“An Expression in Search of a Definition”
Nyberg (2010)
proposes “the following as a definition of ‘open education. “Open education” is
that form of educational practice which is characteristically regulated by the
following rules:”
1.
Students
are to peruse educational activities of their own choosing: students should
learn things of educational value and interest to them; not freedom to do
anything, but freedom to choose wisely what they like.
2.
Teachers
are to create environment rich n educational possibilities: the learning
environment should be suitable for learning; this should be structured by the
teacher in order to create educational possibilities for students to be
interested in.
3.
Teachers
are to give a student individualized instruction based on what he/she is
interested
in, but they are also to guide the student along educationally worthwhile
lines;
explicitly states that the teacher is to start with what the student is
interested in. in the matter of guidance, the teacher must judge with he thinks
is the interest of the student and work around it.
4.
Teachers
are to respect students. The following count as exhibiting respect for the
student:
a)
The student is granted considerable freedom; he/she is, for the most part,
autonomous:
this makes the student fully responsible of these decisions with the intention
of promoting trust and respect.
b)
Teachers are to create an environment rich in educational possibilities:
connected with the 3rd rule, where the student has the right study
in the right environment, focused on his education and educational needs.
c)
The student’s interests and ideas are considered to be important and he/she
receives
individual instruction and guidance based on his/her interests: this considers
the student’s ideas relevant for his learning and, in a sense, it sets the
teacher and the student as equals, in terms of importance.
d)
Students are rarely commanded; uses of authority are minimized: student’s
feelings must be taken seriously; student is considered a reasonable and
capable human being; dignity is at the most.
e)
Students’ feelings are to be taken seriously: to show respect, respect student´s
point of view, respect feelings instead of judging them.
David Nyberg 2010, THE
PHILOSOPHY OF OPEN EDUCATION 2010
“Advantages and Disadvantages of Distance Education”
Advantages
|
Disadvantages
|
* study at own pace, has time to submerge into theme , time arrangement to fit needs, more family time
* control of pace to a great extent, control the way
one learns
* in cases, full manageability of tasks
* open to different learning styles and strategies
* control the emphasis of what one study
* can skip past areas where one is already competent
in order to save time and energy
* makes you more autonomous and aware of the
decision-consequence process
* more materials then inside classroom , more open
to different realia and materials
* helps you with the use of technology
* it is financially less expensive
* there are more chances to find space in an open
education class
|
* human interaction
* too much free time might endanger the pace of the
whole curricular repertoire
* very isolated experience
* absence of social links
* might be a little boring
* interruptions to learning can frustrate and demotivate
* certain real life things are taken for grated
|
Howard, Ron 1995, Distance Education for Language
Teachers: A UK Perspective Multilingual Matters (Series)
“Own definition of
distance education and open education”
What is distance education?
As we understand
there is no precise definition for such term. To me, distance education could
be defined as the way an institution practices its formal education through a
separation of students that will use technological appliances and services as
their main platform for interaction. This platform is the connector between
students, teachers, and the materials needed for coursing and approving
subjects in order to obtain valid assessment.
http://youtu.be/Rb0syrgsH6M
What is open education? This concept relates to distance education, but I think
it is much wider since open education tends to be more “open” in many ways. This
concept, to me, lets the student take almost all the control over what and how
learning should be done. It lets student choose its own learning strategies,
and the access to materials and resources comes in different ways; sharing
input and output is also a crucial aspect of open education. “Openness is the
only means of doing education.” Distance learning falls into the category of
open education.
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