Opening Doors: The Future of Open Education in Higher Learning

Opening Doors:The Future of Open Education

in Higher Learning

By Stacey AlexanderEducation 6620, Memorial University

For Dr. Elizabeth MurphySaturday, August 7th, 2010

Introduction

The demand for access to higher education is projected to increase to about 160 million students worldwide by the year 2025 (Taylor, 2007).

Introduction

It will not be economically viable to produce universities to supply classroom-based education; instead, we will use open-model, Internet-based educational technologies (Taylor, 2007).

Introduction

open content

open accreditation

open learning

Open Content

Open content is content which will be made available for distribution to and improvement by everyone (Cedergren, 2003). People will be able to access information freely.

Open Content

A model of value chains with 9 driving forces of Open Content (Cedergren, 2003, Figure 6)

Open Content

Initiatives like the open education resource movement will focus on “promoting…the creation…of educational resources…to a global audience” (Morgan and Carey, 2009, p. 2).

Open Content

Comparison of the evolving life cycles of a Learning Object and an Open Learning Object (Fulantelli, 2008, Figure 1)

Open Content

Mexico/Canada/Russia implementation of the open model (Morgan & Carey, 2009, Figure 3)

Open Content

Some creators of open content might want to offer what they choose to offer as open content, instead of what people need (Cedergren, 2003).

Open Content

However, open resources like Wikipedia will facilitate global collaboration (Zhang and Zhu, 2006), and content will not be limited by the intentions of content creators.

A value model of Wikipedia (Cedergren, 2003, Figure 5)

Open Accreditation

Accrediting bodies

Educational institution

Open Accreditation

University students will no longer be restricted because they will be able to “learn from intellectuals around the world through books, or via the Internet” (Tapscott, 2009, p. 11).

Open Accreditation

Educational institutions will have a system of unbiased, external accreditation agencies outside of “the academic oligarchy” which will regularly manage their own standards and criteria (Westerheijden, 2001, p. 73).

Open Accreditation

Open Accreditation – A Model (Hughes, 2008)

Open Accreditation

Accredited self-access centres Inter-institutionally

shared course components

Graphical representation of two possible models for accrediting courses involving open education resources (Morgan, 2008)

Open Accreditation

Higher education needs to become less competitive (Altbach et al., 2009).

Open Accreditation

OpenCourseWare Futures (Taylor, 2007, Figure 2)

Open Learning

Open learning will give “the control…of the learning process...to the learner” who will feel “empowered to choose what to learn, when, at what pace, where and how” (Allan and Lukoševičiutė-Noreikienė, p. 94).

Open Learning

The open innovation model will establish a process of knowledge creation which will share rather than restrict access to it, thereby increasing a sense of community and reducing barriers to participation (Schmidt, 2008, p. 7).

Open Learning

Students Doing Fieldwork with PI Project (McAndrew et al., 2010, Figure 2)This photo is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 license

Open Learning

According to Morgan (2008), models for OER will range from “self-directed-access-on-your-own type learning” to “open-course-with-open-teaching (with credits for some)” (¶ 3).

Open Learning

The OpenLearn Home Page (McAndrew et al, 2010, Figure 1)

Open Learning

The OLnet Site (McAndrew et al., 2010, Figure 5)

Open Learning

One problem with open learning is that some higher learning institutions could be hesitant to open up and create “space for their students to drive academic innovation” (Schmidt, 2008, p. 3).

Open Learning

Openness Underpinning Communication, Sharing, and Learning/Researching (McAndrew et al., 2010, Figure 6)

Open Learning

Relationships among free contributor to contributor assistance, interpersonal factors, intrinsic motivation and performance (Zhang, 2006, Figure 2)

Conclusion

In the future, open content and course models will be implemented to increase access and enable global participation in higher education (Morgan and Carey, 2009).

Conclusion

More open education models will make the acquisition of learning and credentials easier for students of all demographics to access (Schmidt, 2008).

Conclusion

This will be beneficial to African and Asian countries which have many citizens but not a lot of much money to implement educational programs (Olakulehin, 2008, and Sharma, 2005).

Conclusion

The future of learning will be more global and learner-centered.

References

Allan, A., & Lukoševičiutė-Noreikienė, I. (2008). Quality Assessment of a Blended Studies Course in the Context of Open Learning Ideas: A Case Study. Quality of Higher Education, 594-131. Retrieved July 31, 2010, from ERIC database at http://www.eric.ed.gov/PDFS/EJ870185.pdf.

Altbach, P., Reisberg, L., & Rumbley, L. (2009). Trends in Global Higher Education: Tracking an Academic Revolution. A Report Prepared for the UNESCO 2009 World Conference on Higher Education. Retrieved August 1, 2010, from http://www.unesco.org/tools/fileretrieve/2844977e.pdf.

References

Cedergren, M. (2003). Open Content and Value Creation. First Monday, 8(8), Retrieved July 31, 2010, from http://firstmonday.org/htbin/cgiwrap/bin/ojs/index.php/fm/article/viewArticle/1071/991.

Fulantelli, G., Gentile, M., Taibi, D., & Allegra, M. (2008). The Open Learning Object Model to Promote Open Educational Resources. Journal of Interactive Media in Education, Retrieved July 31, 2010, from ERIC database at http://www.eric.ed.gov/PDFS/EJ840806.pdf.

References

Geser, G. (2007). Open Educational Practices and Resources: The OLCOS Roadmap 2012. Revista de Universidad y Sociedad del Conocimiento (RUSC), 4(1). Retrieved July 31, 2010, from http://www.uoc.edu/rusc/4/1/dt/eng/geser.pdf.

Hughes, J. (2008). Open Accreditation – a model. Pontydysgu. Retrieved August 1, 2010, from http://www.pontydysgu.org/2008/10/open-accreditation-a-model/.

References

McAndrew, P., Scanlon, E., & Clow, D. (2010). An Open Future for Higher Education. Educause Quarterly Magazine, 33(1). Retrieved July 31, 2010, from http://www.educause.edu/EDUCAUSE+Quarterly/EDUCAUSEQuarterlyMagazineVolum/AnOpenFutureforHigherEducation/199388.

Morgan, T. (2008). Higher Ed hacks #1-open models. Online article. Retrieved August 1, 2010, from http://homonym.wordpress.com/2008/10/02/higher-ed-hacks-1-open-models/.

References

Morgan, T., & Carey, S. (2009). From Open Content to Open Course Models: Increasing Access and Enabling Global Participation in Higher Education. International Review of Research in Open and Distance Learning, 10(5), Retrieved July 31, 2010, from ERIC database, at http://www.eric.ed.gov/PDFS/EJ869414.pdf.

Olakulehin, F. (2008). Open and Distance Education as a Strategy for Human Capital Development in Nigeria. Open Learning, 23(2), 123-130. Retrieved July 31, 2010, from ERIC database.

References

Pfaffenberger, B. (2001). Why Open Content Matters. Knowledge, Technology & Policy, 14(1), 93. Retrieved July 31, 2010, from Academic Search Premier database.

Schmidt, J., Geith, C., Håklev, S., & Thierstein, J. (2009). Peer-to-Peer Recognition of Learning in Open Education. International Review of Research in Open and Distance Learning, 10(5), Retrieved August 1, 2010, from http://www.irrodl.org/index.php/irrodl/article/view/641/1392.

References

Schmidt, J. P. (2008). Open courseware as an example for user-centric innovation in higher education–towards a new social role of the university. Proceedings of the 4th International Barcelona Conference on Higher Education, Vol. 2. Knowledge technologies for social transformation. Barcelona: Global University Network for Innovation (GUNI). Retrieved August 1, 2010, from http://web.guni2005.upc.es/media/0000000500/0000000522.pdf.

Sharma, R. (2005). Open Learning in India: Evolution, Diversification and Reaching Out. Open Learning, 20(3), 227-241. Retrieved July 31, 2010, from ERIC database.

References

Tapscot, D. The Impending Demise of the University (2009). Edge. Retrieved August 1, 2010, from http://www.edge.org/about_edge.html.

Taylor, J. (2007). Open Courseware Futures: Creating a Parallel Universe. E-Journal of Instructional Science and Technology, 10(1). Retrieved August 1, 2010, from http://www.ascilite.org.au/ajet/e-jist/docs/vol10_no1/papers/full_papers/taylorj.pdf.

References

Westerheijden, Don F.(2001). Ex oriente lux?: national and multiple accreditation in Europe after the fall of the Wall and after Bologna. Quality in Higher Education, 7(1), 65 -75. Retrieved August 1, 2010, from http://pdfserve.informaworld.com/108739_770885140_713692758.pdf.

Zhang, M., & Zhu, F. (2006). Intrinsic Motivation of Open Content Contributors: the Case of Wikipedia. Workshop on Information Systems and Economics (WISE), Chicago, IL. Retrieved July 31, 2010, from http://butlercommonplace.org/thoughts/images/d/d8/ZhangZhu2006.pdf.

Disclaimer

“I have not copied any full sentences or parts of sentences orally or in written form anywhere in this assignment without providing page or paragraph references.”