Post‐Fordism and distance education ‐ a flexible strategy for change

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Peter Raggatt

Peter Raggatt is Head of the Centre for Youth and Adult Studies at the Open University UK's School of Education. In this article he argues that the OU has a ‘Fordist’ course production system ‐ high volume, long runs, bureaucratically managed ‐ which is incapable of providing the means to respond to the educational and training needs of a fast moving external environment. New Technology, combined with decentralisation and flatter hierarchies are necessary in order to move towards the flexible Post‐Fordist structures which will allow the OU to compete with the increasing number of universities working in distance education modes