Open Learning – Sharing and Openness
As educators, we are often encouraged to extend openness in our work, not just through our research but also in our teaching. The idea of making course materials available as open educational resources (OER) can feel liberating. However, it can also be daunting. There are valid concerns about the quality of the materials, the possibility of misuse, and the challenge of integrating OER effectively into a course. In this post, I reflect on how to navigate the tension between embracing open learning and maintaining control over the educational content we create.
Open learning, through OER, is a powerful tool for fostering inclusive and equitable education. It eliminates barriers like cost, enabling students to access learning materials anywhere and anytime. Open learning also encourages a more flexible and collaborative approach to education, where materials can be adapted to meet diverse learning needs. However, this openness raises questions about quality assurance. How can we ensure that the OER we share meets high pedagogical standards? And how can we use learning analytics to track how students engage with these resources to improve them over time?
The Creative Commons (CC) licenses offer a solution to this dilemma. These licenses allow creators to retain some control over their work while making it accessible to others. They provide various levels of permission, from allowing others to modify content to requiring attribution. This flexibility helps protect the integrity of our work while supporting its broader use and adaptation. For example, knowing how to choose the right CC license can help us define how our resources can be shared and altered, which is crucial in balancing openness with control.
As I consider these questions, I’m also reminded of the broader collaborative community that OER fosters. By participating in the OER movement, we not only make our own materials available, but we also contribute to a shared educational ecosystem. Resources can be repurposed and adapted by others, expanding their impact across diverse learning contexts. This collaborative nature enriches the learning experience for everyone involved.
However, despite these benefits, the integration of OER into my own courses requires careful planning. It’s not just about making resources available—it’s about ensuring they enhance student learning. I must be mindful of how to present these materials, how to integrate them with other learning activities, and how to gather feedback to ensure they are effective.
Ultimately, embracing open learning is about striking a balance between openness and control, quality and flexibility. As we continue to explore OER, it’s important to reflect on how we can use these resources to create a more inclusive, engaging, and effective learning environment.
References
• Creative Commons. (n.d.). About CC Licenses. Retrieved from https://creativecommons.org/share-your-work/cclicenses/
• OER Open Licensing of Educational Content. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://unevoc.unesco.org/home/Open+Licensing+of+Educational+Resources
