I don't usually write threads. But this seemed to merit one. The Open University is getting a lot of publicity right now and among the comments on various news stories some old myths keep coming up... 1/9

among them: 'It's not a proper degree', Well, it is. Course materials are written by people who've worked in 'brick universities', many tutors have too or still do, while the writers of your course may serve as external examiners/validators/inspectors in other universities 2/9

and your OU degree has people in other universities approve the materials, advise on content, check the marking etc as external examiners, inspect the provision via the national Quality Assurance Agency 3/9

so it's all one big UK system and the OU is as fully a part of it as any other UK university. It's a 'proper degree'! 4/9

The other myth is 'you are paying thousands of pounds for a correspondence course and a tutor'. It currently takes two years to write a 60 credit module. All the staff costs, not just for the serious academics writing it but those who produce books, online stuff, video, audio 5/9

... all those staff costs are covered by the course fee. And the material isn't just 'read this textbook', it's all written to order and planned so that you gradually develop the skills you need to do well 6/9

plus the tutor is your lifeline; works with you face to face/online/phone/whatever is best for you, grades your essays, gives detailed feedback, helps you through the course materials, helps you study more effectively 7/9

which is why it's called 'supported' distance learning. And then there are all those people in Exams who make sure you get your work marked and turned around quickly and those who make sure the websites work and etc etc 8/9

And all that is why Open University degrees are superb, high quality, and as 'proper' as you can get. 9/9