After almost 50 years of proving ourselves, it\u2019s time to stop looking over our shoulders.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n
He said:\u00a0\u201cAfter almost 50 years of proving ourselves, it\u2019s time to stop looking over our shoulders. Time to stand tall and take pride in the distinctiveness that flows from our mission. Time to build a genuinely open and confident University that grows and develops with its students for the next 50 years and beyond.\u201d<\/p>\n
OU embraces innovation<\/strong><\/h2>\n![\"Vice-Chancellor,](\"https:\/\/www.open.ac.uk\/blogs\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/11\/Peter-Horrocks-website-crop-e1519230772651-150x150.jpg\")
Vice-Chancellor, Peter Horrocks<\/p><\/div>\n
With the advances in technology and the internet, communities of learning can be enhanced. Whereas some traditional universities might find this a threat, Peter Horrocks says, \u201cwe at the OU are an academic community that embraces innovation and disruption.\u201d<\/p>\n
New tools and platforms are being developed at The Open University to enhance how academics link to students and enable them to reach beyond this to new learners.<\/p>\n
Building the OU community of the future<\/strong><\/h2>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/ounews.co\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/12\/Blue-Planet-II_BBC-LANDSCAPE-300x212.jpg\")
The Vice-Chancellor talked about how, in the founding years of the OU, the BBC partnership presented a unique way for academics to connect to their students. \u00a0Through programmes such as Blue Planet 2<\/a> and Civilisations, and many others, the OU can still\u00a0 take a connected, networked approach \u2013 which fits with its egalitarian ethos, and today\u2019s digital technologies:<\/p>\n\u201cOur unique relationship with the BBC allows us to make students\u2019 learning more engaging and better connected with the world outside. We can use opportunities like this to galvanise and make a difference in society; redefining our mission in a digital world.\u201d<\/p>\n
A proud tradition of research and scholarship to build on<\/strong><\/h2>\nResearch and scholarship is enhancing the experience of our students, says Peter Horrocks, having an impact on the ground and informing our teaching:<\/p>\n
\u201cTake the data\u00a0analytical expertise of colleagues like Enrico Motta in KMi. That led to the ground-breaking MK Smart <\/a>project, a collaborative research activity which helped put our city\u2019s technology on the global map…or the incisive research into public service leadership of Professor Jean Hartley.\u00a0 Based on that, she is building with colleagues an academic community of police practitioners in the Centre for Policing<\/a>; a prime example of research informed teaching.\u201d<\/p>\nThe Vice-Chancellor also drew on examples of where scholarship has benefitted students:<\/p>\n
\u201cBart Rienties pioneering work on Learning Analytics<\/a>, Clem Herman\u2019s work on scholarship and gender; bringing women back into STEM, and our award-winning<\/a> OpenSTEM<\/a> work, which is opening up our laboratories to those who might never have the opportunity to visit one in person.\u201d<\/p>\nA modern OU, responding to today\u2019s needs<\/strong><\/h2>\nPeter Horrocks noted that the OU\u2019s networked academic approach fits well with the urgent needs of employment, by far the strongest motivation for OU study.\u00a0 He talked about the impact of Artificial Intelligence on the jobs market, saying:<\/p>\n
\u201cThe OU\u2019s enthusiastic, wide, engaged, digital community of scholars will be the best antidote to the risks to jobs of the fourth industrial revolution.\u201d<\/p>\n
Inspiring academics, delivering to learners everywhere<\/strong><\/h2>\n![\"Students](\"https:\/\/www.open.ac.uk\/blogs\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/12\/Crossover-learning-300x200.jpg\")
<\/p>\n
Peter Horrocks concluded:\u00a0\u201cWe can create a future where academic authors (whether central, regional, or AL), write brilliant responsive, topical curriculum, having multiple direct contacts with a wide range of students across multiple technologies, platforms and methods, both for free and for fee. And academics convening and inspiring academic communities that extend to our alumni, the employers of our students and to wider society.<\/p>\n
“Engaged academics delivering to learners everywhere, just as our mission compels us to. That is a definition of academic excellence that can be the OU\u2019s and no-one else\u2019s.\u201d<\/p>\n
Vice-Chancellor, Peter Horrocks<\/p><\/div>\n
With the advances in technology and the internet, communities of learning can be enhanced. Whereas some traditional universities might find this a threat, Peter Horrocks says, \u201cwe at the OU are an academic community that embraces innovation and disruption.\u201d<\/p>\n
New tools and platforms are being developed at The Open University to enhance how academics link to students and enable them to reach beyond this to new learners.<\/p>\n
Building the OU community of the future<\/strong><\/h2>\nThe Vice-Chancellor talked about how, in the founding years of the OU, the BBC partnership presented a unique way for academics to connect to their students. \u00a0Through programmes such as Blue Planet 2<\/a> and Civilisations, and many others, the OU can still\u00a0 take a connected, networked approach \u2013 which fits with its egalitarian ethos, and today\u2019s digital technologies:<\/p>\n\u201cOur unique relationship with the BBC allows us to make students\u2019 learning more engaging and better connected with the world outside. We can use opportunities like this to galvanise and make a difference in society; redefining our mission in a digital world.\u201d<\/p>\n
A proud tradition of research and scholarship to build on<\/strong><\/h2>\nResearch and scholarship is enhancing the experience of our students, says Peter Horrocks, having an impact on the ground and informing our teaching:<\/p>\n
\u201cTake the data\u00a0analytical expertise of colleagues like Enrico Motta in KMi. That led to the ground-breaking MK Smart <\/a>project, a collaborative research activity which helped put our city\u2019s technology on the global map…or the incisive research into public service leadership of Professor Jean Hartley.\u00a0 Based on that, she is building with colleagues an academic community of police practitioners in the Centre for Policing<\/a>; a prime example of research informed teaching.\u201d<\/p>\nThe Vice-Chancellor also drew on examples of where scholarship has benefitted students:<\/p>\n
\u201cBart Rienties pioneering work on Learning Analytics<\/a>, Clem Herman\u2019s work on scholarship and gender; bringing women back into STEM, and our award-winning<\/a> OpenSTEM<\/a> work, which is opening up our laboratories to those who might never have the opportunity to visit one in person.\u201d<\/p>\nA modern OU, responding to today\u2019s needs<\/strong><\/h2>\nPeter Horrocks noted that the OU\u2019s networked academic approach fits well with the urgent needs of employment, by far the strongest motivation for OU study.\u00a0 He talked about the impact of Artificial Intelligence on the jobs market, saying:<\/p>\n
\u201cThe OU\u2019s enthusiastic, wide, engaged, digital community of scholars will be the best antidote to the risks to jobs of the fourth industrial revolution.\u201d<\/p>\n
Inspiring academics, delivering to learners everywhere<\/strong><\/h2>\n<\/p>\n
Peter Horrocks concluded:\u00a0\u201cWe can create a future where academic authors (whether central, regional, or AL), write brilliant responsive, topical curriculum, having multiple direct contacts with a wide range of students across multiple technologies, platforms and methods, both for free and for fee. And academics convening and inspiring academic communities that extend to our alumni, the employers of our students and to wider society.<\/p>\n
“Engaged academics delivering to learners everywhere, just as our mission compels us to. That is a definition of academic excellence that can be the OU\u2019s and no-one else\u2019s.\u201d<\/p>\n
The Vice-Chancellor talked about how, in the founding years of the OU, the BBC partnership presented a unique way for academics to connect to their students. \u00a0Through programmes such as Blue Planet 2<\/a> and Civilisations, and many others, the OU can still\u00a0 take a connected, networked approach \u2013 which fits with its egalitarian ethos, and today\u2019s digital technologies:<\/p>\n\u201cOur unique relationship with the BBC allows us to make students\u2019 learning more engaging and better connected with the world outside. We can use opportunities like this to galvanise and make a difference in society; redefining our mission in a digital world.\u201d<\/p>\n
A proud tradition of research and scholarship to build on<\/strong><\/h2>\nResearch and scholarship is enhancing the experience of our students, says Peter Horrocks, having an impact on the ground and informing our teaching:<\/p>\n
\u201cTake the data\u00a0analytical expertise of colleagues like Enrico Motta in KMi. That led to the ground-breaking MK Smart <\/a>project, a collaborative research activity which helped put our city\u2019s technology on the global map…or the incisive research into public service leadership of Professor Jean Hartley.\u00a0 Based on that, she is building with colleagues an academic community of police practitioners in the Centre for Policing<\/a>; a prime example of research informed teaching.\u201d<\/p>\nThe Vice-Chancellor also drew on examples of where scholarship has benefitted students:<\/p>\n
\u201cBart Rienties pioneering work on Learning Analytics<\/a>, Clem Herman\u2019s work on scholarship and gender; bringing women back into STEM, and our award-winning<\/a> OpenSTEM<\/a> work, which is opening up our laboratories to those who might never have the opportunity to visit one in person.\u201d<\/p>\nA modern OU, responding to today\u2019s needs<\/strong><\/h2>\nPeter Horrocks noted that the OU\u2019s networked academic approach fits well with the urgent needs of employment, by far the strongest motivation for OU study.\u00a0 He talked about the impact of Artificial Intelligence on the jobs market, saying:<\/p>\n
\u201cThe OU\u2019s enthusiastic, wide, engaged, digital community of scholars will be the best antidote to the risks to jobs of the fourth industrial revolution.\u201d<\/p>\n
Inspiring academics, delivering to learners everywhere<\/strong><\/h2>\n<\/p>\n
Peter Horrocks concluded:\u00a0\u201cWe can create a future where academic authors (whether central, regional, or AL), write brilliant responsive, topical curriculum, having multiple direct contacts with a wide range of students across multiple technologies, platforms and methods, both for free and for fee. And academics convening and inspiring academic communities that extend to our alumni, the employers of our students and to wider society.<\/p>\n
“Engaged academics delivering to learners everywhere, just as our mission compels us to. That is a definition of academic excellence that can be the OU\u2019s and no-one else\u2019s.\u201d<\/p>\n
The Vice-Chancellor also drew on examples of where scholarship has benefitted students:<\/p>\n
\u201cBart Rienties pioneering work on Learning Analytics<\/a>, Clem Herman\u2019s work on scholarship and gender; bringing women back into STEM, and our award-winning<\/a> OpenSTEM<\/a> work, which is opening up our laboratories to those who might never have the opportunity to visit one in person.\u201d<\/p>\n Peter Horrocks noted that the OU\u2019s networked academic approach fits well with the urgent needs of employment, by far the strongest motivation for OU study.\u00a0 He talked about the impact of Artificial Intelligence on the jobs market, saying:<\/p>\n \u201cThe OU\u2019s enthusiastic, wide, engaged, digital community of scholars will be the best antidote to the risks to jobs of the fourth industrial revolution.\u201d<\/p>\n Peter Horrocks concluded:\u00a0\u201cWe can create a future where academic authors (whether central, regional, or AL), write brilliant responsive, topical curriculum, having multiple direct contacts with a wide range of students across multiple technologies, platforms and methods, both for free and for fee. And academics convening and inspiring academic communities that extend to our alumni, the employers of our students and to wider society.<\/p>\n “Engaged academics delivering to learners everywhere, just as our mission compels us to. That is a definition of academic excellence that can be the OU\u2019s and no-one else\u2019s.\u201d<\/p>\nA modern OU, responding to today\u2019s needs<\/strong><\/h2>\n
Inspiring academics, delivering to learners everywhere<\/strong><\/h2>\n
<\/p>\n