The tasks for part 2 in the OCL4Ed June 2014 are about to:- Consider why openness matters in education
- Reflect and share the reasons why we teach
- Establish and share what we consider fair and reasonable practice with regards to sharing of teaching materials
- ...and to reflect on lessons learned
To start with talking about openness and why it matters, Iwill like to start with a citation by Lawrence Lessig...A time is marked not so much by ideas that are argued about as by ideas that are taken for granted. The character of an era hangs upon what needs no defense. | ||
—Lawrence Lessig[1]
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It is a human right for everyone to have access to education. UNESCO considers this essential to exercising the other human rights.[2] The use of Creative Commons (cc) is contributing to the inevitable outcome today and in the future where open education will be taken for granted by all education institutions.Sadly, 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.Some argues that they are for CC, but they lock the material in a Learning Management System (LMS), and without thinking that the material is not open any longer. And, also their are like 50 shades of openness. Some argues, including myself that real openness is with CC BY and BY SA.
Open Educational Resources (OER) and Massive Open Onlline Courses (MOOCs) have opened people's eyes to the future role of online learning in all educational sectors. CC, OERs and MOOCs is god enough by it selves, but they are also seen as catalysts for open up education, and they have given new blood, or new meaning and they has pushed a discussion of online learning on to the agendas even on top management, and mid management. It is also often argued that with increased openness, with CC, OERs and MOOCs quality will increase. When learners can use any course or material from anywhere, anytime with any device and learn from anyone both collaboration and competition will increase, and peer review, self-assessment develops. Institutions can improve their online courses, but Campus courses can also benefit from the open movement. Incentives and strategies for open education are discussed today in new terms, very much through the hype in 2012 with the MOOCs.
So if education shall be available for everyone, everywhere at any time, with any device and from anyone, openness must be like default. Democracy, health, wellness, human rights will thus be developed and increased.
1.http://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/quotes/l/lawrencele333208.html#fLKmIHc3SrTJPlJd.99
