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The first major revolution in the realm of open learning came along with the invention of the printing press by Johannes Gutenberg in 1440. Prior to its invention, books were created by hand; this process took time, and made books prohibitively expensive. The printing press made the process easier and simpler, and books began to be produced in multiple copies that could be distributed.
Link: https://blog.ung.edu/press/the-creation-of-the-printing-press/ -
The Open University was founded in the UK in 1969. The University broke down the barriers of in-person learning that prevented many people from having access to an education. By leveraging television and telecommunications, the Open University was able to enroll students across the UK. This new learning model changed public perception of what education could be. Since 1969, over 2 million students have enrolled.
Link: https://www.newworldencyclopedia.org/entry/Open_University -
Open pedagogy was defined in 1979 by Claude Paquette as "autonomy and interdependence; freedom and responsibility; democracy and participation.” These terms stress the importance of the student as an active, independent participant in their own learning. The the concept of open pedagogy stresses that students are equal collaborators in the classroom. The term has evolved over time and has become more relevant during the digital age.
Link: https://online.umkc.edu/what-is-open-pedagogy/ -
The modern internet’s establishment in 1983 revolutionized global communication, marking the beginning of the Information Age. The Internet paved the way for countless advancements in open learning throughout the following decades, and many of the tools and resources that society can access openly would never have been possible without the internet.
Link: https://www.educationbeyondborders.org/profiles/blogs/how-internet-affected-the-modern-educational-process -
The concept of eLearning broke down the barriers surrounding the idea of a traditional classroom. The concept of a student learning online was once impossible to imagine. The idea of eLearning is instrumental when it comes to open education, as it has made education more accessible than ever before. Learning online is possible for people who may otherwise would not be able to return to school.
Link: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1877042815028542 -
The founding of Wikipedia was a leap forward for the field of open learning. Wikipedia is a collaborative space that is both authored and edited by of contributors, making it a space of open learning. Wikipedia is free to use; authors do not have to be experts to contribute. Accuracy is maintained through communal editing. Wikipedia sustains the majority of its operating costs through donations. Link: https://citeseerx.ist.psu.edu/viewdoc/download?doi=10.1.1.82.490&rep=rep1&type=pdf -
Moodle’s launch marked the first time that an LMS (Learning Management System) became available to the public in an open-source format. Moodle made it possible for anyone with a computer to download the software and start learning remotely, all while using a system that organized and tracked their progress. Furthermore, there was no requirement to be enrolled at an institution of higher education in order to gain access. Link: https://ieeexplore.ieee.org/abstract/document/4683115 -
George Siemens’ 2005 theory of connectivism was a response to the growing connected nature of humanity, brought about by the digital age. As the internet grew in popularity and more people gained access to it, humanity’s knowledge became much more collective and connected in nature. Now, individuals can access the collective knowledge of the world, just by opening their laptops. Link: https://jotamac.typepad.com/jotamacs_weblog/files/Connectivism.pdf -
The concept of Open Educational Resources (OER) was a step forward in the world of open learning. Strict copyright laws typically prevent the use and redistribution of original material. With the founding of OER Commons in 2007, a repository of legally sharable information and content became available to educators and students. Now, people can legally share their work with others if they choose, allowing people to alter and reuse content. Link: https://www.oercommons.org/about
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The very first Massive Open Online Course (MOOC) was piloted in 2008. Students at the University of Manitoba, as well as thousands of other online participants around the globe, enrolled in a course on Connectivity and Connectivism Knowledge. Companies such as Coursera, edX, and Udacity now offer millions of people the chance to further their education in an online, open setting. MOOCs have revolutionized the idea of open learning. Link: https://scholarworks.umb.edu/ciee/vol2/iss1/2/