This conference paper consists of a sketch of the British Open University at work as well as a brief commentary on current developments in the fields of communication technology, course design, instruction, and current trends in distance education. Provided first are statistics pertaining to current enrollment and enrollment projections, student body composition, staff size, and the extent of services provided by the University. Such issues as the relative feasibility of various audio, video, and telecommunications equipment; modification of correspondence units; and the effect of distance teaching on the nature of knowledge are covered. Described next are four new courses offered by the Open University and collaboration efforts between the Open University and outside agencies. Four trends in distance education are mentioned: the boom in distance education; the trends to apply distance teaching to a curriculum derived from the disciplines first and then move to a curriculum derived from the broad field of adult concerns; the trend in communications technology towards more individualized teaching; and the trend towards specialization in distance education. (MN)