Visualising open education

An interesting post on open education from Amber Thomas that explicitly acknowledges two key aspects: the tensions within [open is not necessarily “good” in the eyes of all] and the economics of [provision costs]. The concluding image emphasising the porous boundaries of both learning institutions and the learners’ concept of learning and how that opens spaces for new providers and, perhaps, demands new business models is an interesting starting point for discussion. What may be key to how this nascent model evolves will be the attitude of learners and whether their demand is for learning or validation – which I’ve discussed a bit previously. Although potential changes in the graduate jobs market *may* lead to a greater focus on learning over certification which would (a) be a good thing in itself and (b) potentially shake up the educational institutions in a fairly fundamental way