Things have come a long way since I graduated with my MA in Open & Distance Education. And further still from my first stirrings to undertake an OU MA in 2001 when I began, but didn't complete a course in the MA in Open & Distance Learning (as it was then called).
I often reflect on the state of the industry, how normalised learning online and its subset 'mobile-learning' has become. Platforms and apps abound making it easier for anyone, teacher trained or not, to put together a course.
I'm doing a short course on lino printmaking. It has all the ingredients you'd expect, a series of stepped progressions with video, whatever is said and shown supported with text and additional references and links, and access to a 'Forum' where fellow students doing the course post content and reflect on their progress. Unlike the OU 'in its day' there is no common start time and cohort of students, indeed this course I am doing it rather looks as if it could be 2 years since someone last posted to the forum so I am not holding out for a comment from the Tutor. The thought is there. And for £7.25 I think I'm getting value - some things you need to be shown, not just pick up from a book. In my case I've even had six months of face to face teaching so I can produce a reasonable print - what I needed was a refresher and this gives me just that, and some insights and tips to build upon before I embark on a set of ambitions prints.