Abstract
Recent publications have concluded that the Open University is both more cost-effective and more “open” than conventional universities. In this paper the evidence for these claims is critically examined, and it is concluded that neither claim has been substantiated. An alternative technique, cost-effectiveness analysis, is proposed as a more appropriate way of evaluating the Open University. A rudimentary application of the technique to the cost structure of the OU indicates that there is a prima facie case for believing that its application would result in a substantial reduction in the Open University's costs.
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I am grateful to Mark Blaug, Gareth Williams and Ellie Mace for comments on an earlier draft of this paper.
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Mace, J. Mythology in the making: Is the Open University really cost-effective?. High Educ 7, 295–309 (1978). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00139528
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00139528