The Open University was founded over 30 years ago, as the only university in the UK whose charter specifically mandated that all courses would be offered in a distance learning mode. Today nearly 30,000 students enroll annually. The key to the OU's success has been to devote considerable attention to both the course production and course delivery portions of distance teaching. The teaching faculty in Milton Keynes don't actually teach, instead they assist in the preparation of course materials. The course production team consists of multiple faculty members, graphics designers, computer programmers, BBC producers, plus other members as needed.
Faculty produce all tests and assessment tools as well.
A typical course delivered by the OU would be equivalent to 4 or 5 three-credit courses taken at an American University. Once a course is developed it may not undergo a major revision for 5 or more years. All students must sit a proctored final exam and receive a passing grade on both the final and tutor-marked assignments. All marking is closely monitored by staff in Milton Keynes to insure that all students get a quality education. In some courses, students may receive a week of intensive instruction from faculty at regional facilities rented from other UK universities.