This document discusses the concept of "Bildung" and its relevance to open education. Bildung refers to a process of self-cultivation and shaping oneself. Historically, it involved developing one's rational capacities through interaction with the world. The open education movement aims to improve access to education and encourage collaboration. However, open education lacks a strong theoretical foundation. The document argues that Bildung provides a philosophical basis for open education by emphasizing reflection, autonomy, and informal learning. It suggests open educational resources and practices could support Bildung by providing opportunities for self-realization and interacting within an "ecology of ideas".
Traditional learning theories do not provide adequate explanations to derive such competencies as they are limited on closed learning environments. By contrast, theories of Bildung entail an additional dimension which can be regarded as the “ability to go beyond the present state of affairs and to transform the structures and prevailing rules of this form of life” (Peukert, 2003: 106). Our aim is to explore the extent to which Bildung can provide open education with a theoretical framework, and, conversely, the ways in which open education promotes a more holistic or progressive model of education. Our focus here will not be exclusive-ly on OER: it will be stressed that ‘openness’ in education necessarily shifts the focus from content (OER) to practices (OEP) that are necessary for the use of that content (Mackey & Jacobson, 2011, p. 62; cf. Weller, 2011).
We argue (1) that there are significant potentials to elicit or encourage Bildung through the use of OER, such as throughproviding open access to a rich base of materials from various cultural contexts. In this process of engaging with multiple and complex resources it can be assumed that a transformation of the way in which the individual is approaching learning is likely to happen. The reflections of these experiences are education-al and a key factor for the theoretical underpinning of OER. We go on to suggest (2) that the beliefs and val-ues associated with Bildung – including autonomy, critical reflection, inclusivity and the rejection of univer-sal narratives – are suitable for providing a theoretical framework for OER as well as providing a critical lens through which to assess contemporary educational models in practice (e.g. Liessman, 2006).
Openness has been identified with many innovations in education and educational technology, but remains under-theorised. This presentation will argue that openness is best understood as a kind of absence of restriction or impediment. With a clear connection to issues of freedom, integrity and autonomy openness introduces several layers of complexity to the ethics of teaching and learning. These will be described and explored through case studies, with practical approaches to dealing with the risks of openness outlined.
If you want a teaser for the presentation, please watch this short video where Robert talks about openness and ethics:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wZHNSdUzDHc
Openness in Education: Technology, Pedagogy, CritiqueRobert Farrow
In this presentation I assess the state of the art in educational technology, focusing on approaches which identify as ‘open’. The kind of technological interventions in education
typical of the last fifty years have often been centrally led and imposed, and thus representative of the encroachment of system imperatives into educational lifeworlds. However, recent technologies present new possibilities for a less linear and more lateral approach to education. While optimism about the pedagogical potential of new technologies must of course be tempered by remaining attentive to the dubious strategies and ideologies being employed by education policymakers. I focus on the case of open education to show how technological change is bringing about opportunities both for new and inclusive pedagogies, and for social critique. I appeal to Dewey, Freire and Illich to indicate some of the ways in which a radically democratic pedagogy rooted in information and communication technologies might stand as a bulwark to neo-liberal interventions in education, concluding with the suggestion that critical theorists should consider significant engagement with the design of learning system and communication technologies.
Presentation at the workshop on Decolonisation of the curriculum, arranged by Ad hoc Senate task team on the decolonisation of knowledge. On 24 May 2016 at APK UJ
Traditional learning theories do not provide adequate explanations to derive such competencies as they are limited on closed learning environments. By contrast, theories of Bildung entail an additional dimension which can be regarded as the “ability to go beyond the present state of affairs and to transform the structures and prevailing rules of this form of life” (Peukert, 2003: 106). Our aim is to explore the extent to which Bildung can provide open education with a theoretical framework, and, conversely, the ways in which open education promotes a more holistic or progressive model of education. Our focus here will not be exclusive-ly on OER: it will be stressed that ‘openness’ in education necessarily shifts the focus from content (OER) to practices (OEP) that are necessary for the use of that content (Mackey & Jacobson, 2011, p. 62; cf. Weller, 2011).
We argue (1) that there are significant potentials to elicit or encourage Bildung through the use of OER, such as throughproviding open access to a rich base of materials from various cultural contexts. In this process of engaging with multiple and complex resources it can be assumed that a transformation of the way in which the individual is approaching learning is likely to happen. The reflections of these experiences are education-al and a key factor for the theoretical underpinning of OER. We go on to suggest (2) that the beliefs and val-ues associated with Bildung – including autonomy, critical reflection, inclusivity and the rejection of univer-sal narratives – are suitable for providing a theoretical framework for OER as well as providing a critical lens through which to assess contemporary educational models in practice (e.g. Liessman, 2006).
Openness has been identified with many innovations in education and educational technology, but remains under-theorised. This presentation will argue that openness is best understood as a kind of absence of restriction or impediment. With a clear connection to issues of freedom, integrity and autonomy openness introduces several layers of complexity to the ethics of teaching and learning. These will be described and explored through case studies, with practical approaches to dealing with the risks of openness outlined.
If you want a teaser for the presentation, please watch this short video where Robert talks about openness and ethics:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wZHNSdUzDHc
Openness in Education: Technology, Pedagogy, CritiqueRobert Farrow
In this presentation I assess the state of the art in educational technology, focusing on approaches which identify as ‘open’. The kind of technological interventions in education
typical of the last fifty years have often been centrally led and imposed, and thus representative of the encroachment of system imperatives into educational lifeworlds. However, recent technologies present new possibilities for a less linear and more lateral approach to education. While optimism about the pedagogical potential of new technologies must of course be tempered by remaining attentive to the dubious strategies and ideologies being employed by education policymakers. I focus on the case of open education to show how technological change is bringing about opportunities both for new and inclusive pedagogies, and for social critique. I appeal to Dewey, Freire and Illich to indicate some of the ways in which a radically democratic pedagogy rooted in information and communication technologies might stand as a bulwark to neo-liberal interventions in education, concluding with the suggestion that critical theorists should consider significant engagement with the design of learning system and communication technologies.
Presentation at the workshop on Decolonisation of the curriculum, arranged by Ad hoc Senate task team on the decolonisation of knowledge. On 24 May 2016 at APK UJ
Jeremy Morse - nasig lightning talk model digital preservation policyCLOCKSS
As Director of Publishing Technology, I manage a team of programmers in developing and supporting the software that enables the Library's publishing efforts, which include the University of Michigan Press and Michigan Publishing Services. I manage the development of the Fulcrum publishing platform and serve on the Digital Repository Services Steering Committee and Digital Preservation Steering Committee. Digital preservation and sustainability is at the center of all of my work, as I strive for everything we publish to endure as part of the scholarly record.
Biltevt 2021 the next normal, building forward differently – for wellbeing...Ebba Ossiannilsson
BILTEVT2021: International Barrier-Free Informatics Technology Congress 2021” will be held by Turkish Barrier-Free Informatics Platform and hosted by Manisa Celal Bayar University on 2-4 September 2021 in Manisa / Turkey.
A way of looking at all of education and learning to promote discussion about the relationship between informal, non-formal & formal learning ahead of EU i2015. Can help thinking about; business models of institutions, the social processes of learning, learning resource design, OER co-creation of learning processes
This presentation looks at specific learning theories, the idea of learning theory in general, and develops a notion of "institutional learning" (and teaching) to explain why xMOOCs have become so popular and hold (at least some) promise.
Where Is The M In Interactivity, Collaboration, and Feedback?Michael Coghlan
Presentation for the Wireless Ready Event on March 29th, 2008. Audio accompanying approximately the first half of these slides at http://michaelc.podomatic.com/entry/2008-03-29T07_39_46-07_00
Jeremy Morse - nasig lightning talk model digital preservation policyCLOCKSS
As Director of Publishing Technology, I manage a team of programmers in developing and supporting the software that enables the Library's publishing efforts, which include the University of Michigan Press and Michigan Publishing Services. I manage the development of the Fulcrum publishing platform and serve on the Digital Repository Services Steering Committee and Digital Preservation Steering Committee. Digital preservation and sustainability is at the center of all of my work, as I strive for everything we publish to endure as part of the scholarly record.
Biltevt 2021 the next normal, building forward differently – for wellbeing...Ebba Ossiannilsson
BILTEVT2021: International Barrier-Free Informatics Technology Congress 2021” will be held by Turkish Barrier-Free Informatics Platform and hosted by Manisa Celal Bayar University on 2-4 September 2021 in Manisa / Turkey.
A way of looking at all of education and learning to promote discussion about the relationship between informal, non-formal & formal learning ahead of EU i2015. Can help thinking about; business models of institutions, the social processes of learning, learning resource design, OER co-creation of learning processes
This presentation looks at specific learning theories, the idea of learning theory in general, and develops a notion of "institutional learning" (and teaching) to explain why xMOOCs have become so popular and hold (at least some) promise.
Where Is The M In Interactivity, Collaboration, and Feedback?Michael Coghlan
Presentation for the Wireless Ready Event on March 29th, 2008. Audio accompanying approximately the first half of these slides at http://michaelc.podomatic.com/entry/2008-03-29T07_39_46-07_00
OERRH Data Report 2013-2015: Informal LearnersOER Hub
In 2013 the Hewlett-funded OER Research Hub Project created a bank of survey questions to test eleven hypotheses related to the impact of OER use on teaching and learning. In the two years that followed, a number of bespoke surveys were designed and administered in collaboration with the Flipped Learning Network, Vital Signs, the Community Colleges Consortium for Open Educational Resources, OpenLearn, Saylor Academy, OpenStax, BCcampus, Siyavula, School of Open-P2PU and CoPILOT. Responses from each survey were then combined into a larger dataset to allow for comparison and in-depth examination.
The current report, first in a series of three, presents a frequencies analysis of responses from informal learners, i.e. those learners not registered on a course of study at an educational institution.
Spreading the Word! Librarians and OER (OER14, April 2014) Beck Pitt
OER Research Hub presentation with CoPILOT. Explores some of the findings from two surveys conducted autumn/winter 2013 with librarians around the world.
Open Educational Resources Impact in Community CollegesRobert Farrow
The results of an OER Research Hub survey of college educators based on collaborative work with Community College Consortium for OER (CCCOER). It shows that OER are perceived as having positive effects on teachers and learners.
CCCOER Webinar: OER Research on Open Textbook adoption and LibrariansOER Hub
"OER Research on Open Textbook adoption and Librarians" was presented by Beck Pitt on 10 December 2014 as part of a CCCOER webinar with Nicole Allen (SPARC) and Una Daly.
These slides were created by reversioning two previous presentations: Librarians Perceptions of OER and Open Access Week 2014: Open Textbook Research Overview (also available on Slideshare).
This slide deck was presented at CNX 2014 in Houston, USA on 1 April 2014 as part of the "Student Efficacy: Are they Learning?" rapid fire panel. It contains preliminary research findings on educators and students using OpenStax College open textbooks.
Final, updated research findings can be found in the slide deck "The Impact of Open Textbooks in the USA and South Africa..." and via http://oerresearchhub.org
Creative Commons Licenses for Flipped EducatorsBdelosArcos
Last September, when Kari Arfstrom visited Milton Keynes as an OERRHub fellow, we talked about creating an infographic for flipped educators that would explain in a simple and engaging manner how to use Creative Commons Licenses. Last January, when Jon Bergmann and Aaron Sams visited Milton Keynes en route to speaking at BETT13, we talked about creating an infographic for flipped educators that would explain in a simple and engaging manner how to use Creative Commons licenses. Well, let me introduce you to Mr. O'Pen.
For more information: oerresearchhub.org
Presentation of the goals and plans for ongoing collaboration between OpenCoursesWare's Community College Consortium for OER (CCCOER) and the Open University's OER Research Hub Project
This presentation reports on findings arising from the collaborative research carried out by OER Research Hub and Community College Consortium for OER (CCCOER).
- 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
- 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
- Only around half of OER creators have used open licensing
- There is a core of advocates who understand and actively promote OER; they adopt open educational practices and believe it leads to benefits
"Librarians' Perceptions of OER" was presented by Beck Pitt at OpenEd 2014, Washington DC, USA during November 2014.
Research was carried out in collaboration with CoPILOT and this presentation was developed from Eleni, Nancy and Beck's presentation at OER13 in Newcastle, UK earlier in the year.
Despite the recent increases of interest in Open Education (notably in the Massive Open Online Courses (MOOC; Fini, 2009) it has been continuously asserted that Open Education lacks a theoretical foundation such as the Herbartian steps of education in traditional educational approaches (Vandenberg, 1975). Similar accusations have been made with respect to distance education, which some have identified as being slow to engage with critical debates in theory and research (Evans & Nation, 1992). And further: “practitioners, re-searchers and theorists in open and distance education need to be aware of the broad range of theories avail-able to them in educational theory and social theory more generally” (p. 10). In a similar vein, Danaher, Wyer and Bartlett (1998) claim that “ researchers in open and distance learning have tended to focus on too narrow a range of theoretical resources in addressing the much broader range of problems and contexts that characterise this area of contemporary research” (p. 9). Given the considerable rise of Open Education over the last years, these critical appraisals urge us to expand theoretical approaches to refine our understanding of evolving pedagogical and technological relations (cf. Bell, 2011).
In this paper, we contribute to debates surrounding open education and open educational resources by intro-ducing the concept of Bildung (self-cultivation; self-realization) as a powerful reflective tool. We will elabo-rate on the potentials of Bildung by reviewing Wilhelm von Humboldt’s classical conception. Humboldt em-phasizes unrestrained interplay between the individual and the world, an exchange through which the indi-vidual relates to the world in the most comprehensive, lively and freest way possible. Bildung thus conceived is not an adaptation to an external order but rather a cultivation of the inner life: a reflective, creative form of self-realization or self-cultivation.
Openness in Education: Technology, Pedagogy and CritiqueOER Hub
Critical theorists subscribe to the Hegelian view that philosophical or critical reflection is retrospective, and for fear of becoming uncritical are generally against the idea that particular worldviews or ideologies should be propagated through formal education. This can make it difficult for the critical theorist to be anything other than negative about education, and perhaps with good reason: modern education is undergoing seismic changes which often manifest themselves as crises of commodification, corporatization, or the intrusion of extreme forms of technological modernity into educational institutions. Yet technological innovation raises pedagogical possibilities – many of them outside the academy – which are distinctly critical.
In this presentation I assess the state of the art in educational technology, focusing on approaches which identify as ‘open’. The kind of technological interventions in education typical of the last fifty years have often been centrally led and imposed, and thus representative of the encroachment of system imperatives into educational lifeworlds. However, recent technologies present new possibilities for a less linear and more lateral approach to education. While optimism about the pedagogical potential of new technologies must of course be tempered by remaining attentive to the dubious strategies and ideologies being employed by education policymakers. I focus on the case of open education to show how technological change is bringing about opportunities both for new and inclusive pedagogies, and for social critique. I appeal to Dewey, Freire and Illich to indicate some of the ways in which a radically democratic pedagogy rooted in information and communication technologies might stand as a bulwark to neo-liberal interventions in education, concluding with the suggestion that critical theorists should consider significant engagement with the design of learning system and communication technologies.
Conceptual framing for educational research through Deleuze and GuattariDavid R Cole
This presentation will address the issue of conceptual framing for educational research through the philosophy of Deleuze & Guattari. The picture of what this means is complicated by the fact that in their combined texts, Deleuze and Guattari present different notions of conceptual framing. In their final joint text, What is Philosophy? conceptual framing appears in the context of concept creation, and helps with the analysis of western philosophy through concepts such as ‘geophilosophy’. In their joint texts on Capitalism and Schizophrenia, concepts are aligned with pre-personal and individualising flows that pass through any context. This presentation will make sense of the disparate deployment of concepts in the work of Deleuze & Guattari to aid clear conceptual work in the growing international field of educational research inspired by their philosophy.
Fostering creativity in pre-service teachers in teacher educationBronwen Wade-Leeuwen
Arts education in the 21st century is transforming knowledge, skills and building capacities for new creative learning communities. View 'Out of the Darkness' to understand the current challenges in teacher education and suggested creative solutions for the future.
2nd Regional Symposium on Open Educational Resources:
Beyond Advocacy, Research and Policy
24 – 27 June 2014
Sub-theme 4: Innovation
Keynote: Spurring Open Educational Innovation for the Sustainable Advancement of Learning and Teaching
Toru Iiyoshi
Tapio Varis: New Humanism, Technology and Civilizations in the Global Univers...Ed Dodds
Columbia University seminar, New York, April 17,2013
http://www.friends-partners.org/GLOSAS/
P. Tapio Varis, Ph.D., professor emeritus
Acting President of Global University System (GUS)
UNESCO Chair in Global e-Learning with applications to multiple domains
Professor and Chair of Media Education
Research Center for Vocational Education & Hypermedia Laboratory
University of Tampere
P.O.Box 229
FIN-13101 Hameenlinna
FINLAND
+358-3-3551-3608
Tel: +358-3-614-5608--office in Hameenlinna
Tel: +358-3-215 6243--mass media lab in Tampere
GSM: +358-50-567-9833
Fax: +358-3-614-5611 or +358-3-3551-3611
tapio.varis@uta.fi
tapio.varis@hamk.fi
tapio.varis@helsinki.fi
http://www.uta.fi/~titava
www.ecml-eu.org -- about ECML project.
http://www.uta.fi/conference/mediaskills/
‘Openness’ and ‘Open Education’ in the Global Digital Economy: An Emerging Paradigm of Social Production
Introduction
2. The Emerging Open Education Paradigm
3. The History of ‘Openness’ in Education: From the Open Classroom to OCW
4. Bergson, Popper, Soros and the Open Society
The New Paradigm of Social Production
Conclusions
From Openness to Opportunity? Strategical Approaches to OERs Uptake and Use f...Robert Farrow
Presentation from Open Education Global 2023, held in Edmonton, Canada. This piece of research aimed to provide an up-to-date overview of the opportunities of OERs in business by conducting a set of interviews with relevant stakeholders during the course of the ENCORE+ Project (European Network for Catalysing Open Resources in Education). OERs-related value propositions and sustainability in business seem to be innovative oriented in light of the results. OERs clearly have a place in this space, though they are not adopting a central role in business processes.
https://oeglobal2023.sched.com/event/1S7iV/from-openess-to-opportunity-strategical-approaches-to-oers-uptake-and-use-from-business
This paper provides an update on activity in the innovation and business models strand of the ENCORE+ project. A range of business models that support or draw on open educational resources (OER) have been proposed. This paper reviews models that have been proposed (Tlili et al., 2020; Padilla Rodriguez et al., 2018; Belleflamme & Jacqmin, 2015; Ubachs & Konings, 2016; and Farrow, 2019) and suggests a synthesis into one typology of OER business models. The ENCORE+ OER Business Model Typology has been developed as part of a wider effort to understand and evaluate economically sustainable approaches to OER as well as to formulate OER value propositions for different stakeholders. In related work, a range of OER innovation case studies (N=48) are being prepared for publication. These illustrate different instances of innovation with OER and show how OER actors understand their value proposition to different audiences.
Open Education Research: Past, Present, FutureRobert Farrow
The Global OER Graduate Network (GO-GN, n.d.) supports doctoral research in open education around the world and currently has several hundred members who are doctoral/post-doctoral researchers and interested expert practitioners. In this presentation we offer some analysis of trends in research into open education, drawing on the data generated by GO-GN as well as other expert research. We provide an analysis of network activity and identify core areas for contemporary open education research, including open practice, OER as a discipline area, making connections between research clusters and the application of OER in non-traditional learning contexts. We also offer some reflections on the evolving nature of discourse around open education and the relation between research and practice, particularly around the themes of social justice and equity, diversity and inclusion.
Understanding OER, Innovation & Business ModelsRobert Farrow
The European Network for Catalysing Open Resources in Education (ENCORE+, n.d.) is a pan-European Knowledge Alliance funded under the Erasmus+ programme. The project is running from 2021 to 2023 to support the modernisation of education in the European area through open educational resources (OER). Participants will be presented with research and findings from the project, directly linked to enabling their work to be open, sustainable and innovative.
One project focus is understanding (and sharing) business models that use or integrate OER. The ENCORE+ Innovation Case Study Collection and Business Model Typology represent important advances in the self-understanding of open educators and collaboration partners (potential and existing).
Another ENCORE+ activity strand has audited innovation related behaviours for a range of organisations that use OER. OER is of course an innovation in teaching and learning practice, but the practices associated with using OER can themselves be a foundation for further innovation. This potential is often overlooked for being highly contextual or marginal to the key focus of OER initiatives, yet the culture of innovation that exists alongside many OER projects and in the practice of open educators is a key attraction for many working in the field.
More than OER innovation 40 case studies have been prepared and a selection of these will be presented with a critical commentary. Alongside this, the related evaluation framework is being shared on an open licence for others to use and better understand the role of innovation in their own OER practice.
These achievements build on various aspects of theoretical work conducted in the last two years (Farrow & Granly, 2021; Farrow, 2022) as well as a series of face-to-face and online stakeholder events conducted within the ENCORE+ network. Delegates will be in a position to benefit from what has been shared by the wider European OER community in locating and reflecting on their own practice.
Coughlan, T., Pitt, R. & Farrow, R. (2019). Forms of innovation inspired by open educational resources: a post-project analysis. Open Learning: The Journal of Open, Distance and e-Learning, 34:2, 156-175. https://doi.org/10.1080/02680513.2018.1552579
ENCORE+ (n.d.). European Network for Catalysing Open Resources in Education. https://encoreproject.eu/
Farrow, R. (2022). A Framework for Understanding Innovation with OER. Open Education Global 2022. Université de Nantes, France. https://pretalx.com/oeglobal2022/talk/QYVRCM/
Farrow, R. & Granly, J. (2021). Building the 21st Century OER Ecosystem. Open E
Sharing innovation practices around OER: theory, practice, examples and debatesRobert Farrow
This ENCORE+ Network Event focuses on Innovation & Business Models - preliminary results for the ENCORE+ OER Innovation Evaluation Framework and associated case studies are presented.
We will be taking a look at the results of more than two years of research and networking activity, including outcomes from the OER Innovation Survey; and desk research into the essential factors relating to OER innovation.
An expert panel provided responses and reflections, and looked ahead to a packed final year of ENCORE+ including our integration events and final conference.
ENCORE+: Your Place in the Open EcosystemRobert Farrow
The objective of this workshop is to give the participants an opportunity to imagine and recreate their work and business as Open. The workshop is focused on Open Educational Resources (OER), and on its applicability and benefit to business, innovation and technology in lifelong learning.
This workshop is designed to take the participants through a simulation experience, where each participant will imagine the business potential, innovation potential and technological changes available and possible for their work to be open (more open).
The workshop is facilitated by the European Network for Catalysing Open Resources in Education (ENCORE+). ENCORE+ is a European Commission funded project, aimed at establishing a European OER Ecosystem, for both academia and business.
The participants will be presented with research and findings from the project, directly linked to enabling their work to be open, profitable and innovative. Representatives from ENCORE+ business partners will showcase real-life examples of how OER is integral to their work and business as part of the introduction to the workshop.
The workshop is suited to all participants who are interested in OER, regardless of knowledge and experience with OER. The workshop is interactive, with practical simulation tasks guided by ENCORE+ facilitators and ENCORE+ OER research.
ENCORE+: The Open Educational Resources (OER) Innovation EcosystemRobert Farrow
Slides to accomany a workshop at the I-HE2022 Conference in Athens, Greece (Oct 2022). The slides provide an overview of the ENCORE+ project logic and theoretical perspectives on innovation through open education.
https://i-he2022.exordo.com/programme/presentation/75
Keynote presentation from the Association of Learning Technologists Annual Conference 2022. The ALT Framework for Learning Technology reflects the authentic need for ethical perspectives in an increasingly uncertain world. This presentation explores contemporary relationships between ethics and educational technology. There is an increasing ethical import associated with the rapid deployment of new and powerful and transformative digital technologies across society. Cutting edge technologies offer new possibilities for pedagogy, inclusion and access to learning, but are often implemented without their effects being fully understood. Learning technologists operate at the intersection of competing demands and interests along with their ethical complexities, often with little more guidance than a risk management checklist. Drawing on the history of online learning, philosophical ethics, critical theory and educational research, key examples of ethical issues will be explored and related to the FELT framework. It will be argued that the increasing need for ethical reflection requires dialogic and inclusive approaches which retain critical perspectives.
Presentation (with Eamon Costello) from the Global Smart Education Conference (The 6th International Conference on Smart Learning Environments), Beijing National University, China.
The presentation explores issues in AI driven learning systems and implications of machine learning approaches for inclusion and access to education.
The Future OER Ecosystem - On Building a Community for OER in EuropeRobert Farrow
Group presentation/workshop from Open Education Global 2022
The European Network for Catalysing Open Resources in Education (ENCORE+) project (2021-2023) is an Erasmus+ funded initiative which aims to raise awareness of open education, coordinate stakeholder and support new strategies for the proliferation of OER (https://encoreproject.eu/).
Although the Coronavirus pandemic and the resulting online ‘pivot’ increased opportunities for integrating OER into education and training, general awareness of open alternatives remains low. Many educators and learners have been in crisis mode, using whatever resources they can to fulfil their needs. While this can include OER, the demands put upon practitioners makes it hard to strategise and move systematically towards meeting the five action areas of the UNESCO OER resolution.
ENCORE+ is a coordinated European approach to strengthening the value of OER as a catalyst and multiplier. The goal is to move from a series of individual OER initiatives into a European OER Ecosystem. This will be done through addressing and contributing to European and International policy priorities, stimulating innovation in businesses through learning and training, supporting the modernization and digitalization of higher education in Europe, as well as bridging non-formal & formal education by advancing recognition of open learning.
ENCORE+ has established 4 thematic circle communities for OER in Europe on the thematic focus areas of OER Technology, Quality, Innovation & Business Models and Policies. The circle communities convenes and collaborate on issues related to the circle theme. The four communities will convene for its second round of circle events in the first week of May.
This workshop aims to take the content and discussions held within the 4 thematic circle communities in ENCORE+ to the global stage. This workshop marks halfway through the project, and the ENCORE+ team will share and discuss experiences, issues and solutions found with the delegates at the conference. The stakeholders of ENCORE+ is truly global, connecting international stakeholders from academia and business together into a collaborative OER Ecosystem solving challenges of education through OER.
Explicable Artifical Intelligence for Education (XAIED)Robert Farrow
The application of artificial intelligence in AI is increasing, but there is a growing awareness of the profound ethical implications which are presently undertheorised. The emerging consensus is that there needs to be adequate transparency and explicability for the use of algorithms in education. This presentation provides an overview of AI in education (AIED) and characterises the requirement for explicability as a response to the ‘black box’ of machine learning. It is argued that explicability should be understood as part of a wider socio-technical turn in AI, and that there is a strong case for implementing full transparency in AIED as a default position. Such transparency threatens to disrupt traditional pedagogical processes, and mediation strategies will be needed. There are also instances where non-transparency may be justifiable and in these examples processes for auditing and governance.
Guest lecture delivered to the Master of Leadership in Open Education programme at the University of Nova Gorica, Slovenia. An overiew of more than 10 years working on open education research projects is reviewed and the relation between research and policy explored. Responses are made to questions raised by students.
This presentation is licensed CC BY - any logos or other images are included under fair use or assumed public domain.
The future OER Ecosystem - On building a community for OER in EuropeRobert Farrow
The European Network for Catalysing Open Resources in Education (ENCORE+) project (2021-2023) is an Erasmus+ funded initiative which aims to raise awareness of open education, coordinate stakeholder and support new strategies for the proliferation of OER (https://encoreproject.eu/).
Although the Coronavirus pandemic and the resulting online ‘pivot’ increased opportunities for integrating OER into education and training, general awareness of open alternatives remains low. Many educators and learners have been in crisis mode, using whatever resources they can to fulfil their needs. While this can include OER, the demands put upon practitioners makes it hard to strategise and move systematically towards meeting the five action areas of the UNESCO OER resolution.
ENCORE+ is a coordinated European approach to strengthening the value of OER as a catalyst and multiplier. The goal is to move from a series of individual OER initiatives into a European OER Ecosystem. This will be done through addressing and contributing to European and International policy priorities, stimulating innovation in businesses through learning and training, supporting the modernization and digitalization of higher education in Europe, as well as bridging non-formal & formal education by advancing recognition of open learning.
ENCORE+ has established 4 thematic circle communities for OER in Europe on the thematic focus areas of OER Technology, Quality, Innovation & Business Models and Policies. The circle communities convenes and collaborate on issues related to the circle theme. The four communities will convene for its second round of circle events in the first week of May.
This workshop aims to take the content and discussions held within the 4 thematic circle communities in ENCORE+ to the global stage. This workshop marks halfway through the project, and the ENCORE+ team will share and discuss experiences, issues and solutions found with the delegates at the conference. The stakeholders of ENCORE+ is truly global, connecting international stakeholders from academia and business together into a collaborative OER Ecosystem solving challenges of education through OER.
A Framework for Understanding Innovation with OERRobert Farrow
Presentation on the ENCORE+ Project from Open Education Global 2022. The European Network for Catalysing Open Resources in Education (ENCORE+, n.d.) is a pan-European Knowledge Alliance funded under the Erasmus+ programme. The project is running from 2021 to 2023 to support the modernisation of education in the European area through open educational resources (OER).
OER are one of the great recent innovations in education and learning. OER leverage the benefits of digitalisation to extend equitable access to learning; provide new avenues for the distribution, adaptation and iteration of resources; and support innovation in pedagogy and collaboration. Innovating is a key part of how OERs are used, as resources are transformed for use in a new context. But because of the siloed way that reuse typically happens it can be hard for others to take advantage of the effective practice of others.
Developing general awareness of the potential of OER remains a challenge, and one route to this is to highlight cases of exceptional interest (along with identifying the enabling software and services; understanding drivers and enablers; and capturing the meaningful interactions between relevant stakeholders).
In line with its role supporting the OER ecosystem and acting as a hub for OER innovation, ENCORE+ has developed an OER Innovation Evaluation Framework. This toolkit draws on several predominant theories of innovation (Carroll, Kellog & Rosson, 1991; Puentedura, 2006; Rogers, 2003) as well as research into effective OER initiatives (e.g. Coughlan et al., 2019; Darwish, 2019) to present simple categories which can be used to consistently describe cases of interest.
This presentation will describe the background, inspiration and process for developing the Evaluation Framework (Farrow, 2021). Information will also be provided on ways participants can share their examples of innovation through the ENCORE+ network using the OER Innovation Evaluation Framework.
ENCORE+ Innovation and Business Models Circle 2Robert Farrow
Slides used in the delivery on an online discussion workshop for the ENCORE+ project including a brief introduction to the project and links to the outputs from group discussions
This presentation accompanied a face-to-face workshop at the OER22 conference where delegates were encouraged to brainstorm and interact around key themes and suggestions from the ENCORE+ project (https://encoreproject.eu/) regarding OER implementation, strategisation and improvement.
The European Network for Catalysing Open Resources in Education (ENCORE+) project (2021-2023) is an Erasmus+ funded initiative which aims to raise awareness of open education, co-ordinate stakeholder and support new strategies for the proliferation of OER (https://encoreproject.eu/). The UNESCO OER Recommendation (https://en.unesco.org/themes/building-knowledge-societies/oer/recommendation) sets out five areas for action:
Building the capacity of stakeholders to create, access, re-use, adapt and redistribute OER;
Developing supportive policy for OER;
Encouraging inclusive and equitable quality OER;
Nurturing the creation of sustainability models for OER; and
Promoting and reinforcing international cooperation in OER.
Although the Coronavirus pandemic and the resulting online ‘pivot’ increased opportunities for integrating OER into education and training, general awareness of open alternatives remains low. Many educators and learners have been in crisis mode, using whatever resources they can to fulfil their needs. While this can include OER, the demands put upon practitioners makes it hard to strategise and move systematically towards meeting the five action areas of the UNESCO OER resolution.
ENCORE+ proposes that we understand the strategizing of OER at the level of the ‘ecosystem’, emphasizing that while there are viable, established strategies for OER there is no integrated European OER university-business ecosystem able to identify, catalyse and share best practices. How can collaboration be encouraged? How can confidence in operational models which use OER be encouraged beyond the usual advocacy networks in higher education?
Following a short general introduction, this workshop is organised around the following 4 x 10 minute discussion areas, each of which reflects an activity area of ENCORE+.
Focus area 1: Bleeding edge technologies for OER integration
Focus area 2: New paradigms for OER quality
Focus area 3: Strategies and policies for OER uptake and integration
Focus area 4: Innovation, Business Models & Sustainability
In each focus area relevant results from the ENCORE+ project were briefly presented to support an inclusive plenary discussion.
Dialogue was facilitated and moderated by relevant experts from ENCORE+. Feedback and reflection was gathered through a 'World Cafe' approach designed around stakeholder interactions and perspective sharing.
Innovation with Open Educational Resources: The State of the ArtRobert Farrow
Keynote presentation at the OpenLang Network Multiplier Event, 10th December 2021. This presentation reflects on more than a decade of innovation in open education.
This presentation summarises several theories of innovation; explaining their relevance and potential for open education in Europe. These frameworks are likely to be of interest to practitioners wishing to have a stronger theoretical and practical understanding of how OER can support innovative practice.
Ramirez-Montoya (2020) recently presented a review of literature pertaining OER and educational innovation, noting that although definitions of openness vary across sectoral spaces, the crossover between openness and innovation is an area of increasing interest. A core part of the story of open educational resources is that they can be used to create spaces for innovation in teaching and learning (Orr et al., 2015; Pitt & Smyth, 2017; Weller et al., 2015). As Coughlan et al. (2018) argue, there has been a lack of detailed analysis of the specific function of OER as a driver of innovation, and a single model has not yet captured the multi-faceted relationship between openness and innovation.
Several theories of innovation - including the Task-Artefact Cycle (Carroll, Kellog & Rosson, 1991); the "diffusion of innovations" (Rogers, 2010); the SAMR framework (Puentedura, 2006; Orr et al., 2015); the Cyclic Innovation Model (Berkhout, 2007); and the Forms of innovation in OER (Coughlan, Pitt & Farrow, 2018) - will be outlined and contextualised. These will be used to describe ways to think about innovation in the context of open education.
This presentation contributes to the European Network for Catalysing Open Resources in Education (ENCORE+, 2021), a pan-European Knowledge Alliance funded under the Erasmus+ programme. The project is running from 2021 to 2023 to support the modernisation of education in the European area through OER.
https://i-he2021.exordo.com/programme/presentation/28
Bildung as a critical foundation for open education
1. Bildung as a critical foundation
for open education
Robert Farrow | The Open University
Markus Deimann | FernUniversität in Hagen
2. Context & Rationale
• Impact of OER on educational practices
Open Courses (MITx, edX, etc)
Web 2.0 Appropriation (YouTube, Flickr, Slideshare, etc.)
• Learning becomes more open, more complex
• Relatively little is known about impact of openness on learner
Problem of evidence for informal, self-directed learning
Immature research context, lack of consistent method
Most studies do not generalise beyond particular context
The Open University's Institute of Educational Technology
3. Context & Rationale
• Limitations of current theories of learning
Traditionally focused on predefined contexts
Problem of evidence & accreditation for informal learning
The MOOC ‘backlash’ / Moocpocalypse
• Response to accusations that openness lacks theoretical
foundation (Nyberg, 1975; Peters, 2008)
• What difference does openness make? The open education
movement is in need of a stronger theoretical foundation
The Open University's Institute of Educational Technology
4. Open Education Movement
• Belief that education is undergoing fundamental changes as a result of
innovation in digital technologies
• Improving access to education and widening participation by closing the
‘digital divide’ (Smith and Casserly, 2006)
• Encouraging collaboration across disciplinary boundaries and between
academics, educators, technologists and support staff within and
beyond educational institutions
• Argues that we need new pedagogies and systems for intellectual
property which are adequate for contemporary education
The Open University's Institute of Educational Technology
5. Open Education Movement
• A normative commitment to the idea that knowledge should be free,
both to access and develop.
Reducing cost of education at point of delivery
Providing courses which are free to participate in
Rethinking educational materials as open-access, OER
Supported by a range of Creative Commons licences
Research projects and policy initiatives taking place around the
globe
The Open University's Institute of Educational Technology
6. Open Educational Resources (OER)
• “OER are teaching, learning, and research resources that reside in the
public domain or have been released under an intellectual property
license that permits their free use or re-purposing by others. Open
educational resources include full courses, course materials, modules,
textbooks, streaming videos, tests, software, and any other tools,
materials, or techniques used to support access to knowledge.”
(Atkins et al, 2007:4)
• Potential to catalyse a range of educational practices
• No established definition of OER (Geser, 2007)
• No solid theoretical foundation
The Open University's Institute of Educational Technology
7. Beyond Content: Open Educational Practices
• ‘Openness’ in education necessarily shifts the focus from
content (OER) to practices (OEP) that are necessary for the
use of that content (Mackey & Jacobson, 2011; Weller, 2011).
• Degrees of openness
• Assumption: learning is becoming more open, more complex
• OER as radical object
McAndrew & Farrow (2012)
• OEP as radical practice
The Open University's Institute of Educational Technology
8. “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)
9. That’s all very well, but we basically know that.
The Open University's Institute of Educational Technology
10. What is Bildung?
Simply put, ‘self-cultivation’ or shaping
But it’s not simple!
At least, it is philosophically rich…
The Open University's Institute of Educational Technology
11. Bildung (Historical)
• Origins in C16th theology: ‘cultivate’ oneself in the image of God
• Philosophy of biology: the development of the organism as it interacts
with its environment
• Subsequently fused with the political and philosophical ideals of the
Enlightenment and German humanism: Schiller, Herder, Goethe,
Humboldt
• Herder: Bildung as natural unfolding of creative and intellectual
capacities required for flourishing or virtuous life
• Humboldt: cultivation of inner life through free and unrestrained
interplay (humanist defence of informal education)
The Open University's Institute of Educational Technology
12. Caspar David Friedrich, Erinnerungen an das Riesengebirge (c. 1835)
‘Memories of the Giant Mountains’
13. Bildungsroman
‘Coming of age’ novel
Growth from youth to adulthood
Development through experience
of the world and others
The (existential) process of
becoming
Illustration from 'Wilhelm Meister's Apprenticeship' by Johann Wolfgang Goethe (1749-1832)
1802 (engraving) (b/w photo), German School, (19th century) / Bibliotheque Nationale, Paris,
France / Giraudon / The Bridgeman Art Library
14. Bildung vs ‘Education’
• Bildung is bigger than education [Erziehung]: complex concept
comprising educational, cultural and political perspectives, emphasizing
rationality, autonomy, self-activity and a culture of active participation
• A reflective, creative form of self-realization or self-cultivation achieved
with and through relations with others
• Unrestrained interplay between the individual and the world
• Fulfilling the innate human potential of the individual
• Education has a function; Bildung is a value in itself
The Open University's Institute of Educational Technology
15. Bildung (Modern)
• Bildung had a considerable impact on German educational thought and
has entered educational and political terminology
• Widely seen by the 1970s as ideologically compromised and without
empirical value; relaunched by Klafki (1985)
• Hegelian-Marxist tradition: criticism of capitalist model of knowledge
production: increase profits by treating learners as consumers rather
than active, reflective agents (Adorno, 1973; Leissman, 2006)
• In Germany, now a byword for education as business, framed in terms
of measurable competencies, though arguably currently undergoing a
renaissance (Prange, 2004)
The Open University's Institute of Educational Technology
16. Possibilities for (authentic) Bildung in
Open Education
• OER
– New emphases on authenticity, autonomy
– New possibilities for articulation through participatory
culture: social media, identity, mobile, augmented reality
– OER has the potential to support Bildung through access to
a rich base of learning materials from different contexts
• MOOC
The Open University's Institute of Educational Technology
23. Bildung as the “ability to go beyond the present state of
affairs and to transform the structures and prevailing rules of
this form of life”
(Peukert, 2003)
“Networked Transcontextualism”: we become most human
when we express agency within an ecology of ideas
(Campbell, 2012)
The Open University's Institute of Educational Technology
24. Bildung for Open Education
• Open Education should be understood as fulfilling the legacy
of the project of Enlightenment
• Bildung provides a point of orientation and regulation
• Sheds light on the commodification of knowledge
• A way to investigate & support novel learning contexts
• Humanist defence of the value of informal education
• Edupunk: self-cultivation; self-realisation
• Allows us to make further sense of the ‘ecology’ metaphor
The Open University's Institute of Educational Technology
25. Critical Foundations
• Bildung is more reflexive, more critical and more open than didactic
models of education or traditional theories of distance learning
• Bildung has many connotations: discourse around Bildung is always
mediated, necessarily unresolved, dialectical and open.
• Bildung’s values are germane to those of open education
• Resources for self-reflexive critique of commercialisation of education
and engaging in discourse about educational culture
The Open University's Institute of Educational Technology
26. Caspar David Friedrich,
Der Wanderer über dem Nebelmeer (1818)
‘Wanderer above the Sea of Fog’
Self-reflection
through
interaction with
the world and
others
Mastery of the
landscape…
Or realising one’s
own insignificance
within it?
27. References
• Adorno, T. W. (1966). Negative Dialektik. Frankfurt am Main: Suhrkamp Verlag
• Atkins, Daniel E., John Seely Brown & Allen L. Hammond (2007). A Review of the Open Educational Resources (OER)
Movement: Achievements, Challenges, and New Opportunities. Menlo Park, CA: The William and Flora Hewlett Foundation.
• Bell, F. (2011). Connectivism: Its place in theory-informed research and innovation in technology-enabled learning.
International Review of Research in Open and Distance Learning, 12(3), 98–108.
• Conole, G. (2011) Defining Open Educational Practices [online]. Available from http://e4innovation.com/?p=373. (Accessed
17th October 2011)
• Garrison, R. (2000). Theoretical Challenges for Distance Education in the 21st Century: A Shift from Structural to
Transactional Issues. The International Review of Research in Open and Distance Learning; Vol 1, No 1 (2000).
• Geser, G. (2007). Open educational practices and resources: OLCOS Roadmap 2012. Salzburg: Salzburg Research.
• Klafki, W. (1985). Neue Studien zur Bildungstheorie und Didaktik: Zeitgemäße Allgemeinbildung und kritisch-konstruktive
Didaktik. Weinheim: Beltz.
• Liessmann, K. (2006). Theorie der Unbildung: Die Irrtümer der Wissensgesellschaft. Wien: Zsolnay.
28. References
• Mackey, T. and Jacobson, T. “Reframing Information Literacy as a Metaliteracy.” College and Research Libraries 72, no. 1
(2011): 62-78.
• McAndrew, P. & Farrow, R. (forthcoming 2012). “Open Education Research: From the Practical to the Theoretical”. UNESCO
for OER Knowledge Cloud book project.
• MITx – MIT’s New Learning Initiative. Available from http://mitx.mit.edu/. Accessed 11th April 2012.
• Nyberg, D. (1975). The philosophy of open education. London: Routledge.
• Peters, M. (2008). The history and emergent paradigm of open education. Open education and education for openness.
Sense Publishers.
• Peukert, H. (2003). Beyond the present state of affairs: Bildung and the search for orientation in rapidly transforming
societies. In L. Løvlie, K. Mortensen, & S. Nordenbo (Hrsg.), Educating humanity. Bildung in postmodernity (S. 105–120).
Oxford: Blackwell.Smith, M.S., and Casserly, C.M. (2006). The Promise of Open Educational Resources. Change: The
Magazine of Higher Learning; Sep-Oct 2006; 38(5); p. 8. http://dx.doi.org/10.3200/CHNG.38.5.8-17 accessed March 12,
2012
• Prange, K. (2004). Bildung: a paradigm regained? European Educational Research Journal, 3(2), 501-509.
http://dx.doi.org/10.2304/eerj.2004.3.2.5
• Weller, M. (2011). A pedagogy of abundance. Spanish Journal of Pedagogy, 249, 223–236. Available from
http://oro.open.ac.uk/28774/. Accessed 11th April 2012.
The Open University's Institute of Educational Technology