Case for structured open learning

ANIL MAMMEN is the Mumbai-based head of learning design and social impact initiatives at Tata ClassEdge

THE world wide web (aka the internet) has enabled access to knowledge like no medium has ever done. As an entire universe of knowledge opens up, educators and educationists have no choice but to follow suit. Hitherto, organised education or academia had near total control over the dissemination of knowledge. However, the role of educators is not just dissemination of knowledge. In its broadest form, education is about inviting communities from around the world to participate in challenging established knowledge, creating new knowledge and interacting with diverse groups of learners.

Education is essentially dialogic in nature, a constant interplay between general and specialised knowledge and between researchers, practitioners and amateurs. That said, open education as we know it today, is still largely about access to quality resources, which is only the first but crucial step in reaching these resources to millions in underdeveloped parts of the world.

Currently we are witnessing further opening up of open education itself. For example, the massive open online courses (MOOCs) offered by blue-chip universities such as Stanford, MIT and the University of Edinburgh on the Coursera, EdX and Future Learn platforms are radically different from certified open courses offered by the National Institute of Open Schooling (NIOS) and Indira Gandhi National Open University (IGNOU). MOOCs allow anyone from any part of the world to register for any course free of charge. These are mostly undergraduate or short modular courses, typically in the range of six-12 weeks.

Although there’s a paid option for those interested in acquiring certification through a closely monitored process, the differentiating characteristic of MOOCs is their open invitation to anyone passionate about learning a subject — no prior qualification, age, geographical or class barriers.

But what’s so radical about structured open education if the internet has already managed to reach quality content all over the world? The answer is that a chaotic world of multiple knowledge resources is not equivalent to a syllabus/curriculum organised by subject experts and educationists, where students begin with simple lessons and move towards the complex, where information is broken into digestible chunks, with examples, stories and multimedia representations, with learners provided intervals to reflect upon what they learn.

Therefore when we sign up for structured open education programmes offered by reputed universities and education providers, as students we are afforded the opportunity to engage with proven experts and multicultural peer groups as opposed to interacting with static unverified content. Not only that, MOOCs allow us to ask questions, challenge assumptions about geographical or cultural stereotypes and provide feedback to course designers and experts on ways and means to upgrade content and curriculums. In this sense, structured open education is a great equaliser as it stands in opposition to the idea of charitable education, which reinforces the perception of free education as an act of benevolence.

The other advantage of formal open courses (which do not demand prior qualifications from learners) is that they transcend academic silos, enabling students to combine an eight-week programming course with a six-week course in poetry appreciation.

MOOCs encourage dabbling in diverse fields of knowledge — especially the humanities (philosophy, literature, history, anthropology, etc), widely dismissed as non-utilitarian. But in the national obsession with creating narrowly skilled employees for the jobs market, it’s important to bear in mind that without proper understanding of the humanities, there can’t be an engaged citizenry. It’s the values that we derive from the humanities which inspire students to participate as active citizens in a democracy and contribute to nation building.

THUS THE technology revolution which has opened up mass access to qualitative structured education has the potential to raise the critical consciousness of the populace — a vital requirement of nation building. However, there are several barriers impeding mass access to open education. The first is inadequate access to technology devices (laptops, tablets and smart phones). Secondly, there’s a lack of quality programmes in Indian languages and a discernible American and Euro-centric slant in the design of study programmes. Also, since participation in open learning is heavily dependent on self-motivation, first generation learners in particular need great encouragement from family and peer groups to sign up and stay the course. Indeed, short-duration courses might work well for first generation learners and improve completion rates.

Contemporary open learning programmes tend to be limited to providing higher education content. Isn’t it time to deliver school curriculums and vocational programmes on online portals as well? Perhaps it’s time to debate and discuss the merits and demerits of these questions. Meanwhile governments, employers and the public need to acknowledge participation in MOOCs and open learning as valid academic pursuits and provide ‘open learners’ more opportunities to become active social and economic agents.

(Anil Mammen is the Mumbai-based head of learning design and social impact initiatives at Tata ClassEdge)