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Postgraduate Certificate in Online and Distance Education

This certificate is presented by The Open University's Institute of Educational Technology and is open to students from countries all over the world. It offers the unique opportunity to study the theory and practice of online and distance education through modules created by experts from the Institute who are reinventing digital learning through the innovative use of new media and technologies.

Key features of the course

  • Designed to meet the needs of practitioners using new technologies in their professional context
  • Deepens your understanding of online teaching and learning, and learning that blends face-to-face and distance education
  • Encourages you to link your studies with your own practice throughout
  • Relevant for non-practitioners with an interest in online learning

Certificate

Course code
C23
Credits

Credits

  • Credits measure the student workload required for the successful completion of a module or qualification.
  • One credit represents about 10 hours of study over the duration of the course.
  • You are awarded credits after you have successfully completed a module.
  • For example, if you study a 60-credit module and successfully pass it, you will be awarded 60 credits.
60
How long it takes
Minimum - 1 year
Read more about how long it takes
Study method
Distance learning
Find out more in Why the OU?
Course cost
See Fees and funding
Entry requirements

Find out more about entry requirements.

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Course details

Modules

To gain this qualification, you need 60 credits from the list of modules below:

Optional modules Credits Next start
Technology-enhanced learning: foundations and futures (H880)

This module, presented on FutureLearn, will develop your ability to engage creatively and effectively with the broad field of technology-enhanced learning, teaching and training.

See full description

Register
 60 07 Feb 2022
The critical researcher: educational technology in practice (H819)

Using examples including popular and social media, you will critically evaluate educational technology research and cutting-edge innovations, and be able to apply these findings to your own practices. 

See full description

Register
 30 03 Apr 2021

Or, subject to the rules about excluded combinations, the discontinued modules H800, H801, H802, H803, H804, H805, H806, H807, H808, H809, H810, H817, H818.

Module availability

We currently offer a choice of two modules to complete this qualification. However, H880 will be the only module available for study towards this qualification after April 2021.

If you would like to complete your qualification by studying H819, the last opportunity to study this module will be April 2021.

If you only complete one of the 30 credit modules (H819 or the withdrawn module H818) before they are both withdrawn, you will then need to complete a further 60 credits by studying H880 to be awarded the Postgraduate Certificate in Online and Distance Education.

You should note that the University’s unique study rule applies to this qualification. This means that you must include at least 20 credits from OU modules that have not been counted in any other OU qualification that has previously been awarded to you.

Learning outcomes, teaching and assessment

The learning outcomes of this qualification are described in four areas:

  • Knowledge and understanding
  • Cognitive skills
  • Practical and professional skills
  • Key skills
Read more detailed information about the learning outcomes.

Credit transfer

Credit transfer is not available for this qualification. 

On completion

On successful completion of the required modules you can be awarded a Postgraduate Certificate in Online and Distance Education entitling you to use the letters PG Cert (ODE) (Open) after your name.

Recognition in your country

If you intend to use your Open University qualifications to seek work or undertake further study outside the UK, we recommend checking whether your intended qualification will meet local requirements for your chosen career. Read recognition in my country.

Regulations

As a student of The Open University, you should be aware of the content of the qualification-specific regulations below and the academic regulations that are available on our Student Policies and Regulations website. 

We regularly review our curriculum; therefore, the qualification described on this page – including its availability, its structure, and available modules – may change over time. If we make changes to this qualification, we’ll update this page as soon as possible. Once you’ve registered or are studying this qualification, where practicable, we’ll inform you in good time of any upcoming changes. If you’d like to know more about the circumstances in which the University might make changes to the curriculum, see our Academic Regulations or contact us. This description was last updated on 17 March 2020.

Entry requirements

You must be prepared for study at postgraduate level. This usually means holding a bachelors degree - whether from a UK university or from one outside the UK - or its equivalent. However, if you have successfully completed two-thirds of a bachelors degree (an HND in the UK, for example) and have professional experience in technology-enabled learning, you may still be eligible for the programme. You will be asked to provide further information and evidence of your eligibility as part of the registration process for the programme.

All teaching is in English, and your proficiency in the language needs to be adequate for postgraduate study and for contributing to online discussions by text and voice. If English is not your first language, we strongly recommend that you make sure you can achieve a score of at least seven in the International English Language Testing System (IELTS). To assess your English Language skills in relation to your proposed studies, you can visit the IELTS website. Although experience of distance education may be an advantage, it is not essential. If you are not sure whether your qualifications and experience are suitable, please do not hesitate to contact us for advice. 

How long it takes

The minimum time to complete this qualification is one year.

Career relevance

Workplaces and work roles increasingly involve media-rich and technology-enhanced forms of learning, professional practice and personal development, often summarised in the term ‘elearning’. Accordingly the experience of achieving this certificate has proved vocationally relevant across a wide range of occupations and locations, from managers in business organisations, teachers of languages, consultants, trainers and teachers at any level of the education sector.

Each module in the Postgraduate Certificate in Online and Distance Education requires study using a range of tools and learning environments. Consequently you will improve your personal skills in using these tools and this makes a positive impact on your own practice. You will experience the implications of learning technology choices made across a wide range of contexts and organisations, both formal and informal. You will advance not only your skills of selection and design of technology, but also your understanding of how technologies engage learners and how they can be evaluated and developed on a continuing basis.

Depending on your choice of module study, the qualification will enable you to demonstrate in addition, expertise in particular areas:
  • Designing, implementing and critiquing technology-enhanced learning, if you study Technology-enhanced learning: foundations and futures (H880)
  • Research and evaluation of educational technology, including research design and planning, and critical review of research reports, if you have included The critical researcher: Educational technologies in practice (H819)

The vocational relevance of a qualification in Online and Distance Education goes well beyond the obvious category of teacher and trainer, and previous alumni have included librarians, media professionals, project managers, consultants, entrepreneurs, practice educators in nursing, web developers and other professionals in commerce.

Careers and Employability Services have more information on how OU study can improve your employability.