Open Education

An organized movement is on the brink of sweeping through the world of academics. Almost everything that is known about open education and open schools comes from the early 70’s. Open education engages and encourages self-directed learning and individual growth. Open schools all share a common goal: to bring teachers and students together to discuss, investigate, explore and learn. The main purpose of open education is that children should be able to learn in unique ways at different times from all the things around them that could interest them. Traditionally, the teacher will act as the guide and will encourage the students to proceed at their own pace, be it slow or fast, and to develop independence of thoughts. The basic goal of open education is to develop in children of all ages an initiative to learn, critical thinking, and of course creativity.

Open education is based on a set of insights that are all shared by a wide range of scholars and academicians: that knowledge and education should always be free and open to use and re-use and that collaboration should be made easier and not harder.

Studies have shown that students who attend open schools view their teachers in a more positive manner and have more respect for them. The only problem with open education in the United States is that the American educators have tried to teach their students in three months what it took the British to do in thirty years. Open education is not a facility; it is a philosophy. A necessary outcome of open openness in education is the giving up of rigid curricular programs. The requirements of open education would include the open behavior of the teacher, with supportive and involved parents.

Benefits of Open Education

In conventional education, there have always been obstacles throughout the history of education. Taking this point into consideration, open education is a lot more sensitive to quality and to the propagation of knowledge to society. In this sphere, for open schools and other open institutions, the importance of ‘strategic planning’ has very recently been established and recognized as a legal foundation. Besides, open schools that have no profit concerns are also equally responsible for developing strategic guidelines.