Open by Degrees

This chapter focuses on the history, development, and perceived value of The Open University UK's multidisciplinary ‘open' qualifications at undergraduate and postgraduate level, together with the development of multidisciplinary ‘open box' modules. It addresses the debate around the coherence and acceptance of such personalized programs of study. As well as identifying some of the challenges facing multidisciplinary learners, it describes how open educational resources (OERs) can be used by students to negotiate their own learning experience. The chapter concludes by outlining the benefits of introducing multidisciplinary modules based on OERs and other types of non-formal learning into the curriculum