Constellation of Open (Utah Valley)

Constellations
of Open
Dr. Robert Farrow
The Open University, UK
OPEN
EDUCATION
RESEARCH
HUB

I. Constellations of Open
II. Findings from OER Hub
III. Upcoming and Future Work

I. Constellations of Open
Forthcoming in Deimann, M. & Peters, S. (eds.) (2016). The Philosophy and
Theory of Open Education. New York: Peter Lang Publishing

History of open education
Peters and Deimann (2013) have demonstrated that the history of
openness can be understood to stretch back before the
institutionalization of education, even if the language of open was not
always used.
• Ancient knowledge transmission through apprenticeship
• Guttenberg printing press (1450s)
• Monastic tradition gave way to university institutions
• Emergence of the public sphere (Habermas, 1962) and public
university systems

By the 1960s the open education movement had
begun to coalesce around the idea of
disestablishing cultural, economic and institutional
barriers to formal education. The Open University
in the UK was founded in 1969 to widen access to
higher education by disregarding the need for prior
academic qualification, and using the
communication technologies of the time to ‘open
up’ campus education though a “teaching system
to suit an individual working in a lighthouse off the
coast of Scotland” (Daniel et al., 2008).
load.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/b/bf/Louisbourg_Lighthouse.jpg

• Industrialisation brought the rise of popular literacy and establishment
of public libraries and distance education
• In the 20th century we have seen an extension of the belief that
education is a right that can be extended to all
• It is mistaken to see this as a linear historical progression: (Peters &
Deimann, 2013:12) observe that “historical forms of openness caution
us against assuming that particular configurations will prevail, or that
social aspects should be assumed as desired by default”.

• Over the last decade – primarily in the form of Massively
Open Online Courses (MOOC) and Open Educational
Resources (OER) – the open education movement has further
expanded opportunities for education worldwide.
• Yet as opportunities for accessing educational materials
increases, so higher education (in the West, at least) has
increasingly seemed to be in a crisis of funding shortfalls,
massive student debt, and a lack of graduate employment.
This has led some to ask whether open education is the
saviour of traditional education, or the herald of its demise.

Constellation of Open (Utah Valley)

“Open approaches are featured in the mainstream
media. Millions of people are enhancing their
learning through open resources and open courses.
Put bluntly, it looks as though openness has won.
And yet you would be hard pressed to find any signs
of celebration amongst those original advocates.
They are despondent about the reinterpretation of
openness to mean ‘free’ or ‘online’ without some of
the reuse liberties they had envisaged. Concerns are
expressed about the commercial interests that are
now using openness as a marketing tool. Doubts are
raised regarding the benefits of some open models
for developing nations or learners who require
support. At this very moment of victory it seems
that the narrative around openness is being usurped
by others, and the consequences of this may not be
very open at all.” (Weller, 2014: 14)

http://bahtings.blogspot.com/2014/05/part-one-open-pedagogy-model-for-open.html

“Open Educational
Practices (OEP) are
the set of activities
and support around
the creation, use
and repurposing of
Open Educational
Resources. It also
includes the
contextual settings
within which these
practices occur.”
(Conole, 2011)

https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/c/cb/MOOC_poster_mathplourde.jpg

• Contextualist, not essentialist
• Defines itself against a status quo that restricts some activity:
open lets you do X
• Fundamentally oriented towards freedom
• But what kind of freedom?

Negative Liberty: the absence of (external)
restrictions on activity; freedom from
interference
Positive Liberty: the capacity to act on the
basis of one’s free will; implies rational
agency, autonomy, active choice
Distinction made by Fromm (1941)
and Berlin (1958)
https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/8/81/Statue_of_Liberty_from_ferry.JPG

https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/c/c1/Starburst_in_NGC_4449_%28captured_by_the_Hubble_Space_Telescope%29.jp

Frankfurt School
(Institut für Sozialforschung)
• Founded in 1923 by a group of dissident
intellectuals who rejected capitalism, fascism
and communism
• Critique of ideology; considers society in its
historical specificity
• Concerned with conditions of social change
and emancipation
• Strives to transcend classical Marxism by
drawing on wider theoretical frameworks
• Social science drawing on philosophy,
psychoanlaysis, linguistics, economics,
psychology, anthropology

• Links between educational technology &
critical theory generally underexplored
• Critical theories share an interest in the
critique of oppressive or dominant
economic and/or sociopolitical force
• Feenberg (2002) suggests critical theory
has been left out of the debate over
technology
• Critical theories of education should have
normative-utopian dimensions (Nicholls &
Allen-Brown, 1996)
• Kellner (2003) advocates radical
restructuring of educational systems
• New ways of seeing, categorizing,
mapping, connecting and relating theory
to practice (Kellner, 2003)
• Knowledge is fundamentally political and
bound up with human interest: critical
theories strive towards emancipatory
forms of knowledge (Habermas, 1971)
• Rejection of idealist, elitist and oppressive
elements of pedagogy
Openness & Critical Theory

Theodor Adorno borrowed from the cultural
critic Walter Benjamin (1928) the idea that
inaccessible truths become comprehensible
through the ‘constellation’ [Konstellation]: the
configuration of concepts, ideas, interpretations
and historical patterns which insights into the
uniqueness of the object of thought (in this case,
openness) without necessitating the claim to
have complete knowledge or understanding of
it.

https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/c/c1/Starburst_in_NGC_4449_%28captured_by_the_Hubble_Space_Telescope%29.jpg
The object of thought becomes better
understood in its particularity: “ideas are
to objects as constellations are to stars”
(Benjamin, 1985b:34).
Through critical reflection the object of
thought is ‘unlocked’ from its context: “as
a constellation, theoretical thought circles
around the concept it would like to unseal,
hoping, that it may fly open like the lock of
a well-guarded safe” (Adorno, 1973:163).

Characteristics of Constellation Method
• Always reconstructive and historical
• Begins with actually existing examples of practice
• Intimately related to how language is used
• Move beyond binary judgements (e.g. open or not?)
• Anti-essentialist: “the constellation of moments is not to be
reduced to a singular essence; what is inherent in that
constellation is not an essence.” (Adorno, 1973:104)
• Recognises historical contingency without over-simplification
or relativism
• Constellation does not prohibit possibility of other
constellations, nor future re-interpretation
• Reflective open practice

Other work relating to this strand
• Deimann, M. & Farrow, R. (2013). Rethinking OER and their
use: Open Education as Bildung. International Review of
Online and Distance Learning 14(3).
http://www.irrodl.org/index.php/irrodl/article/view/1370/25
42
• Farrow, R. (2015). Open education and critical pedagogy.
Learning, Media and Technology. DOI:
10.1080/17439884.2016.1113991
• Farrow, R. (forthcoming 2016). Framework for an open ethics.
Open Praxis

II. Open Education Research Hub
Prof. Martin Weller
Dr. Rob Farrow
Dr. Bea de los Arcos
Dr. Beck Pitt
Natalie Egglestone

• Research project 2013-2015 at The Open University (UK)
• Funded by William & Flora Hewlett Foundation
• Tasked with building the most comprehensive picture of OER impact
• Organised by eleven research hypotheses
• Collaboration model works across different educational sectors
• Global reach but with a USA focus
• Openness in practice: methods, data, dissemination
OER Research Hub
oerresearchhub.org  oerhub.net

Keyword Hypothesis
Performance OER improve student performance/satisfaction
Openness People use OER differently from other online materials
Access OER widen participation in education
Retention OER can help at-risk learners to finish their studies
Reflection OER use leads educators to reflect on their practice
Finance OER adoption brings financial benefits for students/institutions
Indicators Informal learners use a variety of indicators when selecting OER
Support Informal learners develop their own forms of study support
Transition OER support informal learners in moving to formal study
Policy OER use encourages institutions to change their policies
Assessment Informal assessments motivate learners using OER

• Research instruments applied
consistently across collaborations:
surveys, interview questions,
focus groups, etc.
• Supplemented by integration of
secondary research
• ‘Agile’ research, sprinting
• Thematic and methodological
cohesion provided by research
hypotheses
Research Process

Geographical spread of research participation

• 37.6% of educators (n=268) agree or strongly agree that OER use
increases student satisfaction
• 27.5% of educators (n=196) agree or strongly agree that OER use
improves student grades
• Impact appears to be greater for non-grade related aspects:
- 36.2% (n=254) OER improves student engagement ✓
- 36.2% (n=254) OER promotes new ways of learning ✓
- 35.2% (n=256) OER increases student interest in subject ✓
- 35% (n=249) OER leads to student self-reliance ✓

Impact on teaching practice from OER use
6%
13%
14%
14%
16%
18%
19%
21%
22%
23%
3%
5%
1%
3%
4%
2%
2%
2%
2%
2%
0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100%
I make use of a wider range of multimedia
I reflect more on the way that I teach
I have broadened my coverage of the curriculum
I now use OER study to develop my teaching
I have improved ICT skills
I more frequently compare my own teaching with others
I have a more up-to-date knowledge of my subject area
I use a broader range of teaching and learning methods
I collaborate more with colleagues
I make more use of culturally diverse resources
strongly agree– agree– neither agree nor disagree– disagree– strongly disagree–
Impact of OER use on teaching practice
(community college educators n=136)

• Responses from CA, TX, VA, FL, TN
• Most respondents were
experienced teachers with
postgraduate degrees
• A majority teach full-time and are
involved in online instruction
• Around half have adapted/used
OER but only around 25% create or
upload OER

• 55.7% (n=370) of formal students agree or strongly agree that OER
increases student satisfaction
• Formal learners reported that increased interest in subject was the
main outcome from using OER (60.1% n=398)
• Others included increased experimentation (49.4% n=398) and
gaining confidence (48.6% n=322)
• For some cohorts (e.g. Saylor Academy) more than half of learners
believed that they grew more confident, became interested in a
wider range of subjects and felt their learning experiences improved

• learning experiences improved
Textbook
access

Access to high
quality content
Community
building

8.5%
8.6%
8.7%
11.5%
11.8%
12.3%
14.3%
15.2%
15.2%
15.4%
15.5%
17.1%
0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80% 90% 100%
... increases interest in the subjects taught
... builds confidence
... allows me to better accommodate learners' needs
... increases collaboration and/or peer-support
... increases enthusiasm for future study
... increases participation in class discussions
... increases satisfaction with the learning experience
... leads to improved student grades
... increases engagement with lesson content
... develops independence and self-reliance
... leads to interest in a wider range of subjects
... Increases experimentation with ways of learning
Strongly agree Agree Neutral Disagree Strongly disagree
Perceptions of impact of OER on students

7.9%
10.8%
12.2%
18 %
23%
25.2%
25.9%
29.5%
32.4%
34.5%
37.4%
38.1%
38.8%
64.7%
69.8%
Data sets
Whole course
Interactive games
Infographics
Audio podcasts
Learning tools, instruments and plugins
Lesson plans
E-books
Tutorials
Elements of a course (e.g. a module/unit)
Open textbooks
Quizzes
Lectures
Images
Videos
Multimedia content is
around twice as popular
as other OER (including
textbooks)
Few reported using a whole
course of OER, suggesting
they cherry pick resources
as needed
Very few are using openly
available data to teach
OER Types Used

1% 2% 4% 5%
9% 11% 13%
17%
20%
26% 26%
32% 35%
43%
71%
0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
60%
70%
80%
OER Repositories Used

https://www.flickr.com/photos/amagill/3366720659
Strong evidence for savings when replacing textbooks with open versions
Evidence for other forms of cost savings is less clear

Has your institution saved money
through OER?
yes
44%
no
19%
don't know
37%
“OER resources are old-school, low-tech
modules that are not peer-reviewed or
nationally normed. There are some interesting
tentative attempts at creativity but much of
OER is cr*p.”
“Students return for
additional classes”
“They don't like losing the
revenue stream from the
bookstore”
“I know that some instructors
are only using OER which
provides substantial savings
for our students.”

Have your students saved money
through OER?
yes
62%
no
13%
don't know
25%
“Saving money is a big
incentive for students and
institutions.”
“I still use publishers'
textbooks in my classes. I
use OER as supplements to
the textbook.”
“My students tell me and
enrollment in my classes has
continually increased over
those of my peers.”
“I developed an online
textbook for the personal
health class that I teach. This
saves each of my students
approximately $100.”
“I know that some instructors
are only using OER which
provides substantial savings
for our students.”

How important is open licensing (e.g. CC)?
crucial
20%
very important
34%
somewhat important
19%
neither important nor
unimportant
22%
not at all important
5%
More than half feel that open
licensing is crucial or very important,
but far fewer actually practice it.
This could indicate either 1) that
educators are not confident about
licensing their work or 2) they feel it
is an avoidable addition to their
workload.

• Most of the respondents have used some sort of OER, though only around a quarter
create OER
• Most report positive effects on their teaching practice as a result of OER use,
particularly around peer collaboration and improved subject knowledge
• A smaller proportion (but still in excess of 40%) feel that OER use directly leads to
improved reflection on pedagogical practice
• Positive effects were also identified for learners, especially around increased self-
reliance, subject interest and experimentation
• There were similar numbers who thought OER wasn’t making much of a difference and
a core of what might be termed ‘anti-OER’ responses
Community College Educators: Summary of Results

Community College Educators: Summary of Results
• There were mixed views about whether OER was saving institutions money, but
approximately 2/3 felt that students had saved money
• Around 1/3 believe that OER is improving student attrition while around 1/2 believe it is
not having an effect
• There is a core of advocates who understand and actively promote OER; they adopt
open educational practices and believe it leads to benefits
• Only around half of OER creators have used open licensing

0% 5% 10% 15% 20% 25% 30% 35%
Under 15
15-18
19-24
25-34
35-44
45-54
55-64
65-74
Over 75
Saylor (n=2299) iTunesU (n=103) OpenLearn (n=725)
Age profiles by repository (N=3127)

iTunesU channel users were much
more likely to be younger and were
mostly male. They are often in full
time education and use OER on an
informal basis outside of their
formal studies to pursue interest in
a wide range of subjects

Saylor Academy users are more
likely to be in employment and
already in possession of a degree.
They tended to be middle aged and
primarily motivated by professiona
development.

OpenLearn users were more likely to be older, retired, and
female, and had a higher proportion of users who were
motivated mainly by personal interest (though 40% are in
full time employment).

Patterns of OER repository use (N=2460)
0%
20%
40%
60%
80%
100%
Saylor (n=1802) iTunesU (n=104) OpenLearn (n=554)

• Data about prior qualification supports idea that OER
mainly used by already educated
• Most learners use a small number of repositories and
indicate little awareness of OER as concept/method
• Very high degree of satisfaction with OER across all
repositories
• However, this doesn’t necessarily equate to
increased likelihood of formal study

Impact of OER repository on likelihood of future study
Repository More likely to study formally Less likely to study formally
Saylor
(n=1858)
19.8% 19.9%
OpenLearn
(n=583)
31.4% 13.9%
iTunesU
(n=94)
23.4% 25.5%

Summary of General Findings
• There was a high degree of satisfaction with OER across all types of
user, with a large percentage willing to access further OER and to
recommend them
• However, OER brand recognition was weak compared with other
popular resource sites, and finding appropriate OER was a major
obstacle
• Use of OER increases satisfaction and engagement with learning and is
seen as saving students money
• Users look for relevance, reputation and clear learning outcomes
when selecting OER

Summary of General Findings
• The use of OER is not confined to one or two disciplines, with all
subjects well represented, and a range of formats are accessed,
although video remains the most significant
• The greatest benefits may not be cost savings and improved
performance but recruitment and retention of students
• A similarly under-reported benefit for educators is the manner in
which OER cause them to reflect on their own practice, and to
broaden their teaching approaches

Adaptation of open resources is high (79.4%) for all roles:
This is higher than found in previous studies (e.g. Wiley,
2009) but more research is needed into adaptation
behaviours (motivations, goals, techniques, evaluation, etc.)
… can one adapt without altering?

OER Evidence Report 2014
http://oerhub.net/reports/

OER Data Report 2013-2015
http://oerhub.net/reports/

http://oerhub.net/dissemination/

III. Current and upcoming work
… including ways to get involved

Global Impact Summary
Select country to zoom
oermap.org

in service of The Open University
Flowmap changes according
to country selected…

Impact Summary (USA)
Node colour = sector
Node border = polarity

Positive Evidence
Negative Evidence
Uncategorized Evidence
OER Evidence Map

OER Policy Map
L
R
N
I
Local/Institutional policies
Regional policies
National policies
International policies
CC Open Policy Network
POERUP
SPARC

OER Projects
OER Project Map

OER Impact Map

OER Impact Map
Combines other maps
Supports filtering

Survey Data Explorer (prototype)

• Research into open education and strategies for building
worldwide open education research capacity
• Available for research & consultancy (short & long term)
• Current projects include:
Open Education Research Hub

The Opening Educational Practices in Scotland
project aims to facilitate best practice in open
education in Scotland.
• the development of a peer support network
• an online hub and awareness raising
activities
https://oepscotland.org/

Thanks for listening!
oerhub.net
oermap.org
rob.farrow@open.ac.uk
@philosopher1978

Constellation of Open (Utah Valley)

Constellation of Open (Utah Valley)

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