Open University (in partnership with the University of Derby, Cambridge University Institute for Continuing Education, University of London External and the Professional Associations Research Network)

Enabling higher education to compete in the online CPD market

The Open University is working in partnership to identify how exactly higher education institutions can offer competitive programmes in continuing professional development (CPD) online. This project operates through six strands:

Market and competitor analysis
Working with professional bodies - Sector Skills Councils, employers and employees - to research what attracts employers and employees to CPD, and what HE-specific aspects appeal to them.
Institutional readiness
Examining some of the barriers to cost-effective CPD at institutions - including the nature of current degree programmes, institutional culture, and processes - in order to identify solutions.
Course models and exemplar modules
Developing learning design models for short online CPD courses and testing them with CPD modules that utilise them (each university partner is developing two modules).
Outcomes-based credit vehicle
Developing an innovative framework to assess CPD activities and award them with an academic credit.
Prototype CPD portal
Developing a prototype CPD portal using Web 2.0 technologies to bring together multiple CPD providers through a single resource.
Evaluation and dissemination.