Modes of production: Fordism and distance education

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Nick Farnes

In this paper Nick Farnes of the OU UK's Institute of Educational Technology argues that historical modes of production ‐ pre‐industrial, industrial pre‐Fordist, Fordist and post‐Fordist ‐ parallel four stages of educational development ‐ from the craft model, to mass elementary followed by mass secondary education and yet to be achieved mass higher and continuing education. Three generations of distance education can be located in the latter three of these stages. To achieve mass higher and continuing education in Britain will require further organisational changes in conventional institutions as well as the flexibility of third generation distance education