Abstract
This chapter focuses on the history, development, and perceived value of The Open University UK's multidisciplinary ‘open' qualifications at undergraduate and postgraduate level, together with the development of multidisciplinary ‘open box' modules. It addresses the debate around the coherence and acceptance of such personalized programs of study. As well as identifying some of the challenges facing multidisciplinary learners, it describes how open educational resources (OERs) can be used by students to negotiate their own learning experience. The chapter concludes by outlining the benefits of introducing multidisciplinary modules based on OERs and other types of non-formal learning into the curriculum.
TopBackground
The Open University UK (OUUK) was granted its Royal Charter in 1969 and was established by the UK government to provide a ‘second chance’ to adults who, for whatever reason, were unable to attend a ’traditional university’ (Weinbren, 2014). As the first ever ‘open’ university (Lane, 2015) it had many unique characteristics, including open entry (no prior qualifications needed), operating through distance learning and offered a single undergraduate degree qualification – the multidisciplinary OUUK Open Degree, which was available with and without honours.
Key Terms in this Chapter
Open Educational Resources (OERs): Free and openly licensed educational materials that can be used for teaching, learning, research and other purposes.
Open University (UK): The world’s first successful distance teaching university, founded on the belief that communications technology could bring high quality degree-level learning to people who had not had the opportunity to attend traditional campus-based universities.
Massive Open Online Course (MOOC): A model for delivering learning content online and providing open access via the internet.
Multidisciplinary Learning: A type of learning relating to, or making use of, several disciplines at once in order to enhance the overall scope and depth of learning.
Interdisciplinary Learning: A type of learning that allows a student to make connections between ideas and concepts across different disciplinary boundaries.
Badged Open Courses (BOC): Free, online courses, developed in response to the needs of informal learners who are seeking access to study skills and have their learning recognized.