Open Educational Practices Research Articles

Conceptual Review of Creative Commons - A Roadmap towards Open Educational Practices

This paper examines the potential of Creative Commons (CC) for the wider creation and diffusion of creative work and open educational resources (OER). Through a conceptual review approach, 'innovation' and 'issues' about the use of CC licenses are explored. CC is a viable option for creators to showcase innovative and creative work, and publish and distribute contextual OER on diverse subject matter. It accelerates collaboration and participation in a community of practice (CoP). However, readiness to share work under CC licenses is crucial for wider open educational practice (OEP). Despite its support towards affordances for education, it is not yet

A multidimensional and analytical perspective on Open Educational Practices in the 21st century

Participatory approaches to teaching and learning are experiencing a new lease on life in the 21st century as a result of the rapid technology development. Knowledge, practices, and tools can be shared across spatial and temporal boundaries in higher education by means of Open Educational Resources, Massive Open Online Courses, and open-source technologies. In this context, the Open Education Movement calls for new didactic approaches that encourage greater learner participation in formal higher education. Based on a representative literature review and focus group research, in this study an analytical framework was developed that enables researchers and practitioners to assess the form of participation in formal, collaborative teaching and learning practices. The analytical framework is focused on the micro-level of higher education, in particular on the interaction between students and lecturers when organizing the curriculum. For this purpose, the research reflects anew on the concept of participation, taking into account existing stage models for participation in the educational context. These are then brought together with the dimensions of teaching and learning processes, such as methods, objectives and content, etc. This paper aims to make a valuable contribution to the opening up of learning and teaching, and expands the discourse around possibilities for interpreting Open Educational Practices.

Doing Open Science in a Research-Based Seminar: Students’ Positioning Towards Openness in Higher Education

This study investigates undergraduate students’ attitudes towards and experiences with open education practices (OEP) in a research-based linguistics seminar. Data was collected through written assignments in which two groups of students in subsequent terms were surveyed on their willingness to publish (a) academic posters in open access (OA); (b) teaching concepts as open educational resources (OER); and (c) personal reflections on the research process in OA. Through qualitative data analysis, we examine students’ apprehensions and motivations to publish their artifacts. We find that key motivators are a sense of belonging, personal reward, and an active contribution to a culture of collaboration, whereas apprehensions are grounded in concerns about the quality of their work, uncertainties about licensing, and fear of vulnerability through visibility. We show that open science practices and OEP can be combined synergistically in process-oriented, research-based, and collaborative seminar concepts, and we formulate recommendations for lecturers on how to successfully address OEP in the classroom.

Investigating Characteristics of Learning Environments During the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Systematic Review

Dramatic change in learning environments during the COVID-19 pandemic highlighted the significance of virtual learning and led to more interactive learning environments. Quick adoption of online and social interactive learning in many universities around the world raised challenges and emphasized the importance of investigating different learning environments. This paper investigates the accelerated transition in education from traditional learning environments through online learning environments to social innovative learning environments, and the latest trends of this change. The stages of transition were divided into three parts: before, during, and after the COVID-19 pandemic, which was the reason for this accelerated change. Features and characteristics of each stage of transition were analyzed and discussed, based on the following factors: edu-space and classrooms, the learning and teaching process, curricular choices, information and communication technology applications, students’ and educators’ perceptions, edu-approaches, and knowledge transformation. A systematic review approach was used to investigate learning environments based on the literature reviews of previous publications. Analysis of these features revealed the main characteristics and differences in each stage. New trends in online learning environments and social innovative learning environments were identified including cloud platforms, massive open online courses, digital learning management systems, open educational resources, open educational practices, m-learning, and social network applications. Finally, this study makes two recommendations: 1) the adoption of online learning environments and social innovative learning environment applications to continue the e-learning process during the pandemic, and 2) the enhanced usage of online learning environments and social innovative learning environment applications in the future by educational institutions and governments.

Designing for resistance: epistemic justice, learning design, and open educational practices

PurposeTo encourage more just open educational practices, the purpose of this paper is to describe Jose Medina’s theory of epistemic justice and develop a framework applying this conception of epistemic justice to OEP through learning design. The authors hope this framework will help researchers and practitioners develop more equitable learning experiences in open educational contexts.Design/methodology/approachThis paper is conceptual and design-oriented. This paper seeks to draw relationships between José Medina’s work in The Epistemology of Resistance, recent empirical studies in learning design and OEP. By analyzing relationships between these works, this paper lays out design principles that can empower educators seeking to create equitable open learning experiences.FindingsThis paper finds several generative intersections between the social justice centered epistemology presented by Medina, empirical learning design studies and OEP. This study finds that structured learning designs which integrate well-researched principles may provide guidance for further practice and research in ways not generally discussed in open education literature. This paper builds on these findings by describing practical ways these intersections can be implemented in OEP.Originality/valueTo the best of the authors’ knowledge, this is the first theoretical analysis of the relationship between epistemic justice and OEP.

Analysis of open education in Latin America in the framework of UNESCO's new recommendations

Open education presents options to support digital competences, especially in times of international recommendations and complex environments. In November 2019 UNESCO issued new recommendations to mobilize open education, around that time signs of pandemic 2019 also appeared. This article looks at the context of Latin America to analyze its open education practices in this framework, in order to locate challenges and opportunities linked to global recommendations and the link with teacher training. The method of systematic literature review (SLR) has been used, based on the identification of 253 articles on the subject of open education, in the indexing systems: Web of Science (WOS) and Scopus, from 2014 to 2019. From this base, the 15 publications of authors from Latin America were identified that constituted the basis of analysis for this SLR. Inclusion, exclusion and quality criteria were applied to obtain the most relevant information. The results show the geographical distribution of authors, the type of methodology used, practices, dimensions, cross-cutting areas, challenges and opportunities linked to recommendations. This document provides value in light of new UNESCO recommendations and pandemic times, for training environments, the location of educational innovations, and the impetus for future education and research.

Revisiting Education: On the Role of Imagination, Intuition, and Other “Gifts” for Open Scholars

The knowledge society is not a final state; rather, it is a collective task that we all must work towards. This reflective report, conducted in a Scholarship of Teaching and Learning approach by a scholar who teaches research methods and has been reflecting on research method education for a number of years, is a contribution to this endeavor. Its purpose is to share praxis, in the Freiran sense, on Open Education and Open Science as public good and commons through a specific example of Open Educational Practice (OEP). The report’s first finding involves documenting that OEP and providing some conceptual tools and suggestions for scholars who would like to move towards Openness. Its second finding, rooted in a previous SNSF research project, focuses on epistemology to raise awareness on the importance of philosophical and historical approaches to education. Without this knowledge, scholars find themselves closed in models that they replicate without consciously considering the values and methods they convey. The report’s third finding is a model of the knowledge creation process that considers knowledge as commons and incorporates a theoretical framework of absences and emergences that encompasses ignorance, inspiration, imagination, creativity, and intuition. Einstein called these faculties “gifts,” and we argue that scholars should learn to leverage them within an overall open framework.

Catch the Open! A Gamified Interactive Immersion Into Open Educational Practices for Higher Education Educators.

Open Education (OE) opens up learning opportunities to, potentially, every person in the world. Additionally, it allows teachers, researchers, and practitioners to find, share, reuse, and improve existing resources under a dependable legal framework. Aiming to spread and foster the introduction of open policies in Higher Education (HE) institutions, the gamified interactive learning experience Catch the Open! was developed. Catch the Open! targets HE educators who wish to learn, or who wish to deepen their existing knowledge, about OE and Open Educational Practices (OEP). Within the gamified learning experience, the user becomes an educator, Alex, the game character, who receives a task from the Rector: to investigate how to best include OE and OEP in teaching and learning practice within the institution. Alex proceeds to explore and gather information in a web-based 2D virtual HE institution where students, colleagues, and guest researchers will help her to develop a comprehensive understanding of OE and the practical application of OEP. The educational content within Catch the Open! is underpinned by an OE competences framework for HE educators, developed in a previous phase of the Erasmus+ OpenGame project. In this paper, the design process to link pedagogical and technological approaches, which results in the Catch the Open! gamified web-based interactive application, is presented as well as the application itself. Moreover, two phases of piloting with 153 HE educators from six different HE institutions are presented. The obtained findings showed that the gamified environment helped in learning about OE. On the other hand, learners also suggested several improvement aspects of the gamified environment, such as the length of finishing a learning mission while playing.

Openness in Occupational Hygiene Professional Development

Continuing professional development is a foundational aspect of professionalism in health-related disciplines. For board-certified industrial/occupational hygiene (IH/OH) professionals, professional development is mandated as part of the code of ethics for practice. However, board certification in IH/OH and occupational health and safety is not required for professional practice in many countries, including the United States. This qualitative study involved a hermeneutic phenomenological approach to the lived experiences of IH/OH professionals who engage in professional development in the United States. This study was conducted to better understand the role of openness in IH/OH professional development, including the use of open educational resources (OERs) and open educational practices (OEPs) and the level of learning desired by IH/OH professionals who complete continuing professional development. Participants (n=11) were IH/OH professionals who engage in professional development and live and work in the United States. A 10-question semi-structured interview was conducted via Zoom regarding IH/OH experiences with professional development. A thematic analysis of interview transcript data was performed. The results provide insights about openness in the IH/OH professional community and how OERs and OEPs might be used for professional development. Findings revealed that IH/OH professionals may be reluctant to embrace the concept of openness, due to the potential financial impact on professional organizations, and indicated that the IH/OH community may not be ready for a public open scholar at this time. The aspect or level of learning desired by IH/OH professionals was also heavily linked to the career stage of the individual. There is a need for research to further explore the continuing professional development needs of early career and mid-career IH/OH professionals. This study provides opportunities for further study about openness in professional development for general occupational health and safety professionals, although this population is difficult to define or set parameters for.

College student engagement in OER design projects: Impacts on attitudes, motivation, and learning

Open educational resources (OER), which are teaching, learning, and research materials that are openly licensed, are growing in popularity in higher education. Previous studies have focused on faculty and student perceptions and use of OER. In this study, we examined how actively engaging students as curators and designers of OERs through project-based learning as part of an open educational practice shaped students’ attitudes, motivation, and learning. This paper presents post-course survey data collected from 69 undergraduate and graduate students from six different courses that featured OER design projects, including: (1) A digital media online course; (2) Online tools for teaching and learning website; (3) History/social studies wiki pages; (4) Campus resources film project; (5) Professional learning networks for educators online course; and (6) Teaching with technology eBook. Findings indicate that shifting students’ roles from consumers to curators and creators of OERs increased motivation, improved attitudes about learning, aided the achievement of course learning objectives, and supported the development of valuable skills for 21st century success.

Responding to the Initial Challenge of the COVID-19 Pandemic: Analysis of International Responses and Impact in School and Higher Education

This paper presents and analyses solutions where open education and open science were utilised to reduce the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on education. The COVID-19 outbreak and associated lockdowns created huge challenges in school and higher education, demanding sudden responses which aimed to sustain pedagogical quality. Responses have varied from conservative to radically innovative. Universally, the COVID-19 pandemic disrupted and shocked societies worldwide, and education systems were on the front line. The lockdowns largely stopped face-to-face and formal education in almost all countries, and in most cases, distance learning soon became the ‘new normal’. A central challenge concerned sustaining educational visions and ideals in such circumstances. To better understand the state of the art in the educational landscape, we collected case studies from 13 countries during the first year of the pandemic starting on 11 March 2020 (when the World Health Organization declared a pandemic). This paper presents summaries of the full country reports that were collected and describe lessons learned. Our overall aim was to identify good practices and recommendations from the collected case studies that can be taken forward in the future. We categorised the responses on the three generic educational levels (macro, meso and micro) and identified seven key aspects and trends that are valid for all or most countries: (1) formal education at a distance for first time; (2) similar approaches for formal education; (3) missing infrastructure and sharing open educational resources; (4) diverse teaching and learning methods and practices; (5) open education and access to open educational resources; (6) urgent need for professional development and training for teachers and (7) assessing and monitoring learning environments, teachers and students. Finally, we identified key recommendations on how open education and open science can benefit formal education in schools and universities in the future, namely, improved awareness of open educational practices, provision of ICT infrastructure, embracing and sustaining the practice of open access publications and OERs, capacity building for stakeholders and finally encouraging research and development in the area of open education and open science. We found significant evidence for the proposition that open education and open science can support both traditional face-to-face and distance learning.

Are we there yet? A systematic literature review of Open Educational Resources in Africa: A combined content and bibliometric analysis.

Although several studies have been conducted to summarize the progress of open educational resources (OER) in specific regions, only a limited number of studies summarize OER in Africa. Therefore, this paper presents a systematic literature review to explore trends, themes, and patterns in this emerging area of study, using content and bibliometric analysis. Findings indicated three major strands of OER research in Africa: (1) OER adoption is only limited to specific African countries, calling for more research and collaboration between African countries in this field to ensure educational equity; (2) most of the OER initiatives in Africa have focused on the creation process and neglected other important perspectives, such as dissemination and open educational practices (OEP) using OER; and (3) on top of the typical challenges for OER adoption (e.g., infrastructure), other personal challenges were identified within the African context, including culture, language, and personality. The findings of this study suggest that more initiatives and cross-collaborations with African and non-African countries in the field of OER are needed to facilitate OER adoption in the region. Additionally, it is suggested that researchers and practitioners should consider individual differences, such as language, personality and culture, when promoting and designing OER for different African countries. Finally, the findings can promote social justice by providing insights and future research paths that different stakeholders (e.g., policy makers, educators, practitioners, etc.) should focus on to promote OER in Africa.

Open thinking as a learning outcome of open education: scale development and validation

The aim of this study was to develop and validate a multidimensional open thinking scale (OTS) in order to measure adult learners’ open thinking as a key learning outcome of open educational practices (OEP) through a three-phase process of item generation, theoretical analysis, and psychometric analysis. Exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses of data from 610 students in 24 countries revealed a clear structure consisting of six constructs of open thinking: openness to multiple perspectives, openness to new learning, openness to collaboration, openness to sharing, openness to change, and openness to diversity and inclusion. Known-groups validity tests showed that the more frequently a learner is exposed to OEP, the higher the OTS scores obtained. Results suggest that OTS could contribute to OEP and research by defining and elaborating on the concept of open thinking, exploring its relationship to learners’ OEP experiences, and measuring and developing students’ open thinking.

Wikipedia as Open Educational Practice: Experiential Learning, Critical Information Literacy, and Social Justice

Building on previous research related to information literacy and learning with Wikipedia, this article interprets Wikipedia editing practices as fulfilling the Association of College and Research Libraries’ (ACRL) Framework for Information Literacy in Higher Education to better understand Wikipedia pedagogy as an Open Educational Practice (OEP) that promotes critical information literacy and social justice. Drawing primarily on data from a large-scale study conducted with students and instructors engaged in Wikipedia-based assignments in the fall of 2016, the authors explore how Wikipedia-based pedagogies directly map on to knowledge practices and dispositions related to authority, information value and process, research, and scholarship as conversation, as presented in the ACRL’s Framework. Description and analysis of these “frames,” and the relevant policies and pedagogical practices engaged in Wikipedia-based assignments, ultimately underscore how viewing Wikipedia as enabling OEPs promotes social justice through improving knowledge equity, understanding and combating systemic biases, and supporting first-generation students’ success.

Crowd-based Open Online Education as an alternative to the Covid-19 educational crisis

Abstract The suspension of face-to-face classes in universities and schools derived from the current health crisis related to Covid-19 has prompted a process of migration of academic activities to virtual environments. This has revealed a general lack of understanding in both the family and academic environments regarding the relationship between distance and virtual Education, generating tensions between families and educational institutions. This article presents some theoretical insights about Open Educational Practices (OEP) from an emerging perspective by revising their connections with Distance Education and E-learning. The current international discussion on OEP is mainly focused on technological integration and expanding free access to knowledge, while today’s inter-connected world requires more flexibility, sharing, collaborative feedback and autonomy in learning. A fresh perspective on Open Educational Practices based on the participation of students in crowd-based collaborative learning communities is proposed as an alternative to face in-house confinement context challenges.

Institutional Measures for Supporting OER in Higher Education: An International Case-Based Study

Abstract Open Educational Resources (OER) in higher education cannot be put into practice without considering institutional contexts, which differ not only globally but also within the same country. Each institutional context provides educators with opportunities or limitations where Open Educational Practices (OEP) and OER for teaching and learning are involved. As part of a broader research project, and as a follow-up to national perspectives, an international comparison was conducted, based on institutional cases of nine different higher education systems (Australia, Canada, China, Germany, Japan, South Africa, South Korea, Spain, Turkey). Aspects regarding the availability of infrastructure and institutional policies for OER, as well as the existence of measures directed at OER quality assurance and at the promotion of the development and use of OER were covered. The resulting theoretical contribution sheds light on an international comparative view of OER and points towards country-specific trends, as well as differences among institutions. These aspects could provide an impetus for the development of institutional guidelines and measures. In line with international literature on the topic, recommendations are derived to promote/ enhance the use of OER in teaching and learning in higher education at the institutional level.

Open Pedagogy

Open pedagogy is a set of teaching practices built on the foundation of the open education community’s shared values, including but not limited to student agency, sharing, diversity and inclusion, peer learning, renewable assignments, co-creation/collaboration, and active/experiential learning. Though there is a lack of consensus around the definition of open pedagogy, it most often refers to student involvement in the development of course content in the form of renewable assignments or the creation or adaptation of open educational resources (OER). The practice of open pedagogy may result in or overlap with OER-enabled pedagogy and open educational practices.

Self-directed Science Learning During COVID-19 and Beyond

Prompted by the sudden shift to remote instruction in March 2020 brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic, teachers explored online resources to support their students learning from home. We report on how twelve teachers identified and creatively leveraged open educational resources (OERs) and practices to facilitate self-directed science learning. Based on interviews and logged data, we illustrate how teachers’ use of OER starkly differed from the typical uses of technology for transmitting information or increasing productivity. These experiences provide insights into ways teachers and professional developers can take advantage of OER to promote self-directed learning when in-person instruction resumes.

Opening Doors to Open Digital Practice for Educators: The Open Page Project

This paper outlines the design and purpose of an open educational resource (OER) project focused on developing digital literacies and open educational practice (OEP) within a Canadian Faculty of Education. Called The Open Page, the project features a Tool Parade of videos and podcasts created with and by Bachelor of Education (B.Ed.) students). Designed to enable students to build critical and participatory digital literacies with common classroom tools, and to encourage the development of OEP, the project assesses classroom uses of specific educational technology platforms. It also engaged student creators in analysis of various platforms' implications for student data and for differentiated learning. Featured on the University of Windsor Faculty of Education's website, The Open Page and its Tool Parade of OER offer professional development resources for faculty and practicing teachers and contributes to a common conversation about digital learning between educators at all levels. This paper will overview The Open Page and its creation, and the ways in which it represents an effort to focus pre-service teachers on the participatory and production capacities of the web for digital learning.

Opening the Online Homework System: Toward Cooperation and Collaboration

One of the core tensions in open educational practice in current mathematics and physical science coursework is the use of online homework systems. Many such tools are from commercial providers and have profit to that provider as a motive. Open resources are pursued by those who, for reasons of cost or of pedagogy, seek to resist the tools of commercial providers. This pursuit is frequently made outside of the context of discussions of open educational practices; indeed, the first author of this presentation describes one such effort that started before he was even aware of open education as a discipline. It is important to ask how those faculty, particularly in the mathematics and physical science disciplines at non-elite institutions, assign homework in ways that encourage practice and skill-building, and more broadly, how such content can be shared more robustly and completely among faculty at different institutions.