Open University to focus on online learning

The Open University in the UK, which was established in the 1960s as an distance learning university with the aim of widening access to higher education, is undergoing substantial transformation towards shifting its priorities towards online learning. An article published in the British Guardian looks at the recent changes introduced by the new vice chancellor. These changes are driven by worries over staying competitive and the concern that ‘in the digital age, what happened to newspapers will happen to universities.’ However, critics of these changes fear that the focus will shift from being an academic provider to being a media platform.