Updated with footnote, and with link to 2004 report by Sara Frank Bristow, on 28/4/2007
On 17/4/2007, The Scotsman reported that the Interactive University (IU), which has been held up as one of the few UK examples of apparently* successful large-scale provision of on line university-level education, and which was recruiting staff until recently, "is to close its doors at the end of next month", after "it failed to attract participation from the majority of Scottish universities and a bid for a lifeline £1.5 million from Scottish Enterprise was refused". For a detailed review of the Interactive University, written for the UKeUniversity before the latter had the plug finally pulled on it, see this 2004 report by Sara Frank Bristow, edited by Paul Bacsich [180 kB DOC].
* I say "apparently" as I am very sceptical about the approach to content development described by the IU. In my experience "ensuring that the whole content production process is completely independent of the end method of delivery" is neither a realistic nor a desirable endeavour.
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