The publication of Anya Kamenetz's "DIY U: Edupunks, Edupreneurs, and the Coming Transformation of Higher Education" (Chelsea Green Publishing, 2010) caused quite a splash in the higher ed community. If, as she advocates, highly motivated students can access quality online coursework for free--if they can create their own learning paths based on…

Two teachers discuss their experiences implementing Foxfire practices in an alternative high school. One teacher was apprehensive about changing from the "traditional" approach to "student-initiated learning." The other teacher also experienced moments of doubt, but both teachers realized the benefits of the Foxfire approach…

After 18 years of using a traditional approach to teaching, a middle-school teacher turned her classroom into a shared learning experience by giving students the responsibility to make choices about their education. To reassure parents who were skeptical of the Foxfire approach, she continued to interject traditional learning activities. (LP)

Radical changes occurring in the university's environment, from reconstitution of the student body to reengineering of the technological infrastructure, will require very different institutional arrangements. Distance education will not bring enough change, and open learning ignores the strengths of the current system. Higher education must guard…

This paper describes competency-based training and open learning, two methods of teaching/learning that are having a significant effect on the education offered through Australia's Technical and Further Education (TAFE) program. The paper defines competency-based training and open learning and details the broad impact they are having on resource…

The emergence of open education at the level of graduate study, characterized by more individualized study, distance education, and increased use of technology, is changing the roles and relationship of teacher and student. It will become increasingly important to acknowledge these changed physical boundaries and adjust teaching accordingly. (MSE)

Fundamental changes that will affect American higher education during the next 20 years are discussed with specific reference to residential colleges. It is suggested that many traditional residential colleges will have difficulty meeting the challenges of a changing society and will be forced to close their doors. The development and adoption of…

This paper discusses policy regarding learning in later life in the United Kingdom. The following are among the topics discussed in chapters 1-12: (1) the importance of lifelong learning; (2) the importance of learning to older people; (3) opportunities for lifelong learning in the United Kingdom; (4) the United Kingdom's aging population; (5)…