OEG Voices 072: Martin Weller on 30 Years at the Open University

Listen to this episode for a journey through open education history with Martin Weller, who retired in June 2024 from a 30 year career at the Open University. We spoke with Martin in late May to learn more about his educational journey from working class roots to professor of educational technology – starting in 1995 at the OU, in f all things, as a lecturer in artificial intelligence (we honor Martin’s request not to talk much about AI).

You will appreciate Martin’s humble and easy going manner considering also his numerous accomplishments in the field, including an early vision for what the 1990s web could mean for distance education, pioneering one of the earliest large scale open courses before there was an acronym for it, his leadership of the very successful Global OER Graduate Network (GO-GN), plus his series of published books, fed by his passion for blogging. And in the episode you might even get a bit about metaphors, dogs, hockey, and sharks.

We were joined in the studio by Martin’s long time colleague, and friend, Clint Lalonde (BCcampus).

An hour conversation could barely cover Martin Weller’s many achievements but this should provide a clear sense of his perspective, and as well, what he plans to do in his “post-OU” career.

Episode 72 TranscriptDownload Listen with Transcript

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In This Episode

FYI: For the sake of experimentation and the spirit of transparency, this set of show notes alone was generated by AI Actions in the Descript editor we use to produce OEGlobal Voices.

In this episode of the OE Global Voices podcast, host Alan Levine is joined by Martin Weller and Clint Lalonde to discuss Martin’s impressive 30-year tenure at the Open University. The conversation covers a wide range of topics from the emergence of web-based learning, Martin’s journey into AI and open education, to the transformative impact of courses like T171. Martin shares insights about the evolution of distance learning, the role of narrative and metaphor in education, and the significance of blogging in his writing process. The trio reflects on the significance of MOOCs, the evolution of social media in education, and the success of the Global OER Graduate Network. This enriching episode encapsulates the milestones in Martin’s career, his contributions to open education, and the meaningful connections formed within the community.

• Introduction to the Podcast
• Meet the Guests: Martin and Clint
• Martin’s Background and Education
• Journey into AI and Open University
• Pioneering Online Learning
• The Success of T171 Course
• Innovative Master’s Course Design
• The UK eUniversity Platform
• Milton Keynes: A Unique Educational Hub
• The Power of Narratives and Metaphors
• Journey into Book Writing
• The Impact of Blogging on Writing
• Significant Moments in Ed Tech
• The Global OER Graduate Network
• Final Reflections and Farewell

Additional Links and Quotes for Episode 72

It got rid of the argument about “Can we do teaching online?” That argument had gone– [it] didn’t mean you couldn’t argue that students don’t want to