This weekâs readings expanded on the concept of open learning beyond simple definitions.
From A guide to making open textbooks, the author presented the concept of open educational resources (OERâs). Previously, when I thought of open learning resources, all I pictured were online articles and journals. But these resources typically represent a larger spectrum of online content that may be considered an open educational resource. The author proposed the 5 râs, which suggest that OERâs should be reusable, retainable, redistributable, revisable, and remixable. I believe this is perhaps the best encapsulation of open learning and open learning materials. A classic example of a resource that supports this assertion is Wikipedia, this might be the biggest open learning resource in my opinion.
The reading also considered open learning from a learnerâs perspective. A tenet of open learning is the ability to learn from and contribute to the learning material. Imagine if university students, the main consumers of higher education textbooks, could suggest changes and even offer input to the textbooks they consume. You would have textbooks that edify students and also mutates to accommodate varying perspectives. EDCI 339 has also provided us an opportunity to contribute to our own learning materials. We are actively learning and contributing to the same open learning structure that the course provides by providing reflection posts.
An important creed in open learning is the concept of equity and equal access. In my opinion, this concept is remarkably difficult to achieve in non-open learning forms because by nature, they are designed to be closed. Simply making online textbooks accessible and free does not guarantee equitable access to education. Even as a student, I had not stopped to consider how privileged I am to attend a university. But I also never realized the wide-scale issues that hamper equitable access to learning like, access to affordable housing, technology, and feeding. All these issues culminate to hinder equitable access to learning.
The author suggests a collaborative outlook on course creation. Understanding the opinion of students, for whom the course is meant to serve, is critical to creating a course that reflects their struggles and successes. I find it amazing how little input students get in their degree completion. No two university journeys are the same, and there should be a way to facilitate learning equitably and fairly.
Mays, E., & DeRosa, R. (2017). A guide to making open textbooks with students. The Rebus Community for Open Textbook Creation.
claireyu August 17, 2021
Hi Samuel,
I agree with your comment on equity and equal access. Simply making things free doesnât rectify or negate the deep-rooted issues that exist in our education system. Taking this course was a reminder of my own privilege as a student who is fortunate enough to receive the type of support many others do not have. As you stated, and as we discussed together in our group project, details like worrying about how youâll pay for housing, whether or not you can afford a meal, and being able to access technology outside of campus grounds for a project, are not just little hinderances but actually significant barriers to learning. This was a great post!
madelineosgarby August 18, 2021
Hi Samuel
I enjoyed reading your topic 3 post!
I like what you said at the end about collaborative course creation with students and teachers. It only makes sense that students should have a say in the courses that they take. Ultimately, I agree with Mays who said that Open learning allows students âto contribute to the knowledge commons, not just consume from it, in meaningful and lasting waysâ (Mays, 2017).
The foundational values of open pedagogy are student âautonomy and interdependence; freedom and responsibility; democracy and participationâ (Mays, 2017). By giving students a voice and choice in the classroom, theyâre more intrinsically motivated to further their knowledge because learning becomes a part of their responsibility and they have the freedom to pursue what interests them.
I also like what you added about Wikipedia being the biggest open learning resource. I agree with this statement. One of the transformative examples of OERs from the Mays reading was to teach students to edit Wikipedia articles. According to Open Pedagogy, âBy adding new content, revising existing content, adding citations, or adding images, students can make direct contributions to one of the most popular public repositories for informationâ (Mays, 2017). I think itâs important to add that if we are using Wikipedia with young students, we need to inform them that although it is a wealth of knowledge, every internet user in the world has the potential to edit articles. This means that sometimes the information may not be accurate. Wikipedia is a good jumping-off point, but cannot be our only source for information.
Jordyn August 19, 2021
Hi Samuel, I really enjoyed reading your post this week.
I found it interesting that you related Wikipedia to OERâs as for some reason this never crossed my mind when thinking about an open learning concept. Wikipedia is an online and free resource that can be updated, recycled, and reused by anyone that has access to the internet. I think for me, Wikipedia has always been portrayed as a âbadâ resource for students, especially in higher education, because it lacks the ability to be consistent and has the potential to lead people down an inaccurate path, specifically because it is so accessible to anyone with access to some form of technology. Thinking from just an OER perspective however, I see that it is a perfect example of the 5 Râs that you mentioned.
I also really like your idea of being able to have input into the textbooks students use when learning in higher education. As every student is so unique, it would be great to think that individuals could have the opportunity to have their say in the way in which textbooks are laid out, or what content goes into them. So many companies rely on feedback from their consumers for what works and what doesnât, but it never really crossed my mind that we as university students are so removed from this process, even though these textbooks could literally make or break our educational journey.
I definitely agree that simply making textbooks free does not solve inequitable situations within the university system, but it could be a step in the right direction to allowing more people to be able to access university because of the reduce costs we would see from these materials being accessible online!
aydenweber August 19, 2021
Hi Samuel,
Iâm on the same page as you, I thought that Open Educational Resources (OER) were just articles and journals like the ones the online university library offers to us at UVic too. In high school, I remember learning about Creative Commons and the 5Râs but I never equated these two things with OERâs.
In your blog, you mention Wikipedia as an OER. In the Topic 4 reading: Sharing Resources and Practicing âOpenâ, the author mentions a university course where the professor had their students create Wikipedia pages on topics pertaining to the course as well as editing other Wikipedia pages to make them more accurate. I thought this was an interesting and creative way to utilize OERâs in a course to not only create learning for the students, but to facilitate the learning of others as well. I think itâs great that you made the connection between Wikipedia and OERâs before reading the Topic 4 resource.
You mentioned that itâs remarkably difficult to achieve equity and equal access in non-open learning environments because they are designed to be closed. Why do you think these non-open environments are designed this way? Do you think there is a way to achieve equality and equal access in non-open environments?
When I think about the reason why most learning environments are closed, I always think itâs for the safety of young students. I wonder how teachers can use Open Teaching Practices in their elementary school classrooms when they need to consider all the safety concerns connected to the internet?