Resumen de Open Learning:: Philosophy or Expediency?
In the ever growing body of literature on open learning there is a clearly identifiable strand of scepticism. This questions whether the current interest in the area is founded on educational philosophy or practical expediency. The article examines the inevitability of this more closely. We argue that the assumption of a divide between philosophy and practice is not only unnecessary but ultimately untenable. We acknowledge, however, that they are frequently experienced as separate. We suggest that this reflects differing emphases given to ‘why’ questions and ‘how’ questions in relation to open learning. The former encourages ‘philosophical’ answers, the latter ‘practical’. We focus in particular on how much of the language and how much of the practice of open learning has come to convey meanings which are contrary to the philosophy of openness. We argue that what is required is the construction of a new OL vocabulary which acknowledges both the why and the how of open learning and also the desirability of idealism and realism coexisting. Finally, we suggest that strategies which start with ‘the possible’ are more likely to protect the ideals than those which start with Utopian dreams.
