Open Education: A Study in Disruption

What for decades could only be dreamt of is now almost within reach: the widespread provision of free online education, regardless of a geographic location, financial status, or ability to access conventional institutions of learning. But does open education really offer the openness, democracy and cost-effectiveness its supporters promise? Or will it lead to a two-tier system, where those who can’t afford to attend a traditional university will have to make do with online, second-rate alternatives? Open Education engages critically with the creative disruption of the university through free online education. It puts into political context not just the Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCS) but also TED Talks, Wikiversity along with self-organised ‘pirate’ libraries and ‘free universities’ associated with the anti-austerity protests and the global Occupy movement. Questioning many of the ideas open education projects take for granted, including Creative Commons, it proposes a radically different model for the university and education in the twenty-first century.Additional ISBNs1783482095, 9781783482092Open Education: A Study in Disruption 1st Edition is written by Pauline van Mourik Broekman; Gary Hall; Ted Byfield; Shaun Hides; Simon Worthington and published by Rowman & Littlefield Publishers. ISBNs for Open Education are 9781783482108, 1783482109 and the print ISBNs are 9781783482085, 1783482087. Additional ISBNs include 1783482095, 9781783482092.