Does anyone here teach for the OU and if so  how many presentations were you allowed to teach in the first instance? The wording is very slippery (and not anywhere on their website - only on the interview materials they send) because it says "If you have attended multiple interviews for the same course and are offered an appointment in multiple centres then you MAY have to choose which of the appointments you take up. For new ALs who have yet to complete their probationary period you can only teach one 60 course or two 30 point courses."

I have an interview for a course in one regional centre but the course is also now advertised in another regional centre and I would like to teach in both. I am extremely well qualified for the course with relevant Master's and PhD near completion (ie October submission) as well as 6 years relevant HE teaching experience and 15 years secondary teaching experience (also relevant to this particular course). The course is a version of an honours level course I taught this year in a big name university for which I have a really cracking reference.
Furthermore I don't see the post as a stopgap or interim position ie it is something I will continue to teach should I get a full-time academic post because it fulfils part of my interdisciplinary research interest that is not easily addressed within a single subject field. I am also really excited to get in at the start because this is a new course in a developing field.
I suppose what I am asking is 'Do OU treat everyone the same in their first year teaching for them?' or do they take account of your experience (ie could I make a case to teach in two centres?). Do multiple presentations of the one course fall outwith their teaching guidelines?
I will of course ask this question to OU but I don't want to count my chickens and appear as if I think it is my right to expect to get the job or to special treatment. The wording is just so unclear and it is not mentioned anywhere else in their materials.
Thanks to anyone who can help or offer their perspective on OU teaching
Thanks for any help on this!

I think you would better off asking the OU themselves about this. Good luck. I've always wanted to teach with the OU but haven't been successful so far and their recruitment procedures have got much stricter recently in that they only usually advertise to existing tutors. Occasionally the posts will be advertised to new staff so I'm keping my fingers crossed something will come up.

Agree with PamW; I was looking to tutor this year but their new policy means it's really hard to get in so congrats on getting an interview!

Oh gosh guys, now you are making me nervous! I won't lie - if I don't get it I'll be inconsolable and don't know how I'll pick myself back up. I recently had a (successful) permanent lectureship interview for which the funding was cut before I could be appointed and I just feel doomed, as if there is always another hurdle - you can have great application, great references, give great presentation and interview but for some reason the job still doesn't happen - like in this case maybe even if I am appointed not enough people will sign up for the course (another reason why I want to apply to two centres). With the post that wasn't I also turned down another interview for a permanent lectureship which was less suitable so I was especially gutted. It's like I back the wrong horse.
OU are weird about how they advertise the external vacancies and I found the advert by chance - not through their main site but through googling 'teaching open university' which takes you through to a different version of their vacancies site. It seems to change every week or so and have deadlines that are not related to the normal recruitment schedule - this post I'm going for was a re advertisement in fact.

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The funding cuts are a lot of the reason why they've changed all their recruiting policy. It's really annoying as well, I live quite near to the main site and they've just shortened their opening hours at the library - so no evening opening after 6 or weekend opening at all. Although that's an aside.

But the good thing is at least you do have an interview - that's a really positive thing. And readvertisement definitely sounds more in your favour if they weren't able to successfully recruit before, perhaps nobody with the right knowledge so if you have that it should do you well. But as for the details you ask, not sure at all. I keep looking just in case an external vacancy comes up on an appropriate course I could teach but nothing yet :(

Hiya! I teach for the OU and am myself in my first presentation. I know there are some rules regarding new ALs, but I think this is mainly because their type of study and learning is so different to how many people may have taught previously. I would definitely agree with the advice of giving them a call - they are ever so helpful and wouldn't want you to worry! I hope this helps :)

Thanks Victoria that is reassuring - but thanks also to everyone else - I wish I had found this forum a lot earlier in my postgrad studies as it is so supportive.(up)

GreyGeek

I don't want to discourage you, but twice I was successfully interviewed by the OU, twice promised I could teach a group ( once I was even given the teaching materials to start familiarising myself with) and then both times there were "insufficient student numbers" and so I ended up with no work. ( I had successfully taught for them several year previously too, so not a new AL!)
I read that you'd already had this experience at an institution - don't be inconsolable if the same happens with the OU too.
Matilda

Oh dear Matilda - yes that would be just my luck and I am really sorry to hear about your experience which happened not once but twice! I hope you got something else to compensate as that must have been gutting. I can honestly say that my trust in HE recruitment is now very low putting your story along with mine.
But if anything it has made me determined to apply for the other centre as well and to ask the question of what the current registration numbers are - because it is a level three course it is all continuing (rather than new) students so they should be able to predict closely even though it is a brand new course.
Thanks all so much as it has really given me a lot to think about. I have done a ton of preparation for this interview and I am confident it will go well - but it just seems that even that is never enough in the current fiscal regime.
Best to you.

Hi chaps,
I have been declared 'appointable' which is the first step - as pointed out this does not guarantee that I actually get appointed as student numbers may be insufficient. Also, although they tell you whether you are 'appointable' or not, they don't tell you where you are ranked on the list with other 'appointable' persons. I won't know whether I get a group until mid-September. I asked about the other regional centre and they said to go ahead and apply for it too as it doubles my chances of actually getting allocated a group.

I won't lie though - the interview was pretty damn tough - you know the formal kind that feels really hostile and there are 'trick' questions? So it is a terrible thing to put yourself through if there is no real chance of the numbers being sufficient even if you are appointable.
I think it is a good system for them because they have talent on tap - but a rubbish system for the interviewees as you don't know until the last minute and can't plan. Even if you do get appointed there might not be the numbers the following year. They say that as the figures stand they need one tutor - but if I don't get appointed I won't know if that is because the numbers didn't transpire or whether someone is ahead of me in the list. I would rather know where I am ranked. All very frustrating.
They ARE a fantastic organisation to work for IF you can get an appointment because their staff training is second to none, but all the not knowing is miserable.
Thanks to you all and I'll keep posting.

Greygeek

Yes that "appointable" status is rather vague isn't it!?
I'll keep my fingers crossed for you.
My hope, each time, was that as Brick universities are getting fuller, and more expensive, I hope more students might take the OU option, and I get a job! They are certainly getting a younger demographic of students now since the top up fees were introduced.
Keep us posted!
Matilda

Finally, I've got an interview for teaching with the Open University. Has anybody had any experience of these sort of interviews? Greygeek said it was tough.

Can't help with your question but well done, I think I've given up even trying now.

Is the OU the holy grail of teaching then?

If so, why?

I've studied with them in the past and the ethos was very engaging, is this the pull ? or is there another one... like £.

Not the holy grail, no, but clearly there are benefits to being able to do it alongside a "normal" job - still get teaching practise, access to higher education (for those of us who don't work in academia), extra income, reduced fees for courses, all good to put on the cv as well.

But due to the massive cuts they're undergoing (whereby they no longer get funding for anyone studying for a second degree) they've pretty much slashed their use of external tutors and relying on existing staff to do courses so it's becoming really difficult to get teaching with them.