Open Education

By metaphorical extension, open education suggests being “open,” that is, the removal of [Page 1217]obstacles, so that the benefits of education are made available to everyone. The history of open education can be traced to the 1960s, when as an alternative to the traditional, formal system of education, English primary schools emerged in the United States, with certain informal ways of educating children. Children were allowed to move in, around, and out of the classroom at will; there was little use of bells to prescribe lesson segments; age and sex differences were abolished; and integrated learning was practiced instead of the traditional school subjects. In Britain, a similar movement termed informal education, following the principle of learning by doing, encouraged children to be self-directed and ...