The Open University (OU) is to extend its e-learning scheme and introduce real-time forums. The university has 200,000 students and already uses e-learning tools, but will introduce new technology to allow real-time interaction between students. ‘Most courses have forums, but this system will be for real-time communication rather than forums where people post at different times,’ said Niall Sclater, director of the OU’s virtual learning environment programme. ‘It will allow students to communicate with each other outside of scheduled sessions,’ he said. Sclater says the distance learning specialist intends to introduce new systems by the end of the summer.

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