Looking forwards to past broadcasts

Today is the anniversary of the broadcast of the OU’s final course-related television programme. At 5.30am on 16 December 2006 Art: a question of style: neo-classicism and romanticism was screened. Its conclusion brought to an end 36 years of broadcasting history. In this blog we’ve used photographs and other still images. In 2011, to mark the 40th anniversary of the 1st OU television programmes in January 1971, we aim to link to a clip of the first Open Forum.  It was an attempt to support not merely teaching through transmission but learning through colloboration. Indeed the first Vice Chancellor, Walter Perry felt that ‘like Sesame, Open Forum plays an important role in our informal communications system’ (Walter Perry, Report of the Vice-Chancellor to the council, 1972, The Open University, Milton Keynes, 1973, p. 85). 

This is the 81st public blog on this site, which means that we’ve averaged nine a month since we started. To mark this numerical occasion a link has been made to a clip from television programme which featured both mathematician Robin Wilson, a son of one of the OU’s founders, and a favoured way to recall the sequence of numbers in Pi. It is here for all readers but especially for one of our readers. Hello Jacob.

Looking forwards, 2011 will see the launch of the Project’s website. It will incorporate multiple voices, reach a range of audiences and encourage participation in the presentation and preservation of the past. More details in the new year.

Seasonal cheers to all our readers and commentators.

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