Fifty years of open education policy and practice in Australia

Abstract

This article considers selected Australian and international theories, policies, and practices of open and distance education, since ODLAA (formerly the Australian and South Pacific External Studies Association) was formed in 1973, through to the current post-pandemic period. It considers the shifting conceptualization of open education as Australian institutions responded to social and political challenges, particularly the Dawkins Reforms. Open education is discussed as a concept that emerged during the formation of the United Kingdom’s Open University and which spread with the establishment of other open universities internationally, but not in Australia. It is argued that, alongside the rise of open university education, there were important developments in distance education theory. The article reviews the work of Börje Holmberg, Michael Moore, and Otto Peters and their influence on the policies and practices of distance education. More recent scholars’ theoretical interpretations and adaptations are discussed alongside changes in Australian higher education policy and their effects on open and distance learning.