it was too far away for me. Previous courses had tutorials here in Plymouth. I think the location of a tutorial will vary according to how many students there are for the course. Tutorials for my earlier courses were every other week.
Full time students were advised to expect to spend 16 hours per week in study. There were weeks set aside for reading-as there is usually a huge amount of it. Your are independent,yet you must adhere to a specific timetable of study..ie,,be on module 2,and chapter 7 by week 10. I have heard that the OU sets higher grade requirements than most universities....this was told me by my ex-who is a professor.