ABSTRACT
My research into online networking for education and training was carried out in the Open University of the United Kingdom (OU), therefore you should know its context.
The OU is an excellent ‘test bed’ for new ways of teaching because it:
is ‘open as to people, places, methods and ideas’ – and to new media; is one of the largest distance teaching universities with over 200,000
students world-wide; provides a wide range of supported self-study courses; awards its own internationally recognized degrees and other qualifications; is known for the quality of its teaching and research – and the success of its
students.
