Reflections on why openess matters, assignment 1 #OCL4Ed

The first sessions on the course OCL4ED is about openess and why it matters. There were just excellent videos by S Downes and D Archbishop Emeritus Desmond Tutu on the importance of freedom in education. They both clarified that openess is not just about content, but also about ideas and attitudes and most of all about a sharing culture. I really would like to stress thet everyone going towards open education in one or another direction should listen and reflect on Siemens and Tutos arguments and reflections. One reflection is for example how open is open? Is for example using open content, like OER (open educational resource)really open when you lock them in into LMS with passwords? I feel that this happens all the time at least in Higehr Education.
Tuto also taked about the freedom to share and its importnace for democracy and eveyones freedom to learn and to participate in a democratic society. And as Downes argues the very first step to take part is access, thats why openess matters.
For HE and for edcuationas such of course this is the first step. What I really think I have learned from this first sessiion in the course is that before you evenstart to talk about openess, one should listen to and discuss how openness really matters.
It was also strerssed in the first part of the course about creative commons (cc) and a very short survey was thare for us to fill in, by doing one really had to reflect what openness is and how it matters. But most of all that one has to concider what cc means is the first step and second each of us can make a difference going towards openess in education and society.

OCL4Ed2013

I am one of the facilitators of the course OCL4Ed2013 together with Wayne Mackintosh,  Tel Amiel and Rory Mc Greal.
This blog e4qualityinnovationand learning is my  regular blog, and i will share my rflections on the course OCL4ED2013 here as well. The course started the 4th Of September and will last to the 18th of September 2013.

I am a PhD and a Project Manager at the Centre for Educational Development (CED), and at the Evaluation Office at Lund University, SE. In Dec 2012 I was appointed to take the lead for Lund University to go towards open education, MOOC, OER etc. and to investigate strategic missions on e-learning for Lund University. I earned my PhD from Oulu University, FI (14/12/2012). Myr research is on international benchmarking, quality and quality enhancement on e-learning in Higher Educational Institutions.

I strongly believe and share the open education movements ideas that access to education is a fundamental human right. This course, the OCL4Ed2013 is contributing to the inevitable outcome in the future where open education will be taken for granted by all education institutions.

Unfortunatly, today many education institutions restrict access to learning by locking content behind all rights reserved copyright. In today's world where the cost of replicating digital information is near zero combined with the affordance that the cost of developing high quality courses collaboratively using open educational resources is far cheaper than doing this alone, we have unprecedented opportunities to promote the sustainability of education futures for all.

This micro Open Online Course (mOOC) on open content licensing OCL4Ed 2013 introduces the concepts of open education, copyright and Creative Commons as a contribution from the OER university collaboration and the UNESCO-COL OER Chair network in widening knowledge and capacity development in support of the global open education movement.

The course is freely available for anyone with an interest in open education with options to earn certificates of participation or formal assessment for tertiary academic credit. This course guide provides and overview of the course and assessment options available for participants.