United Kingdom

The following was written in August 2004 and needs considerable updating.

Given the UK preference for rankings yet the lack of definitive public information, any list that anyone gives will invite criticism. Our ranking is based on numbers of off-campus e-learning students plus breadth of and institutional commitment to e-delivery, not on research rankings, QAA or other more usual metrics for universities.

England

In addition to the Open University and the London External Programme, there are around six English universities with substantial operational off-campus e-learning ac-tivity. These include Middlesex University (Global Campus) and the University of Liverpool (KIT Campus) as perhaps the largest nodes of activity. A number of members of the Worldwide Universities Network (WUN) are increasingly active in this space, in particular the University of Manchester, University of Sheffield and University of Leeds, as is the University of Derby (in the Global University Alliance, GUA). A more specific set of courses is at the University of Portsmouth (Technology Extended Campus), some in conjunction with Pearsons (the publishers). There are also several UK members of Universitas 21 and at present most of their overt off-campus e-learning activity appears to be via that.

Scotland

In Scotland, Scottish Knowledge has closed down but there is growing activity at its partial successor, the Interactive University (based largely round Heriot-Watt) - now closed. A number of other Scottish Universities are also active, perhaps with Robert Gordon University (Virtual Campus) in the lead.

Wales

In Wales, the University of Glamorgan (a member of GUA) is a leading player (see chapter 8 for more on GUA).

Northern Ireland

In Northern Ireland, the University of Ulster (Campus One) is the leading player.

General

As a matter of historical interest, the actual phrase virtual campus is (still) used in the way it is defined in this chapter at the following UK universities and colleges:

• Universities. University of Lincoln, University of London External Pro-gramme, Oxford Brookes University and Robert Gordon University. (Sheffield Hallam University used the phrase for several years but is said to feel that nowadays the phrase is insufficiently distinctive.)
• Colleges. City of Bristol College, Glenrothes College, North West Institute of Further and Higher Education (Londonderry), St Helens College, and the Western Colleges Consortium.
• NHS. The new NHS University (NHSU) and several medical schools includ-ing at Kings College London.
• Ulster University’s Campus One describes itself as a virtual campus.
• One supplier’s product is called the “Teknical Virtual Campus”

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