There is nothing impersonal about online learning

We applaud Paul Le Blanc’s recognition of the ‘overlooked majority’ of students who carry work, family and other responsibilities with them into their academic lives. As lecturers who have been delivering MSc courses online at UCLan for over 12 years, we concur that it is possible to hold meaningful interactions with our online students. Our courses such as MSc Sustainability, Health and Wellbeing use a combination of online materials, synchronous facilitated discussion sessions, asynchronous discussion boards and 1:1 tutorials using Skype to deliver a rounded learning experience. Whilst this may miss the usual perceptions of the social side of life on campus, importantly it does fit in with students’ lives and gives access to learning which might otherwise be unavailable whilst still enabling them to become part of a dynamic learning community. Jean Duckworth and Hazel Partington, University of Central Lancashire

At the Open University, we too do a lot to support students having a community peer learning experience - to their surprise. They seem to expect to just have a computer to interact with. When I phone my students to introduce myself, there is often a pause at the start of our conversation as they absorb the news that there is a human being who will guide them through their studies.

And another thing ... it would be great if we could build better connections with our fellow institutions with campuses. This year I supported two students to successfully complete, then go on from a module with the OU, with 60 credits and equivalent to GCSE therefore meeting entry requirements for other institutions. One is applying to Cambridge, the other overcame anxiety issues to go to a local university. Funding requirements mean they count as 'not retained', instead of 'encouraged to continue to aspire'. We need collaborative working, rather than league tables and funding that pits us against each other.