115-462: The National Extension College (NEC) was set up in 1963 as a not-for-profit organisation for distance learning for people of all ages. It was founded as a pilot study for the Open University . The college provides over 60 online distance learning courses, making education more accessible to those who would be unable to study in a mainstream school/college. The National Extension College
230-657: A C* grade to line up with the grade 5 in the English grading. Since 2017 in England (and in Wales and Northern Ireland on qualifications from the English-based awarding bodies) most GCSEs have been assessed on a 9-point scale, using numbers from 9 to 1, and a U (unclassified) grade for achievement below the minimum pass mark. Under this system 9 is the highest grade and is set above the former A* classification, equivalent to
345-470: A U (unclassified) below that, which did not qualify the pupil for a certificate. These grades were initially set such that a GCSE grade C was equivalent to an O-Level grade C or a CSE grade 1, though changes in marking criteria and boundaries over the years mean that this comparison is only approximate. Infrequently, X and Q grades are awarded. X indicates that a course was not completed and therefore an appropriate grade cannot be calculated. The Q (query) grade
460-511: A comprehensive range of GCSEs , IGCSEs and A levels , as well as a number of vocational and business courses. Subjects covered at GCSE and IGCSE level include the sciences, English literature and language, foundation and higher maths, French and business studies. A levels offered by the college include biology, business studies, economics, geography and philosophy, as well as more special interest topics including classical civilisation and history of art. Other qualifications available from
575-473: A different set of tiers, with three. These were foundation tier at grades G, F, E, and D; intermediate tier at grades E, D, C, and B; and higher tier at grades C, B, A, and A*. This eventually changed to match the tiers in all other GCSE qualifications. The evolution of grades and a rough comparison between them are as follows: When GCSEs were introduced in 1988 they were graded on a letter scale in each subject: A, B, C, D, E, F and G being pass grades, with
690-474: A familiar mode since they are used almost exclusively in campus-based schools. Institutes that offer both distance and campus programs usually use paced models so that teacher workload, student semester planning, tuition deadlines, exam schedules, and other administrative details can be synchronized with campus delivery. Student familiarity and the pressure of deadlines encourage students to readily adapt to and usually succeed in paced models. However, student freedom
805-501: A list of core subjects known as the English Baccalaureate for England based on the results in eight GCSEs, which includes both English language and English literature, mathematics, three of the four sciences (physics, chemistry, biology, computer science), geography or history and an ancient or modern foreign language. Studies for GCSE examinations take place over a period of two or three academic years (depending upon
920-465: A new type of educational institution, designed to provide education to learners without them needing to attend regular classes or adhere to a particular timetable: "We are thinking rather of the people who cannot turn up regularly for ordinary classes... people who must study in odd moments of the week if they are to study at all." The NEC initially offered a limited range of courses including O level English and mathematics, various vocational courses and
1035-500: A non-assessed basis, with the completion of certain experiments in science subjects being assumed in examinations and teacher reporting of spoken language participation for English GCSEs as a separate report. Other changes include the move to a numerical grading system to differentiate the new qualifications from the old-style letter-graded GCSEs, publication of core content requirements for all subjects and an increase in longer, essay-style questions to challenge pupils more. Alongside this
1150-622: A paced format similar to traditional campus-based models in which learners commence and complete a course at the same time. Some institutions offer self-paced programs that allow for continuous enrollment, and the length of time to complete the course is set by the learner's time, skill, and commitment levels. Self-paced courses are almost always offered asynchronously. Each delivery method offers advantages and disadvantages for students, teachers, and institutions. Kaplan and Haenlein classify distance education into four groups according to "Time dependency" and "Number of participants": Paced models are
1265-585: A pathway that leads to qualification for the English Baccalaureate , requiring GCSEs in English literature, English language, mathematics, science (including computer science), a modern or ancient language and history and geography. The list of currently available GCSE subjects is much shorter than before the reforms, since the new qualifications in England all have core requirements set by the regulator, Ofqual , for each subject. In addition there are several subjects for which only one board offers qualifications, including some that are available only in one country of
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#17327729187321380-617: A programs of distance learning that provided the city's elementary school students with instruction through radio broadcasts. A typical setup came in Kentucky in 1948 when John Wilkinson Taylor , president of the University of Louisville , teamed up with NBC to use radio as a medium for distance education. The chairman of the Federal Communications Commission endorsed the project and predicted that
1495-603: A radical open admissions policy. At the time, the total student population of conventional universities in the United Kingdom was around 130,000. Athabasca University , Canada's open university, was created in 1970 and followed a similar, though independently developed, pattern. The Open University inspired the creation of Spain's National University of Distance Education (1972) and Germany's FernUniversität in Hagen (1974). There are now many similar institutions around
1610-469: A range of programmes in conjunction with the University of London 's external degree programme. The college made effective use of local television to increase public awareness of its existence and received more than 3,000 enquiries from potential students in its first eight weeks. Five lectures, entitled Dawn University were televised over a week in October 1963 on Anglia Television . A major increase in
1725-421: A scale from A to E, with a U (ungraded) below that. Before 1975 the grading scheme varied between examination boards, but typically there were pass grades of 1 to 6 and fail grades of 7 to 9. However the grades were not displayed on certificates. The CSE was graded on a numerical scale from 1 to 5, with 1 being the highest and 5 the lowest passing grade. Below 5 there was a U (ungraded) grade. The highest grade, 1,
1840-606: A significant part of the history of distance education and online learning. The widespread use of computers and the Internet has made distance learning easier and faster, and today virtual schools and virtual universities deliver full curricula online. The capacity of the Internet to support voice, video, text, and immersion teaching methods made earlier distinct forms of telephone, videoconferencing, radio, television, and text-based education somewhat redundant. However, many of
1955-422: A significant positive relationship with the digital literacy of users. Besides, observability, trialability, and digital skill were found to have a positive significant influence on digital literacy . The two methods can be combined. Many courses offered by both open universities and an increasing number of campus-based institutions use periodic sessions of residential or day teaching to supplement
2070-471: A subset of grades to be reached in a specific tier's paper. Formerly many subjects were tiered, but with the mid-2010s reform the number of tiered subjects reduced dramatically, including the removal of tiering from the GCSE English specifications. Untiered papers allow any grade to be achieved. Coursework and controlled assessment tasks are always untiered. In the past mathematics qualifications offered
2185-522: A tuition fee bursary scheme for the 2020–2021 academic year, with the first recipient of the bursary beginning their studies in September 2020. Distance learning Distance education , also known as distance learning , is the education of students who may not always be physically present at school , or where the learner and the teacher are separated in both time and distance. Traditionally, this usually involved correspondence courses wherein
2300-415: A variety of design technology subjects, which are reformed into a single ‘design and technology’ subject with several options, and various catering and nutrition qualifications, which are folded into ‘food technology’. Finally several ‘umbrella’ GCSEs such as ‘humanities’, ‘performing arts’ and ‘expressive arts’ are dissolved, with those wishing to study those subjects needing to take separate qualifications in
2415-531: A variety of low-uptake qualifications and qualifications with significant overlap will cease, with their content being removed from the GCSE options or incorporated into similar qualifications. A range of new GCSE subjects was also introduced for pupils to study from 2017, 2018, 2019, and 2020. GCSE examinations in English and mathematics were reformed with the 2015 syllabus publications, with these first examinations taking place in 2017. The remainder were reformed with
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#17327729187322530-590: Is a temporary grade that requires the school to contact the examining body. These two grades are usually provisional and are replaced with a normal grade once any issues have been resolved. X grades are also sometimes used for other purposes on rare occasions, such as to indicate that an examiner found offensive material or hate speech within a pupil’s answers. In some cases this may lead to the pupil losing all marks for that paper or course. These grades are most common in subjects that cover ethical issues, such as biology, religious studies and citizenship. In 1994 an A* grade
2645-986: Is an academic qualification in a range of subjects taken in England , Wales and Northern Ireland , having been introduced in September 1986 and its first exams taken in 1988. State schools in Scotland use the Scottish Qualifications Certificate instead. However, private schools in Scotland often choose to follow the English GCSE system. Each GCSE qualification is offered in a specific school subject, such as English literature, English language, mathematics, science, history, geography, art and design, design and technology, business studies, classical civilisation, drama, music and foreign languages. The Department for Education has drawn up
2760-475: Is an exciting place to learn new things, collaborate with others, and retain self-discipline. One of the earliest attempts at distance education was advertised in 1728. This was in the Boston Gazette for "Caleb Philipps, Teacher of the new method of Short Hand ", who sought students who wanted to learn the skills through weekly mailed lessons. The first distance education course in the modern sense
2875-442: Is becoming a pathway for learners with sparse access to physical courses so they can complete their degrees. Furthermore, digital classroom technologies allow those living remotely to access learning, and it enables the student to fit learning into their schedule more easily. Internet technology has enabled many forms of distance learning through open educational resources and facilities such as e-learning and MOOCs . Although
2990-717: Is necessary for when I go into the classroom as a teacher." On 25 April 2019, BBC 4 broadcast an hour long documentary Happy Birthday OU: 50 Years of The Open University , later reviewed by Lucy Mangan for the Guardian online. Dr Ros Morpeth OBE was part of the Steering Group which advised on the development of the "Learning at Life Transitions" report published in July 2019. In August 2019, NEC launched their new website with an improved online enrolment process, more interactive features and refreshed branding. January 2020 saw
3105-431: Is sacrificed as a common pace is often too fast for some students and too slow for others. In additional life events, professional or family responsibilities can interfere with a student's capability to complete tasks to an external schedule. Finally, paced models allow students to readily form communities of inquiry and to engage in collaborative work. GCSE The General Certificate of Secondary Education ( GCSE )
3220-497: The Conservative government of David Cameron, reforms were initiated which converted all GCSEs from 2012 (for assessment from 2014) to de facto linear schemes, in advance of the introduction of new specifications between 2015 and 2018 (for first assessment from 2017 to 2020). These new rules required that 100% of the assessment in a GCSE be submitted in the final examination series, at the same time as applying for certification of
3335-614: The Ford Foundation . From 1970 to 1972 the Coordinating Commission for Higher Education in California funded Project Outreach to study the potential of tele-courses. The study included the University of California , California State University , and community colleges. This study led to coordinated instructional systems legislation allowing the use of public funds for non-classroom instruction and paved
3450-650: The National Curriculum at Key Stage 4 . GCSEs are awarded on a graded scale and cross two levels of the Regulated Qualifications Framework (RQF): Level 1 and Level 2. These two levels roughly correspond, respectively, to foundation and higher tier in tiered GCSE qualifications. Level 1 qualifications constitute GCSEs at grades G, F, E, and D or 1, 2, and 3. Level 2 qualifications are those at grades C, B, A, and A* or 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, and 9. The tiering of qualifications allows
3565-508: The University of Leeds ' School of Fine Art, History of Art and Cultural Studies, the launch included a lecture on Margaret Atwood , dystopian fiction, women and image delivered by Professor Griselda Pollock and a talk by Professor Abigail Harrison Moore. Following their 30th birthday in 2019, on 3 February 2020, the Prisoners' Education Trust (PET) announced its top ten most popular courses of 2019, two of which are courses delivered by
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3680-672: The University of Toronto through the Graduate School of Education (then called OISE: the Ontario Institute for Studies in Education ), offering a course in "Women and Computers in Education", dealing with gender issues and educational computing. The first new and fully online university was founded in 1994 as the Open University of Catalonia , headquartered in Barcelona, Spain. In 1999 Jones International University
3795-503: The University of Wisconsin–Madison also promoted new methods. From 1964 to 1968, the Carnegie Foundation funded Wedemeyer's Articulated Instructional Media Project (AIM) which brought in a variety of communications technologies aimed at providing learning to an off-campus population. The radio courses faded away in the 1950s. Many efforts to use television along the same lines proved unsuccessful, despite heavy funding by
3910-548: The World Wide Web or other network technologies, are recent educational modes in distance education. A number of other terms (distributed learning, e-learning , m-learning , online learning, virtual classroom, etc.) are used roughly synonymously with distance education. E-learning has shown to be a useful educational tool. E-learning should be an interactive process with multiple learning modes for all learners at various levels of learning. The distance learning environment
4025-571: The YMCA school in Boston that became Northeastern University . Private correspondence schools outside of the major cities provided a flexible, focused solution. Large corporations systematized their training programs for new employees. The National Association of Corporation Schools grew from 37 in 1913 to 146 in 1920. Private schools that provided specialized technical training to everyone who enrolled, not just employees of one company, began to open across
4140-767: The mental health , occupational therapy , family therapy , art therapy , physical therapy , and rehabilitation counseling fields. By 2008, online learning programs were available in the United States in 44 states at the K-12 level. Internet forums , online discussion groups , and online learning community can contribute to a distance education experience. Research shows that socialization plays an important role in some forms of distance education. E-Courses are available from educational platforms such as Khan Academy and MasterClass on many topics and for students of all levels. Most distance education uses
4255-456: The "college-by-radio" would put "American education 25 years ahead". The university was owned by the city, and local residents would pay the low tuition rates, receive their study materials in the mail, and listen by radio to live classroom discussions that were held on campus. Physicist Daniel Q. Posin also was a pioneer in the field of distance education when he hosted a televised course through DePaul University . Charles Wedemeyer of
4370-532: The 1920s and radio in the 1930s led to proposals to use it for distance education. By 1938, at least 200 city school systems, 25 state boards of education, and many colleges and universities broadcast educational programs for public schools. One line of thought was to use radio as a master teacher. Experts in given fields broadcast lessons for pupils within the many schoolrooms of the public school system, asking questions, suggesting readings, making assignments, and conducting tests. This mechanizes education and leaves
4485-571: The 1920s. Enrollment in the largest private for-profit school based in Scranton, Pennsylvania , the International Correspondence Schools grew explosively in the 1890s. Founded in 1888 to provide training for immigrant coal miners aiming to become state mine inspectors or foremen, it enrolled 2500 new students in 1894 and matriculated 72,000 new students in 1895. By 1906 total enrollments reached 900,000. The growth
4600-420: The 1960s and 1970s. The late 1970s saw a change in emphasis, as the college began offering a range of experimental courses as well as the more traditional "O" and "A" level qualifications. At the same time the organisation was diversifying and changing its profile, moving from being a traditional correspondence college towards becoming a prolific educational publisher and provider of educational services to both
4715-436: The 1980s also saw an increased focus on vocational courses, with new programmes on business administration, accounting and book-keeping being introduced. The college continued to expand through the 1990s, growing both in terms of staff numbers and enlisted students. By 1999 it was dealing with more than 10,000 new enrolments each year, and was fast outgrowing its Brooklands Avenue base. To cope with its increase in scale, in 2000
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4830-476: The 1980s, with a trial ‘16+‘ examination in some subjects, awarding both a CSE and an O-Level certificate, before the GCSE was introduced. The final O-level/CSE examinations were sat in 1987. GCSEs were introduced in September 1986 to establish a national qualification for those who decided to leave school at 16 without pursuing further academic study towards qualifications such as A-Levels or university degrees. The first GCSE exams were sat in 1988. They replaced
4945-452: The 2016 and 2017 syllabus publications, leading to first awards in 2018 and 2019 respectively. For GCSE Science the old single-award ‘science’ and ‘additional science’ options are no longer available, being replaced with a double award ‘combined science’ option (graded on the scale 9–9 to 1–1 and equivalent to 2 GCSEs). Alternatively pupils can take separate qualifications in chemistry, biology and physics. Other removed qualifications include
5060-639: The A* grade was added above the grade A to further differentiate attainment at the very highest end of the qualification. This remained the highest grade available until 2017, when numerical grades were introduced (see below). The youngest pupil to gain an A* grade was Thomas Barnes, who earned an A* in GCSE Mathematics at the age of 7. Initially the mathematics papers were set in three tiers: Higher, Intermediate and Foundation, to cover different mathematical abilities. The Higher level corresponded to grades A-C,
5175-531: The CCEA in Northern Ireland. In England, AQA, OCR, and Pearson operate under their respective brands. Additionally, WJEC operate the brand Eduqas, which develops qualifications in England. CCEA qualifications are not available in England. In Wales, WJEC is the only accredited awarding body for GCSEs in the public sector, and thus no other board formally operates in Wales. However, some qualifications from
5290-448: The D grade by a small margin are awarded an E. Otherwise the grade below E in these papers is U. In untiered papers pupils can achieve any grade in the scheme. This scheme has been phased out in England, but remains in Wales and Northern Ireland. In Northern Ireland the A* grade has been adjusted upwards with the introduction of the numerical scheme in England, such that an A* is equivalent to a new English grade 9. Northern Ireland also added
5405-611: The English boards are available as designated qualifications in some circumstances, due to not being available from WJEC. In Northern Ireland, CCEA operates as both a board and a regulator. Most qualifications from the English boards are also available, with the exception of English language and the sciences, due to requirements for speaking and practical assessment, respectively. Pupils usually take 7-10 GCSEs in Key Stage 4 . The exact qualifications taken vary from school to school and pupil to pupil but all schools are encouraged to offer
5520-606: The Intermediate level corresponded to grades C-E and the Foundation level corresponded to grades E-G. However it was later realised that nobody who sat the Foundation level had any chance of passing the subject at grade C, so this arrangement was replaced by a two-tier arrangement whereby the Intermediate and Foundation levels were merged. This brought the subject into line with other subjects that typically had foundation and higher-level papers. This meant that somebody who sat
5635-670: The International Council for Open and Distance Education (ICDE), with its main office in Oslo, Norway. The Open University (OU) in the United Kingdom was founded by the then Labour government led by Harold Wilson . Based on the vision of Michael Young , planning commenced in 1965 under the Minister of State for Education , Jennie Lee , who established a model for the Open University as one of widening access to
5750-455: The January series of examinations as an option in most subjects and requiring that 100% of the assessment in subjects from the 2014 examination series be taken at the end of the course. These were a precursor to the later reforms. From 2015 a large-scale programme of reform began in England, changing the marking criteria and syllabi for most subjects as well as the format of qualifications and
5865-461: The NEC include courses leading to teaching qualifications, childcare diplomas, business and management qualifications and various courses in bookkeeping and counselling. The National Extension College works with subject specialists to develop its own learning materials When a student enrols with NEC they receive a login to an online learning portal. They are also allocated a tutor, who is contactable via
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#17327729187325980-488: The NEC reaffirm its commitment to being a college in its own right and a major investment in new courses brought with it a significant increase in enrollments. By the time the college celebrated its 25th anniversary in 1988, it had provided courses through distance learning to more than 250,000 students. The organisation marked the occasion with a major conference on open learning, "Open Learning in Transition". The end of
6095-485: The National Extension College, Business Start-Up and Creative Writing. Though primarily an online distance learning college, many of NEC's courses have been adapted into print formats in order for them to be delivered effectively in a prison setting. February 2020 also saw the announcement of the University of Cambridge 's Institute of Continuing Education (ICE) and the NEC collaboration to offer
6210-425: The National Extension College. NEC student Najma was interviewed on Victoria Derbyshire . As well as revealing on live television that she achieved a grade 8 (equivalent to an A*) in her maths course, she reflected that her experience studying with NEC was a necessary one: "Even though I had done a degree, there were some areas (in the degree) which were never touched upon…So it gave me a good subject knowledge, which
6325-458: The UK for that reason. The following lists are sourced from the exam board websites. These are the requirements for achieving the English Baccalaureate headline measure in league tables, from 2017 onwards. Other subjects, especially religious studies, citizenship studies, computer science and physical education are compulsory in the majority of secondary schools since these subjects form part of
6440-604: The US, the Distance Education Accrediting Commission (DEAC) specializes in the accreditation of distance education institutions. In the United States in 2011, it was found that a third of all the students enrolled in postsecondary education had taken an accredited online course in a postsecondary institution. Growth continued. In 2013 the majority of public and private colleges offered full academic programs online. Programs included training in
6555-516: The University of London. The vast distances made Australia especially active; the University of Queensland established its Department of Correspondence Studies in 1911. In South Africa, the University of South Africa , formerly an examining and certification body, started to present distance education tuition in 1946. In the United States, only a third of the population lived in cities of 100,000 or more population in 1920; in order to reach
6670-664: The benefits and drawbacks of online learning found that students have had a harder time producing their own work. The study suggests teachers should cut back on the amount of information taught and incorporate more activities during the lesson, in order for students to create their own work. Though schools are slow to adapt to new technologies, COVID-19 required schools to adapt and learn how to use new digital and online learning tools. Web conferencing has become more popular since 2007. Researchers have found that people in online classes perform just as effectively as participants in conventional learning classes. The use of online learning
6785-400: The centre at which they sat the exams. In England these results then go on to inform league tables published in the following academic year, with headline performance metrics for each school. Owing to COVID-19, pupils who were supposed to sit their GCSEs in 2020 and 2021 were awarded qualifications based on predicted grades from their teachers. Traditional exams, however, have been taken since
6900-405: The change. At this time the college was educating more than 20,000 students each year and providing more than 150 tutor-supported home-learning courses. At the same time it continued to produce materials for other educational institutions, maintaining a portfolio of more than 200 learning resources for colleges, trainers and employers. The end of the 2000s was a time of major change for the college,
7015-573: The classroom is the use of robot proxies including those that allow sick students to attend classes. Some universities have been starting to use robot proxies to enable more engaging synchronous hybrid classes where both remote and in-person students can be present and interact using telerobotics devices such as the Kubi Telepresence robot stand that looks around and the Double Robot that roams around. With these telepresence robots,
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#17327729187327130-485: The closure of the vast majority of schools worldwide for in-person learning. COVID-19 increased the value of distance education although its policies were implemented and formulated among several universities much earlier. Many schools moved to online remote learning through platforms including—but not limited to— Zoom , Blackboard , Cisco Webex , Google Classroom , Google Meet , Microsoft Teams , D2L , and Edgenuity . A recent study showed that Google Classroom
7245-615: The college joined forces with the Open School Trust. Ros Morpeth, chief executive of the National Extension College (NEC), was named TES FE Leader of the Year for her "tenacity and inspirational leadership". NEC's Chief Executive Ros Morpeth was appointed OBE in the Queen's Birthday Honours 2015. Morpeth came out of retirement in 2011, which she left in 2003 after 27 years. Since then, she has served as Chief Executive and trustee of
7360-401: The college's size came in 1964, when the NEC took over the failing University Correspondence College, a Cambridge-based organisation dating back to 1888 who published H. G. Wells ' first book Text Book of Biology . The takeover granted the NEC an additional 50 staff, an enlarged portfolio of correspondence courses and a larger office from which to operate. The NEC continued to expand through
7475-590: The course. The National Extension College was first announced in the October 1963 edition of Where? , a monthly journal then published by the Advisory Centre for Education. Founder Michael Young introduced the organisation as being the "Invisible College of Cambridge", in reference to the fact that the college would have no teaching premises or full-time teachers of its own and would instead use Cambridge University premises and members of staff from various universities to deliver its courses. Young envisaged
7590-1049: The expansion of the Internet blurs the boundaries, distance education technologies are divided into two modes of delivery: synchronous learning and asynchronous learning . In synchronous learning, all participants are "present" at the same time in a virtual classroom, as in traditional classroom teaching. It requires a timetable. Web conferencing , videoconferencing , educational television , and instructional television are examples of synchronous technology, as are direct-broadcast satellite (DBS), internet radio , live streaming , telephone , and web-based VoIP . Web conferencing software helps to facilitate class meetings, and usually contains additional interaction tools such as text chat, polls, hand raising, emoticons etc. These tools also support asynchronous participation by students who can listen to recordings of synchronous sessions. Immersive environments (notably SecondLife ) have also been used to enhance participant presence in distance education courses. Another form of synchronous learning using
7705-479: The final examination series. This allowed for students to take some units of a GCSE before the final examination series, and thus gave indication of progress and ability at various stages, as well as allowing for students to resit exams in which they did not score as highly, in order to boost their grade, before receiving the qualification. Various qualifications were available as both modular and linear schemes, and schools could choose whichever fit best for them. Under
7820-529: The first assessment series in 2010, controlled assessment replaced coursework in various subjects, requiring more rigorous exam-like conditions for much of the non-examination assessed work and reducing the opportunity for outside help in coursework. Under the Conservative government of David Cameron various changes were made to GCSE qualifications taken in England. Before a wide range of reforms, interim changes were made to existing qualifications, removing
7935-480: The former CSE and O-Level qualifications, uniting the two qualifications to allow access to the full range of grades for more pupils. However the exam papers of the GCSE sometimes had a choice of questions, designed for the more able and the less able candidates. When introduced the GCSEs were graded from A to G, with a C being set as roughly equivalent to an O-Level Grade C or a CSE Grade 1 and thus achievable by roughly
8050-594: The grades 4, 5, 6, 7, 8 and 9 are targeted. Students who take the higher tier and miss the grade 4 mark by a small margin are awarded a grade 3. Controlled assessment and coursework tasks are untiered. The youngest person known to have achieved a grade 9 is Ellie Barnes, who achieved the grade in Mathematics aged eight. GCSE results are published by the examination board in August for the exam series in April to June of
8165-422: The grading system. Under the new scheme all GCSE subjects were revised between 2015 and 2018 and all new awards were to be on the new scheme by summer 2020. The new qualifications are designed such that most exams will be taken at the end of a full 2-year course, with no interim modular assessment, coursework nor controlled assessment except where necessary (such as in the arts). Some subjects retain coursework on
8280-457: The highest levels of degree and doctoral programs. New York University and International University Canada, for example, offer online degrees in engineering and management-related fields through NYU Tandon Online . Levels of accreditation vary: widely respected universities such as Stanford University and Harvard now deliver online courses—but other online schools receive little outside oversight, and some are fraudulent, i.e., diploma mills . In
8395-413: The highest standards of scholarship in higher education and setting up a planning committee consisting of university vice-chancellors, educationalists, and television broadcasters, chaired by Sir Peter Venables. The British Broadcasting Corporation's ( BBC ) Assistant Director of Engineering at the time, James Redmond , had obtained most of his qualifications at night school , and his natural enthusiasm for
8510-470: The incorporated subjects. These reforms did not apply immediately in Wales and Northern Ireland, where GCSEs would continue to be available on the A*-G grading system. However owing to legislative requirements for comparability between GCSEs in the three countries and allowances for certain subjects and qualifications to be available in Wales and Northern Ireland, some 9–1 qualifications were to be available and
8625-493: The introduction of uniform postage rates across England in 1840. This early beginning proved extremely successful and the Phonographic Correspondence Society was founded three years later to establish these courses on a more formal basis. The society paved the way for the later formation of Sir Isaac Pitman Colleges across the country. The first correspondence school in the United States
8740-482: The late 19th century, and its example was widely copied elsewhere. However, the university only provided examinations, not instructional material, leading academics to state that "the original degree by external study of the UOL was not a form of distance education". The External Programme is now known as the University of London Worldwide, and includes postgraduate and undergraduate degrees created by member institutions of
8855-768: The launch of NEC's A level History of Art distance learning course, following the Pearson Edexcel specifications. This course was developed in partnership with the Association for Art History and written by experienced teachers at Art History in Schools. Announced in November 2019 at a launch in the Grammar School at Leeds , the course garnered media attention and coverage as a way of studying this once endangered subject through distance learning. Supported by
8970-399: The learn@nec messaging service. The personal tutor is responsible for marking the student's work and providing feedback for the duration of the course. In addition to the personal tutor, the student can direct questions and queries to NEC's dedicated Student Support Team. Further support for learners comes from NEC's online student forums, which enable learners to contact each other to discuss
9085-485: The local teacher only the tasks of preparing for the broadcast and keeping order in the classroom. The first large-scale implementation of radio for distance education took place in 1937 in Chicago . During a three-week school closure implemented in response to a polio outbreak that the city was experiencing, superintendent of Chicago Public Schools William Johnson and assistant superintendent Minnie Fallon implemented
9200-591: The most significant aspect of which was its merger with the Learning and Skills Network in 2010. Both charitable organisations, the LSN and NEC had many shared objectives that suggested the two would make good partners. The merger was short-lived however, as the LSN went into administration in late 2011. It did not take long for the NEC to find a new partner with which to progress its educational work, and in December 2011
9315-464: The nation in the 1880s. Starting in Milwaukee in 1907, public schools began opening free vocational program. The International Conference for Correspondence Education held its first meeting in 1938. The goal was to provide individualized education for students, at low cost, by using a pedagogy of testing, recording, classification, and differentiation. Since then, the group has changed its name to
9430-506: The new Foundation level could now achieve a grade C, which was considered the formal pass level. With the introduction of numbered grades, the Higher tier provides grades 9-3, with 3 being classed as a 'safety net' grade, and the Foundation tier provides grades 5-1. Between 2005 and 2010 a variety of reforms were made to GCSE qualifications, including increasing modularity and a change to the administration of non-examination assessment. From
9545-439: The new Northern Irish A* grade. A grade 8 is also equivalent to an A*, however the grade 9 is the top end of the A*. The former C grade is set at grade 4 (known as a 'standard pass') and grade 5 (considered a 'strong pass') under the numerical scheme. Although fewer qualifications have tiered examinations than before, the tiering system still exists. At foundation tier the grades 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5 are available, whilst at higher tier
9660-533: The next two decades. The affiliated colleges provided certificates that the student had attended a course. A new charter in 1858 removed this requirement, allowing men (and women from 1878) taking instruction at any institution or pursuing a course of self-directed study to sit the examinations and receive degrees. The External Programme was referred to as the "People's University" by Charles Dickens as it provided access to higher education to students from less affluent backgrounds. Enrollment increased steadily during
9775-481: The organisation moved to The Michael Young Centre on Purbeck Road, Cambridge. Ros Morpeth, Chief Executive of the college, received an honorary doctorate for her contribution to distance learning in 1994. Operating from its new headquarters, the NEC continued to grow throughout the 2000s. The new A level curriculum, introduced in 2000, was another extremely busy time for the organisation, with its editorial team producing more than 16,000 pages of materials to accommodate
9890-554: The other changes were mostly adopted in these countries as well. In Northern Ireland a decision was taken by Minister of Education , Peter Wier ( DUP ), in 2016 to align the A* Grade to the 9 Grade of the English reformed qualifications. The first award of the new A* grade being in 2019. A C* grade was also introduced in Northern Ireland to align to the 5 Grade in England, again with first awarding in 2019. GCSEs in Northern Ireland remain modular and Science practicals can count towards
10005-530: The overall grade. Speaking and listening also remains a component of the GCSE English Language specification. Historically, there were a variety of regional examination boards, or awarding organisations (AOs), who set examinations in their area. The 5 examination boards include: The examination boards operate under the supervision of Ofqual (The Office of Qualifications and Examinations Regulation) in England, Qualifications Wales in Wales, and
10120-506: The private and public sectors. This broadening of the college's remit necessitated a move to a larger headquarters, so in 1979 the NEC moved to 18 Brooklands Avenue, Cambridge, the building that would be its base for the next 22 years. In the early 1980s the NEC's focus moved away from enrolling new students and further towards the publishing of educational materials. By 1986 the emphasis had shifted so far towards producing educational materials for learners studying at other organisations that
10235-449: The project did much to overcome the technical difficulties of using television to broadcast teaching programs. The Open University revolutionized the scope of the correspondence program and helped to create a respectable learning alternative to the traditional form of education. It has been at the forefront of developing new technologies to improve distance learning service as well as undertaking research in other disciplines. Walter Perry
10350-615: The remote students have a seat at the table or desk instead of being on a screen on the wall. In asynchronous learning, participants access course materials flexibly on their schedules. Students are not required to be together at the same time. Mail correspondence, which is the oldest form of distance education, is an asynchronous delivery technology, as are message board forums, e-mail , video and audio recordings , print materials, voicemail , and fax . The five characteristics of technological innovations (compatibility, observability, relative advantage, complexity, and trialability) have
10465-473: The rest, correspondence techniques were adopted. William Rainey Harper , founder and first president of the University of Chicago , celebrated the concept of extended education, where a research university had satellite colleges elsewhere in the region. In 1892, Harper encouraged correspondence courses to further promote education, an idea that was put into practice by the University of Chicago, U. Wisconsin, Columbia U., and several dozen other universities by
10580-559: The same length of time; when they have finished their courses they are supposed to be qualified to enter any one of a number of branches in some particular profession. We, on the contrary, are aiming to make our courses fit the particular needs of the student who takes them. Education was a high priority in the Progressive Era , as American high schools and colleges expanded greatly. For men who were older or were too busy with family responsibilities, night schools were opened, such as
10695-687: The same year. They are usually released one week after the A-Level results, on the Thursday that falls between 20 August and 26 August. The examination results are released to centres (schools) prior to the release to candidates and the public. Examination results are released by the Joint Council for Qualifications (JCQ), which represents the main GCSE awarding organisations. Some boards and schools release results online, although many still require pupils to attend in person to collect their results from
10810-592: The sessions delivered at a distance. This type of mixed distance and campus-based education has recently come to be called " blended learning " or less often "hybrid learning". Many open universities use a blend of technologies and a blend of learning modalities (face-to-face, distance, and hybrid) all under the rubric of "distance learning". Distance learning can also use interactive radio instruction (IRI), interactive audio instruction (IAI), online virtual worlds , digital games, webinars, and webcasts, all of which are referred to as e-Learning. The rapid spread of film in
10925-753: The student corresponded with the school via mail . Distance education is a technology-mediated modality and has evolved with the evolution of technologies such as video conferencing, TV, and the Internet. Today, it usually involves online education and the learning is usually mediated by some form of technology. A distance learning program can either be completely a remote learning, or a combination of both online learning and traditional offline classroom instruction (called hybrid or blended ). Other modalities include distance learning with complementary virtual environment or teaching in virtual environment (e-learning). Massive open online courses (MOOCs), offering large-scale interactive participation and open access through
11040-455: The subject, school, and exam board), starting in Year 9 or Year 10 for the majority of pupils, with examinations usually being sat at the end of Year 11 in England and Wales. Before the introduction of GCSEs, pupils took CSE ( Certificate of Secondary Education ) or the more academically challenging O-Level ( General Certificate of Education (GCE) Ordinary Level) exams, or a combination of
11155-412: The summer of 2022. Source : Joint Council for General Qualifications via Brian Stubbs . Note : In the final year DES statistics for O-Levels are available, and across all subjects, 6.8% of candidates obtained a grade A, and 39.8% achieved grades A to C. In the past, many GCSE qualifications used a modular system, where some assessment (up to 60% under the 'terminal rule') could be submitted prior to
11270-602: The teaching and learning experience. Educators, grappling with this abrupt transition, have faced hurdles in effectively engaging students and delivering course content, leading to heightened stress and burnout among faculty members. Additionally, this shift has raised legal concerns, particularly regarding copyright issues related to the dissemination of educational materials in digital formats. Post-COVID-19 pandemic, while some educational institutions went back to physical classes, others switched to blended learning or kept up their online distance learning. A recent study about
11385-577: The techniques developed and lessons learned with earlier media are used in Internet delivery. The first online courses for graduate and undergraduate credit were offered in 1985 by Connected Education through The New School in New York City, with students earning the MA in Media Studies completely online via computer conferencing, with no in-person requirements. This was followed in 1986 by
11500-424: The then-director, Richard Freeman, wanted the NEC to become a materials provider with no actual students of its own. At the same time, the national "O" level qualifications were being replaced by GCSEs , meaning that if the NEC was to continue to enlist new students on traditional courses a tremendous amount of work would be required to bring its courses up-to-date. However, the departure of Freeman in January 1987 saw
11615-679: The top 25% of each cohort. The Royal Alexandra & Albert School in Reigate, Surrey, trialled GCSE English in 1980. Those who passed would receive both a CSE and an O Level certificate. There was still a separate English Literature O Level exam. Over time the range of subjects offered, the format of the examinations, the regulations, the content and the grading of GCSE examinations have altered considerably. Numerous subjects have been added and changed, and various new subjects are offered in modern languages, ancient languages, vocational fields and expressive arts, as well as citizenship courses. In 1994
11730-572: The transition, and posed various legal issues, especially in terms of copyright. The physical surroundings during the COVID-19 pandemic are seen by university instructors as having a detrimental effect on the quality of distance education. However, where the lecture is delivered and the type of faculty do not show any significant statistical variances in the quality of distance education. The shift away from real-time instruction to asynchronous learning modes has posed significant challenges, impacting both
11845-532: The two, in various subjects. The CSE broadly covered GCSE grades C-G or 4–1 and the O-Level covered grades A*-C or 9–4, but the two were independent qualifications, with different grading systems. The separate qualifications were criticized for disadvantaging the bottom 42% of O-Level entrants, who failed to receive a qualification, and the highest-achieving CSE entrants, who had no opportunity to demonstrate higher ability. In their later years O-Levels were graded on
11960-487: The way for the emergence of tele-courses as the precursor to the online courses and programs of today. The Coastline Community Colleges , The Dallas County Community College District , and Miami Dade Community College led the way. The Adult Learning Service of the US Public Broadcasting Service came into being and the "wrapped" series, and individually produced tele-course for credit became
12075-1091: The world, often with the name "Open University" (in English or in the local language). The University of the Philippines Open University was established in 1995 as the fifth constituent University of the Philippines System and was the first distance education and online university in the Philippines. Its mandate is to provide educational opportunities to individuals aspiring for higher education and improved qualifications but were unable to take advantage of traditional modes of education because of personal and professional obligations. Most open universities use distance education technologies as delivery methods, though some require attendance at local study centers or at regional "summer schools". Some open universities have grown to become mega-universities . The COVID-19 pandemic resulted in
12190-433: Was added above the initial A grade to indicate exceptional achievement, above the level required for the A grade. Under the letter grade scheme, foundation tier papers assess content at grades C to G, while higher tier papers assess content at grades A* to C. In foundation-tier papers, pupils can obtain a maximum grade of a C, while in a higher-tier paper they can achieve a minimum grade of a D. Higher-tier candidates who miss
12305-563: Was appointed the OU's first vice-chancellor in January 1969, and its foundation secretary was Anastasios Christodoulou . The election of the new Conservative government under the leadership of Edward Heath , in 1970; led to budget cuts under Chancellor of the Exchequer Iain Macleod (who had earlier called the idea of an Open University "blithering nonsense"). However, the OU accepted its first 25,000 students in 1971, adopting
12420-463: Was considered equivalent to an O-Level C grade or above, and achievement of this grade often indicated that the pupil could have taken an O-Level course in the subject to achieve a higher qualification. As the two were independent qualifications with separate syllabi, a separate course of study would have to be taken to convert a CSE to an O-Level in order to progress to A-Level . There was a previous attempt to unite these two disparate qualifications in
12535-450: Was due to sending out complete textbooks instead of single lessons, and the use of 1200 aggressive in-person salesmen. There was a stark contrast in pedagogy: The regular technical school or college aims to educate a man broadly; our aim, on the contrary, is to educate him only along some particular line. The college demands that a student shall have certain educational qualifications to enter it and that all students study for approximately
12650-482: Was founded by Brian Jackson and Michael Young , Lord Young of Dartington, a British sociologist, social activist, and politician. A registered educational charity, the college works in partnership with organisations including The Open University, The National Institute of Adult Continuing Education (NIACE) , the Association for Art History , UnionLearn, The WEA, European Association for Distance Learning (EADL), and Big Issue . The National Extension College offers
12765-416: Was launched as the first fully online university accredited by a regional accrediting association in the US. Between 2000 and 2008, enrollment in distance education courses increased rapidly almost every country in both developed and developing countries. Many private, public, non-profit , and for-profit institutions worldwide now offer distance education courses from the most basic instruction through to
12880-453: Was provided by Sir Isaac Pitman in the 1840s who taught a system of shorthand by mailing texts transcribed into shorthand on postcards and receiving transcriptions from his students in return for correction. The element of student feedback was a crucial innovation in Pitman's system. The postage stamp made this scheme for remote education possible, and these efforts were scalable because of
12995-581: Was the Society to Encourage Studies at Home which was founded in 1873. Founded in 1894, Wolsey Hall, Oxford was the first distance-learning college in the UK. The University of London was the first university to offer degrees to anyone who could pass their examinations, establishing its External Programme in 1858. It had been established in 1836 as an examining and degree-awarding body for affiliated colleges, originally University College London and King's College London but with many others added over
13110-472: Was the most preferred by those students Concerns arose over the impact of this transition on students without access to an internet-enabled device or a stable internet connection. Distanced education during the COVID-19 pandemic has interrupted synchronous learning for many students and teachers; where educators were no longer able to teach in real-time and could only switch to asynchronous instruction, this significantly and negatively affected their coping with
13225-432: Was the most used platform by students followed by Microsoft Teams and Zoom respectively. The less-used platforms included Blackboard Learn , Webex by Cisco , DingTalk , Tencent , and WhatsApp . However, the most preferred platforms by students were Microsoft Teams followed by Google Classroom and Zoom . Although Google Classroom was the most used by students as decided by their lectures, Microsoft Teams
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