- Source: OpenLearning
- Source: Open learning
OpenLearning Limited (OLL) is an Australian Securities Exchange listed educational technology company based in Australia that offers a social online learning platform that can deliver massive open online courses (MOOCs), short courses and online degrees.
History
OpenLearning has worked with the University of New South Wales and Taylor's University to deliver the first MOOCs in Australia and Malaysia respectively.
In December 2013, OpenLearning launched a cloud based software product for companies to create private educational portals on its platform.
In September 2014, the Malaysian Ministry of Higher Education selected OpenLearning as the national Massive Open Online Course (MOOC) platform for public universities. In September 2018, OpenLearning announced that it had worked with 20 public universities, 10 private universities and 34 polytechnics in Malaysia to deliver over 800 courses to 600,000 students.
In February 2015, OpenLearning raised $1.7 million in funding led by angel investor Clive Mayhew, ASX-listed ICS Global, Robin and Susan Yandle, and Hideaki Fukutake, the director of Japanese education company Benesse Holdings.
In June 2015, the Australian Federal Government announced it would be getting its first MOOC delivered by OpenLearning.
By late 2019, OpenLearning began providing its platform to universities and colleges on a software-as-a-service model and announced that it had established partnerships University of New South Wales, the University of Melbourne, Charles Sturt University, University of Technology Sydney, the University of New England, the University of Newcastle and Macquarie University.
In October 2019, OpenLearning announced its intention to pursue a listing on the Australian Securities Exchange.
References
External links
Official website
Open learning is an innovative movement in education that emerged in the 1970s and evolved into fields of practice and study. The term refers generally to activities that either enhance learning opportunities within formal education systems or broaden learning opportunities beyond formal education systems. Open learning involves but is not limited to: classroom teaching methods, approaches to interactive learning, formats in work-related education and training, the cultures and ecologies of learning communities, and the development and use of open educational resources. 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." Case studies illustrate open learning as an innovation both within and across academic disciplines, professions, social sectors and national boundaries, and in business and industry, higher education institutions, collaborative initiatives between institutions, and schooling for young learners.
Inception
Open learning as a teaching method is founded on the work of Célestin Freinet in France and Maria Montessori in Italy, among others.
Open learning is supposed to allow pupils self-determined, independent and interest-guided learning. A prominent example is the language experience approach to teaching initial literacy (cf. Brügelmann/ Brinkmann 2011).
More recent work on open learning has been conducted by the German pedagogues Hans Brügelmann (1975; 1999), Falko Peschel (2002), Jörg Ramseger (1977) and Wulf Wallrabenstein (1991). The approach is supposed to face up to three challenges (cf. in more detail Brügelmann/ Brinkmann 2008, chap. 1):
the vast differences in experiences, interests, and competencies between children of the same age;
the constructivist nature of learning demanding active problem-solving by the learner him- and herself;
the legal requirement of student participation in decisions stipulated by the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC). of 1989.
Current uses of the term
The term "open learning" also refers to open and free sharing of educational materials.
See also
References
= Notes
=Further reading
Brügelmann, H. (1975): Open curricula—A paradox? In: Cambridge Journal of Education, Vol. 1, No. 5, Lent Term 1975, 12-20.
Brügelmann, H. (1999): From invention to convention. Children's different routes to literacy. How to teach reading and writing by construction vs. instruction. In: Nunes, T. (ed.) (1999): Learning to read: An integrated view from research and practice. Kluwer: Dordrecht et al., pp. 315–342.
Brügelmann, H./ Brinkmann, E.(2008): Öffnung des Anfangsunterrichts. Theoretische Prinzipien, unterrichtspraktische Ideen und empirische Befunde. Arbeitsgruppe Primarstufe/ Universität: Siegen (2nd ed.. 2009).
Brügelmann, H./ Brinkmann, E. (2011): Combining openness and structure in the initial literacy curriculum. A language experience approach for beginning teachers. https://web.archive.org/web/20160303224849/http://www2.agprim.uni-siegen.de/printbrue/brue.bri.language_experience.engl.111124.pdf
Giaconia, R.M./ Hedges, L.V. (1982): Identifying features of effective open education. In: Review of Educational Research, Vol. 52, 579-602.
Kent, Jeff (1987): Principles of Open Learning, Witan Books, ISBN 0-9508981-1-2.
Peschel, F. (2002a+b): Offener Unterricht – Idee – Realität - Perspektive und ein praxiserprobtes Konzept zur Diskussion. Teil I: Allgemeindidaktische Überlegungen. Teil II: Fachdidaktische Überlegungen. Schneider Verlag Hohengehren: Baltmannsweiler.
Peschel, F. (2003): Offener Unterricht - Idee, Realität, Perspektive und ein praxiserprobtes Konzept in der Evaluation. Dissertation. FB 2 der Universität: Siegen/ Schneider Hohengehren: Baltmannsweiler.
Ramseger, J. (1977): Offener Unterricht in der Erprobung. Erfahrungen mit einem didaktischen Modell. Juventa: München (3rd ed. 1992).
Rothenberg, J. (1989): The open classroom reconsidered. In: The Elementary School Journal, Vol. 90, No. 1, 69-86.
Silberman, C.E. (Ed.) (1973): The open classroom Reader. Vintage Books: New York.
Wallrabenstein, W. (1991): Offene Schule – offener Unterricht. Ratgeber für Eltern und Lehrer. Rororo-Sachbuch 8752: Reinbek.