Open Learning

Open Learning has proved a popular term, at least in the UK.

The success of the Open University, from the early sixties onwards, lead to a string of institutions, past and present, choosing a similar name:    Open Tech, Open College, Open College of the Arts, Open College Network, Open Learning Federation, Open Learning Foundation, the British Association for Open Learning, the Open Learning Centre International, and Open Learning Centres.

After all, open is a "feel-good" word.    As with open-minded or open-armed, open learning sounds as if it is going to be accessible, adaptable, welcoming and friendly.

Definitions

But like distance learning, open learning is difficult to pin down, let alone define.    Both are variants of open and distance learning, for which ODL QC does attempt a definition (qv).

Indeed, few bother to try to define open learning.    A Google search for "definition of distance learning" produced almost 500 entries worldwide;   that for "open learning" gave less than 50, and many of these simply said that there was no reliable definition.

This may be because the word is more common in a UK context than worldwide.    Or perhaps people feel they know intuitively what open learning is, and don't need to define it.

Its meaning is also circumscribed because open is almost always paired with learning.    Distance is paired with education and teaching almost as much as with learning, whilst flexible and online are often paired with delivery.

Fashions

So "open learning" is as much a matter of fashion as precise description.

In Australasia, for example, open learning has never caught on.    Instead, they talk about flexible learning, but use it to cover what would be called open learning in the UK.

Now there are new pretenders - e-Learning and blended learning, which are fast becoming the popular terms of choice.

Related Terms:

• distance learning
• flexible learning
• open and distance learning

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