22.05.03
BBC
Worldwide and Open University launch online professional development
service for teachers
BBC
Worldwide and the Open University have joined forces to create the
UK's first comprehensive online professional development service
for Primary and Secondary school teachers - TeachandLearn.net. The
service - which will be available to schools and education authorities
across the UK from January 2004 - will offer teachers an important
new virtual learning resource to help meet individual, group and
school-wide professional development needs.
TeachandLearn.net
is spearheaded by an advisory panel made up of a range of leading
educational experts, including Professor Tim Brighouse, Estelle
Morris, and Professor Ted Wragg. Tim Brighouse, Commissioner for
London Schools, is Chair of the panel. Commenting on the new service,
he said, "The partnership of BBC Worldwide and the Open University
provides an unparalleled resource for schools and teachers. By subscribing
to this service every headteacher will know that all their staff
have access to a range of professional development resources."
The
online service will provide a flexible, comprehensive and easily
accessible professional development service, offering teachers at
all stages of their career a clear and structured learning course
environment to expand and update their knowledge.
Professor
Moon, leading the project on behalf of the Open University added,
"TeachandLearn.net is an evolution of the activities the Open
University and the BBC have undertaken together over the last thirty
years. The powerful association the two organisations create in
teachers' minds is a wonderful basis from which to launch the service."
Sales
and marketing of TeachandLearn.net
will be handled by BBC Worldwide, and the service will be promoted
directly to schools and to local authorities. The Open University
will manage the web development, course development, and academic
and technical support.
Andy
Ware, Director of Children's Learning, BBC Worldwide, said, "The
Open University and the BBC have a long-standing collaboration to
produce, promote and distribute distance-learning courses. This
latest development with BBC Worldwide has a real integrity to it,
offering a great service and support for teachers."
www.TeachandLearn.net
Notes
to editors:
This
is a commercial joint venture between BBC Worldwide and the Open
University and will not therefore be funded from the licence fee.
BBC
Worldwide Learning forms part of Global Marketing and Brand Development
(GMBD), the marketing division of BBC Worldwide. GMBD was created
to develop key BBC properties with genuine cross-media potential
for development into global brands across Children's, Music and
Learning. GMBD works closely with the other divisions of BBC Worldwide
and with BBC Television. BBC Worldwide Learning comprises three
business groups: Children's Learning, Lifelong Learning and English
Language Teaching (ELT) and Languages. Digital media, and especially
the Internet, is revolutionising learning, giving people of all
ages the opportunity to learn whatever they wish from learning providers
anywhere in the world. BBC Worldwide Learning will be at the heart
of this revolution, a gateway to and provider of learning opportunities
that can be consumed through all media at school, home and work.
BBC
Worldwide Limited is the commercial consumer arm, and a wholly owned
subsidiary, of the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC). The company
was formed in 1994 to develop a co-ordinated approach to the BBC's
commercial activities: television, publishing, product licensing,
Internet and interactive. BBC Worldwide exists to maximise the value
of the BBC's programme and publishing assets for the benefit of
the licence payer, and re-invest in public service programming.
Turnover in the last financial year (2001/2002) was £660 million
and £106 million was returned to the BBC.
The
BBC is not responsible for the content of external websites.
|
