A team of researchers and educators at The Open University's pioneering Institute of Educational Technology have developed the materials for this module, giving you the opportunity to explore in depth issues related to learning at scale, mobile learning, citizen science, open learning, and learning design. All module materials are online. You’ll explore them individually, some in small groups and some with the entire cohort. Small-group work will take place using both text-based discussion and online room sessions, guided and supported by your tutor. You’re also welcome to lead your own online discussions and to use a range of online resources. You will be supported in individual study, in working together, and in seeking out new networks and sources of information on the Internet – from online journals to social media.
You will get hands-on experience of current and innovative learning technologies, together with opportunities to reflect on that experience. Whether you are blogging or sharing material on social media, reflecting on your experience of open courses, talking online with your tutor and fellow students or trying out a new tool you have just found, we’ll be asking you to keep in mind fundamental questions about the nature of learning, teaching, assessment and learning design. You’ll consider issues of openness, equity and accessibility and how these relate to different contexts. You’ll examine the key characteristics of technology-enhanced learning and their relevance in different contexts. You’ll also look ahead to new developments on the horizon and how these are likely to be relevant to your own practice.
The study materials and your tutor will support you as you read papers from some of the leading thinkers in the field. These resources will enable you to critically review evidence from researchers and practitioners around the world who are working in further and higher education, training and other settings for learning. By the end of the 32 study weeks, you should find that you have new skills to apply in your own context, a deeper understanding of the practices and debates shaping the world of technology-enhanced learning and a clearer view of its foundations and futures.
You'll learn about the choices that practitioners and learners make when using technology in education, and how these choices relate to current debates and key theories. You will experience and reflect on the use of a range of conventional and innovative technologies in different learning contexts. You will explore a range of formal and informal sources, interpret and discuss their implications, and articulate your ideas about them for different audiences. These experiences will enable you to draw on a range of evidence to support the choices you make when designing learning activities or developing training materials.
The course is entirely online and highly interactive, and you'll also have access to a downloadable version of the module materials.
This module is divided into four eight-week programs: Foundations of TEL, Adapting to Contexts, Opening Up Education, and Educational Futures. Each program ends with reflection and assessment. There is a one week break between each block.
This module is highly relevant if you work in, or wish to move into, elearning within higher education, further education, non-formal education or training.
When you have successfully completed the four eight-week study programs that make up H880, you'll have developed your ability to act as an effective professional within the broad field of technology-enhanced teaching and training.
The module is aligned with the Professional Standards Framework developed by the UK's Higher Education Academy (HEA), a framework used for benchmarking success within higher education teaching and support. Students working towards HEA Fellowship will be able to use their work on the module to help them build a fellowship case. You will need to contact Advance HE directly or consider your institutional based scheme for further information about a fellowship application.
Some of our postgraduate students are sponsored by their employers, and we expect this to be the case on this module. Employers have demonstrated that they value its vocational relevance and the professional benefits that it brings to their staff.
The course is available for standalone study, or as a compulsory module in our MA in Online Teaching (F98).
Your tutor will guide you on many aspects of the module, and will grade and comment on your written work. You may also ask your tutor for advice and guidance. You will be taught and assessed through a combination of media, including the Internet, live discussion online, text-based discussion, email and written assignments. The module offers online tutorials. In these you’ll be able to interact with your tutor and other students using voice, visuals and text-chat.
Course work includes:
This module provides you with specially written online teaching material, learning activities that you will undertake individually or in small groups of fellow students, support from your tutor, online discussion and live online tutorials, a dedicated website, unlimited access to The Open University's Online Educator online course, and other internet resources.
As an OU student, you can use the Open University Library website. This provides access via the internet to a wide range of online resources such as databases, full-text ejournals, reference sources, ebooks, newspapers, images and more to support your studies. You can use these to do a literature search, keep up to date with your subject or read around a topic. Support for developing and improving your information-searching skills is available on the Library website and the Library's Learner Helpdesk is there seven days a week to provide help and advice on finding and using information.
You will have access to the cutting-edge research and academic expertise offered by the Institute of Educational Technology team within the OU. You will also have opportunities for communication – both live and asynchronous – with world-leading researchers in educational technology.
H880 is a compulsory module in our:
H880 is an option module in our:
Sometimes you cannot count a module towards a qualification if you have already counted another module with similar content. To verify any excluded combinations with this module, check with an adviser before registering.
Technology-enhanced learning: foundations and futures starts once a year – in February.
This page describes the module that will start in February 2027. We expect it to start for the last time in February 2031.
As a student of The Open University, you should be aware of the content of the academic regulations, which are available on our Student Policies and Regulations website.
To take this module you need to be ready for study at postgraduate level, usually demonstrated by having a bachelors degree or equivalent qualification. You need easy access to the Web, but you don't need to be experienced in studying online. Nor do you need to be working in technology-enhanced learning. However you should be interested in developing some expertise in this area.
All teaching is in English, and your proficiency in the language needs to be adequate for postgraduate study and for contributing to online discussions by text and voice. If English is not your first language, we strongly recommend that you make sure you can achieve a score of at least seven in the International English Language Testing System (IELTS). To assess your English Language skills in relation to your proposed studies, you can visit the IELTS website.
If you have any doubt about the suitability of the module, please speak to an adviser.
You will be encouraged to consider issues associated with accessibility in technology-enhanced learning. This will include opportunities to reflect on accessibility issues connected with different tools and resources, and to suggest practical approaches that learners, educators and designers can use to address these challenges. You will also have opportunities to consider and review the use of assistive technologies in the field of technology-enhanced learning.
This module requires the use of a wide range of resources, as you study emerging online technologies. Many of the materials will be delivered as web pages, PDF files and web-based tools. Tutorial and student-led discussions and activities will be carried out in online rooms. In addition, some discussions and collaborative activities will take place as live voice-based events in our audio-conferencing environment.
We have tried to avoid using inaccessible resources, but some material that is core for the module may not be easily accessible if you use assistive technology. Some students may also find the amount of reading from technically different sources challenging. In many cases there will be sufficient alternative activities and material to enable you to complete assignments successfully. Where this is not the case, your tutor will give you additional support in collaboration with other OU staff. Support for access to Library resources is available from the Library Helpdesk.
As you will be asked to study the use of emerging online tools, and to participate in live online discussions in an audio-conferencing environment, you may find it beneficial to have someone assisting you. Advice on this is available from an adviser.
Students are asked to consider a range of audiences in terms of writing and disseminating research outcomes. We encourage more scholarly writing where appropriate and it is possible that some students may experience some challenges with this, as with the need to write in different environments, such as online forums. Tutors will help by working with individual students to find strategies to manage specific learning activities in alternative ways.
| Start | End | Register by | England fee |
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| 06 Feb 2027 | 31 Oct 2027 | 21 Jan 2027 | Not yet available* |
| *This start date is open for pre-booking, which means you can reserve your place ahead of the fees being confirmed. We’ll publish updated 2026/27 fees and funding information on the 25th of March. |
There may be extra costs on top of the tuition fee, such as set books, a computer and internet access.
If your income is not more than £25,000 or you receive a qualifying benefit, you might be eligible for help with some of these costs after your module has started.
There may be extra costs on top of the tuition fee, such as set books, a computer and internet access.
If you study this module as part of an eligible qualification, you can apply for a postgraduate loan to support your study costs. To find out more, see Postgraduate loans in England.
If you study this module as part of an eligible qualification, you can apply for a postgraduate loan to help with your tuition fees. To find out more, see Postgraduate tuition fee loans in Northern Ireland.
If you study this module as part of an eligible qualification, you can apply for a postgraduate loan to help with your tuition fees. To find out more, see Postgraduate loans in Scotland.
If you study this module as part of an eligible qualification, you can apply for a postgraduate loan to support your study costs. To find out more, see Postgraduate loans in Wales.
The Open University Student Budget Accounts Ltd (OUSBA) offers a convenient 'pay as you go' option to pay your OU fees, which is a secure, quick and easy way to pay. Please note that The Open University works exclusively with OUSBA and is not able to offer you credit facilities from any other provider. All credit is subject to status and proof that you can afford the repayments.
You pay the OU through OUSBA in one of the following ways:
Joint loan applications
If you feel you would be unable to obtain an OUSBA loan on your own due to credit history or affordability issues, OUSBA offers the option to apply for a joint loan application with a third party. For example, your husband, wife, partner, parent, sibling or friend. In such cases, OUSBA will be required to carry out additional affordability checks separately and/or collectively for both joint applicants who will be jointly and severally liable for loan repayments.
As additional affordability checks are required when processing joint loan applications, unfortunately, an instant decision cannot be given. On average, the processing time for a joint loan application is five working days from receipt of the required documentation.
Read more about Open University Student Budget Accounts (OUSBA).
Studying with The Open University can boost your employability. OU courses are recognised and respected by employers for their excellence and the commitment they take to complete. They also value the skills that students learn and can apply in the workplace.
Over 30,000 employers have used the OU to develop staff so far. If the module you’ve chosen is geared towards your job or developing your career, you could approach your employer to see if they will sponsor you by paying some or all of the fees.
You can pay part or all of your tuition fees upfront with a debit or credit card when you register for each module.
We accept American Express, Mastercard, Visa and Visa Electron.
We know that sometimes you may want to combine payment options. For example, you may wish to pay part of your tuition fee with a debit card and pay the remainder in instalments through an Open University Student Budget Account (OUSBA).
We know that sometimes you may want to combine payment options. For example, you may get support from your employer to pay part of your tuition fee and pay the remainder by credit or debit card.
For more information about combining payment options, contact an adviser.
Please note: your permanent address/domicile will affect your fee status and, therefore, the fees you are charged and any financial support available to you. The fee information provided here is valid for modules starting before 31 July 2026. Fees typically increase annually. For further information about the University's fee policy, visit our Fee Rules.
