Fostering open educational practices: communities or networks?

Abstract

This chapter first reviews the history, nature and development of open education practices as exemplified by open universities, open educational resources and MOOCs and then exemplifies these through the case study of the Open University. It next explains the changing nature of open educational practices within the Open University as well as the degree of influence that the Open University’s own involvement in open educational practices has had on the practices of other higher education organizations, both nationally and internationally, and the individuals working within them. The chapter then compares and contrasts these developments using the major concepts that lie behind the theories of communities of practice and networks of practice, including notions of open innovation. In particular it looks at whether any of the changes that have occurred are driven more by shared values (doing the right thing) or more by self-interest (doing things better). It finishes by reflecting on how leadership is, or is not, instantiated in such communities or networks of practice.