proach many corporations have had to adopt in an increasingly global and competitive marketplace.
Technology has not only impacted aspects of the socioeconomic infrastructure it has inherently changed them-providing new paradigms and models for operation and production. Open learning encompasses flexibility, a flexibility that technology has empowered, one that provides increased openness in both off and on-campus delivery of educational programs. Common constraints, like geography, time and space are ameliorated or even eliminated because of the flexibility and openness afforded to education through technology. Such is the case with open learning and its main mode of delivery, education technology. It is not only creating a major impact on education, it is transforming the very nature of education itself. Different technological implications have shifted old models of education to new paradigms, attitudes and outlook. We could liken the changes to those in the corporate world, where technology has created new concepts and models, like employee empowerment and just-in-time methods of manufacturing and production. One educational change is the switch from a lecture and teacher oriented approach, to one that uses the needs and demands of the learner to structure the learning environment and approach, i.e., open learning. The following table lists the new paradigms emerging in education itself as a result of technological impact. As can be seen, the new model concepts listed basically define the open learning approach to education:
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OLD MODEL NEW MODEL TECHNOLOGY IMPLICATIONS
lectures exploration Networked PCs with access to informa-
Passive absorption Apprenticeship Requires skills development and simu-
Individual work Team learning Benefits from collaborative tools and
Omniscient teacher Teacher as guide Relies on access to experts over
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