Description
This certificate is presented by The Open University's Institute of Educational Technology and is open to students from countries all over the world. It offers the unique opportunity to study the theory and practice of online and distance education through modules created by experts from the Institute who are reinventing digital learning through the innovative use of new media and technologies.
This certificate will be replaced from February 2023 with our new Postgraduate Certificate in Online Teaching (K43), part of the new MA in Online Teaching (F98). If you wish to claim the Postgraduate Certificate in Online and Distance Education (C23), you must complete your study by 31 December 2023. If you would like to discuss your options with one of our advisers, please contact us.
Key features of the course
- Designed to meet the needs of practitioners using new technologies in their professional context
- Deepens your understanding of online teaching and learning, and learning that blends face-to-face and distance education
- Encourages you to link your studies with your own practice throughout
- Relevant for non-practitioners with an interest in online learning
Planning your studies
You must be prepared for study at postgraduate level. This usually means holding a bachelors degree - whether from a UK university or from one outside the UK - or its equivalent. However, if you have successfully completed two-thirds of a bachelors degree (an HND in the UK, for example) and have professional experience in technology-enabled learning, you may still be eligible for the programme. You will be asked to provide further information and evidence of your eligibility as part of the registration process for the programme.
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. Although experience of distance education may be an advantage, it is not essential. If you are not sure whether your qualifications and experience are suitable, please do not hesitate to contact us for advice.
How long it takes
The minimum time to complete this qualification is one year.
This certificate will be replaced from February 2023 with a new postgraduate certificate and masters degree. For more information on these qualifications, visit:
Career relevance and employability
Workplaces and work roles increasingly involve media-rich and technology-enhanced forms of learning, professional practice and personal development, often summarised in the term ‘elearning’. Accordingly, the experience of achieving this certificate has proved vocationally relevant across a wide range of occupations and locations, from managers in business organisations, teachers of languages, consultants, trainers and teachers at any level of the education sector.
The Postgraduate Certificate in Online and Distance Education requires study using a range of tools and learning environments. You will improve your personal skills in using these tools and this makes a positive impact on your own practice. You will experience the implications of learning technology choices made across a wide range of contexts and organisations, both formal and informal. You will advance not only your skills of selection and design of technology, but also your understanding of how technologies engage learners and how they can be evaluated and developed on a continuing basis.
If you want to further explore this subject area, take a look at our range of online teaching microcredentials. These are sector-endorsed courses studied over 12 weeks, and are designed to help you build professional skills. They cover topics such as creating online courses, embedding mental health in the curriculum, evaluating online learning, accessibility, and equitable online learning.
The vocational relevance of a qualification in Online and Distance Education goes well beyond the obvious category of teacher and trainer, and previous alumni have included librarians, media professionals, project managers, consultants, entrepreneurs, practice educators in nursing, web developers and other professionals in commerce.
Careers and Employability Services have more information on how OU study can improve your employability.
Modules
To gain this qualification, you need 60 credits as follows:
60 credits from:
Or, subject to the rules about excluded combinations, the discontinued modules H800, H801, H802, H803, H804, H805, H806, H807, H808, H809, H810, H817, H818 and H819.
1This module is presented on the FutureLearn platform.
You should note that the University’s unique study rule applies to this qualification. This means that you must include at least 20 credits from OU modules that have not been counted in any other OU qualification that has previously been awarded to you.
Learning outcomes
The learning outcomes of this qualification are described in four areas:
- Knowledge and understanding
- Cognitive skills
- Practical and professional skills
- Key skills
Read more detailed information about the learning outcomes, and how they are acquired through teaching, learning and assessment methods.
Credit for previous study elsewhere
Credit transfer is not available for this qualification.
On completion
On successfully completing this course, we’ll award you our Postgraduate Certificate in Online and Distance Education. You’ll be entitled to use the letters PG Cert (ODE) (Open) after your name.
Regulations
As a student of The Open University, you should be aware of the content of the qualification-specific regulations below and the academic regulations that are available on our Student Policies and Regulations website.
How to register
If you want to study for this qualification, read the description and check you meet any specific requirements (for example, some of
our qualifications, require you to be working in a particular environment, or be sponsored by your employer). Then select the
module you wish to study first and ensure it is suitable for you before following the registration procedure for that module.
During the registration procedure you will be asked to declare which qualification you are studying towards.
See a full list of modules available for this qualification