Category: What OL FAQ
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What is open learning?
In open learning the learner decides what all to do and learn, creates his or her own structure and even decides how he or she wants to learn / do something. The learner reviews and reflects on a continuous basis and revises his or her plan accordingly.The whole process is supported by the family /…
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How is open learning different fom homeschooling or unschooling or free schooling?
Since the above terms are used in different ways by different people, let’s not bother about them. Rather, what is important is how much the child follows institutional (school or college given) structure as compared to how much the child / family decides and designs their own learning journey. Typically in homeschooling while the child…
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How is open learning different from other types of alternative education models like Montessori, Waldorf, Krishnamurthi, etc ?
Broadly, education models like Waldorf or Montessori, etc. follow a different process and approach towards learning, though they still follow the curriculum / subjects (at least for ages over 9 years) outlined by various educational boards. Also usually, alternate schools group children by age / class. In open learning obviously there is no given curriculum…
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What are the pros and cons of open learning vis-à-vis conventional schooling?
Pros: Learning is based on a child’s interest Space to both explore many interests as well as deep dive into one or few – at any age. Wide range of life skills as the child leads their own self, social, and learning journey including the ongoing cycle of planning, doing and reflecting. So many options…
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Is open learning for special children?
Open Learning is not for any particular kind of child or family. It is for families who think that this kind of learning journey is what they would like to do. Each child is special and unique and has different needs and wants. If the child / family chooses open learning – it is for…
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Will children not take the easy path, while away the time, become lazy or complacent etc?
This can happen not just with a child in open learning, but in conventional schooling / college as well as with us adults at any point of our life. And this is where the family plays an important role, closely reviewing, reflecting and understanding the child, and guiding with options that would work for that…
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How do children doing open learning face the ‘real world’?
In our experience, children in open learning are already in the real world – they are planning their life, finding resources from all over the world, doing real life projects and internships, travelling, meeting people from different walks of life, etc. Since nothing is pre-cooked for them, they are interacting with the real world on…
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What is the right age to start open learning? Is 4 years too young, is 14 too old?
Technically infants and toddlers are fierce and voracious open and natural learners. So younger children are naturally open learners and if left to lead themselves with ample opportunities, resources and exposure around continue this journey naturally. The older children, say teenagers, who have been in structured or school based learning may take little time to…
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Is open learning experimental? Is there any research to prove its efficacy?
Most of what we learn – during non school/college years – that is from 0 to 3 years old and then from 25 years till death – is actually open self-directed learning. Three-fourths of our life cannot be an experiment. Formal education system has been around for about two hundred years. Before that for thousands…
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Is open learning legal in India?
Let’s put it this way – open learning is not illegal in India.The Right to Education bill (RTE) directs the government to ensure that every child (less than 14 years) has the right to education and hence should be provided with a school. However, RTE is not binding and does not put any onus on…