UK models of virtual universities

The British Council sponsored a workshop on UK approaches to virtual teaching. four different applications of online delivery of courses were explored through presentations from expert practitioners at each of the universities. A partnership model was represented by The University of the Highlands and Islands (UHI); an evolutionary model by the UK Open University (OU); a brokerage model by the eUniversity (eU) and a local study centre model by the University for Industry (Ufi). By studying these different models in turn, insights into common problems were gained which this paper aims to outline. These issues are: how to maintain or improve quality of teaching in the online environmen;. how to blend online and traditional media for the optimum mix; and how to support students studying online courses.