What “face” can mean
The phrase “changing the face of education” invites an inventory of what looks different. This article sorts visible changes into three groups, namely classrooms, campuses and learners, and describes each in general terms. It does not give figures, since figures vary by country and source and are not reliably summarized in a few lines. A recurring caution applies: online learning in general, open education in particular, and other trends such as cost pressures and the pandemic all overlap, and it is hard to credit any one cause.
In classrooms
Devices and screens. In many schools and colleges, laptops, tablets and projected material are common where they were once rare. Teachers may display videos, simulations or shared documents. Access varies widely: some classrooms have a device per student, others none.
Materials from many sources. A lesson may draw on a textbook, a teacher’s slides, a video from an online source and a quiz from a shared question bank. Openly licensed materials are part of this mix, but typically not all of it.
Changed use of class time. Some teachers ask students to prepare with readings or videos and use class for discussion and practice, as in a flipped classroom. Others combine online and in-person sessions in blended learning. These patterns are more common in some subjects and institutions than others, and research on their benefits is mixed.
Online spaces alongside the room. Learning management systems let teachers post materials, collect work and hold discussions outside lesson time. For many students, a course now has a digital counterpart, which they may check as often as the physical classroom.
More public work. In some courses, students publish work or contribute to shared resources, which gives coursework an audience.
On campuses
Online and hybrid courses. Many colleges and universities offer courses fully online or in mixed form. Some students never visit a lecture hall; others combine both. The proportion differs enormously between institutions.
Libraries as digital hubs. Library spaces often include computer areas and support for finding and using digital and open resources. Librarians help with copyright and licensing questions.
Recorded lectures. Many campuses record lectures, allowing students to review them. This is online learning inside a traditional course, and not open education as such, though it shares the habit of material being available anytime.
Textbook choices. Some courses use free open textbooks, which can change what students carry or what the bookshop sells.
Flexible timetables. Evening, weekend and asynchronous options suit students with jobs, though they require institutional support.
Among learners
Wider age range. Online and flexible study lets more adults, including those working or caring for family, take part. Mature students form a larger share in some settings.
Learners who are not enrolled. People who study independently using free materials form a group that earlier systems barely counted. They include career changers, hobbyists and people exploring before committing to a course. How many there are is hard to know, because they often leave no record.
Geographic spread. Learners in different countries can follow the same online course. In practice, participation clusters among people with good connectivity, and in some open courses a large share of participants already hold degrees. That pattern suggests free access does not by itself draw in those with the least prior education.
Different backgrounds. For some groups, such as people with mobility limits or in remote areas, online study removes travel barriers. Others face new barriers, including devices, data costs, and a lack of quiet space.
Learner expectations. Many learners now expect materials to be searchable, mobile-friendly and available when they want them.
What has not changed
- Teachers remain central in most education.
- Assessment and certification are still mostly institution-led.
- Many classrooms are physically much as they were, with the same age grouping and timetables.
- Inequalities in resources persist, and in some respects have been highlighted by the shift online.
Attributing cause with care
A change visible on campus may be due to many things. Lecture recording is a technology choice. Online degrees are a business and policy choice. Growth in adult learners reflects demographics and economic conditions as well as flexibility. Open resources contribute through lower costs and shared content, but they are one factor. A responsible account says “linked to” and not “caused by”.
Looking at your own setting
A practical way to use this inventory is to look at your own school or college and ask: What is different from ten years ago? Which of those differences involve open materials? Who benefits, and who may be left out? That local audit will tell you more than general statements about a revolution.