18 - Scotland - Organisational variations, alternative structures
A number of bodies providing distance learning which serve the whole
United Kingdom have many students in Scotland. Among these are the Open
College and the longer established National Extension College.
In
higher education, the Open University has over 15,000 students in
Scotland, many studying for a first degree. It offers a very wide range
of qualifications, particularly in the sciences and humanities, and
shorter courses for professional updating and personal interests. It
does not demand formal entrance qualifications and students can build
up credits in courses leading to a degree over a number of years while
still in employment, by way of private study, marked assignments and
formal examinations. Although study is home-based, there is a network
of 37 study-support centres throughout Scotland, which offer contact
points for students to meet their tutors, counsellors and fellow
students. Students can also receive help and support by telephone in
their own homes. To aid its students in their studies the Open
University has published a large amount of valuable teaching material,
which is used far beyond the courses for which it was designed. The
Open University also offers course validation to other institutions
without their own degree-awarding powers.
The University of the
Highlands and Islands (UHI) Millennium Institute offers higher
education across the Highlands and Islands and Perthshire via
contractual arrangements with local colleges and other non-SFC-funded
institutions. It has developed its use of information and
communications technology to link these institutions and other outreach
centres. This enables students of the Institute studying in different
centres to keep in touch and has made it possible for the Institute to
offer networked programmes at more than one centre.
The Scottish
University for Industry (SUfI) was established to promote a culture of
lifelong learning across all sectors of society through its " learndirect scotland"branded services.
It is not an educational institution, but acts as a broker between the
learner and learning providers. SUfI acts as a gateway for information
and advice on learning opportunities. Learners can access information
and advice on courses, "bite-sized" learning, funding support and
childcare through the learndirect scotlandhelpline and website.
Eurydice - the information network on education in Europe
Date: 2009
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