Blog for week Topic 2: Open Learning – sharing and openness

In this topic we will explore the benefits and challenges of openness in education. We will look at issues around copyright and in particular the open licensing of content (Creative Commons) and how this opens up new opportunities for collaborative learning and development. Sharing and reusing OER (Open Educational Resources) and the consequent development of OEP (Open Educational Practices) will also be examined.

 

Openness as a continuum in education, education pedagogy has changed over the decades and from classroom in physical form to virtual interaction in the digital world. The transformation of has its good and bad points. Openness has enabled information and knowledge to be disseminated allowing more opportunities for the less privilege and collaboration.  Social media tools like Youtube, and facebook etc. has been used. These tool initially intended to be for social interaction are powerful, convenient ( if there are reliable internet access) and generally affordable. By virtue of its intend, it is designed to be open with some privacy settings and this has allowed social media to be able to interact for the user between personal, work and open space. Distinguishing and setting boundaries for theses spaces are essential.

The coffee house model , is an interesting one allowing for some psychological safety and taking away “hierarchical ” restrain. 

It is important to understand the copyright of material shared in OER. Creative commons is a good and fast way to enable educators to assemble learning materials , keeping it ethical and legal and making learning material more accessible. 

In the openness of education there are some “boundaries” in learning , boundaries across culture , infrastructure and as well as literacy