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Learning Theory and Concepts

Open learning

Instructional Design and Curriculum Frameworks

Open learning is an approach to education that removes or reduces traditional barriers to access, such as fixed entry requirements, rigid schedules, physical attendance, and cost, allowing learners to study at their own pace and from a location of their choosing. It underlies institutions such as the Open University in the United Kingdom, founded in 1969 to offer university-level distance education to adults without conventional academic qualifications, and has since informed the design of massive open online courses and other flexible online learning platforms. The approach rests on the belief that access to education should not depend on a learner's prior credentials, financial means, or geographic location. This description is adapted from Wikipedia contributors under CC BY-SA 4.0; changes were made. https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/

Facts
Partially Attested
Origin Year
1970 1
Source says the movement emerged in the 1970s, no exact year given
Core Claim
Central focus is on the needs of the learner as perceived by the learner 1
FAQs

Where did open learning come from?

It emerged as an education movement in the 1970s and draws on the work of Freinet and Montessori.

Open learning is described as a movement in education that emerged in the 1970s. As a teaching method it is founded on the work of Célestin Freinet in France and Maria Montessori in Italy, among others. Its aim is to let pupils learn in a self-determined, independent and interest-guided way. There is no agreed-upon, comprehensive definition, though the central focus is commonly placed on the needs of the learner as perceived by the learner.
Sources
1. Open learning (Wikipedia)
  • Lead section, first sentence
    Open learning is a movement in education that emerged in the 1970s and evolved into fields of practice and study.
  • Lead section, definition sentence
    While there is no agreed-upon, comprehensive definition of open learning, central focus is commonly placed on the "needs of the learner as perceived by the learner."
View the Source
Open learning (Wikipedia)
  • Lead section
    Open learning is a movement in education that emerged in the 1970s and evolved into fields of practice and study.
  • Lead paragraph, education-level
    Open learning is a movement in education that emerged in the 1970s and evolved into fields of practice and study.
View the Source
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