Open Learning: Lowering the Cost of Education

Angela Batsford, Jan Thiessen, and Su-Tuan Lulee

Social ProblemRising cost of education is a significant

barrier to individuals & institutions• Cost of 4-year college education rose from 18 25%

of annual family income during past ten years (Lataif, 2011)

• In U.S. postsecondary education the Higher Education Price Index has an average change of 4.47% per year while the Consumer Price Index has only increased an average of 3.4% per year. (Wellman, 2008, p.47).

• In Ontario, student debt has risen 300% -- to $28,000 from $8,000 in 1991 (Lem, 2009).

Year Gov’t Funding

Tuition Fees

1977 84% 13.7%

1987 81.4% 16.3%

1997 67.1% 29%

2007 57.1% 34.2%

Sources: Statistics Canada & CAUBO

Where Universities get their Money

Adapted from CBC News, 2010

Intervention Open learning is one solution to the rising cost

in education

What is Open Learning? Courses that are flexibly

designed to meet individual requirements;

learner-centred philosophy (Lewis and Spencer, 1986, cited in

Rowntree, 1992)

“Open learning is not just about access alone, it is

also about providing people with a fair chance

of success” (Holt & Bonnici, 1988, cited in Rowntree, 1992, p. 14)

“Your own time, place, and pace” (Calder &

McCullum, 1998, p. 13)

““Open learning refers to features in the structure

of institutions....open learning is not necessarily

distance learning” and distance learning is not necessarily open (Jarvis,

Holford, & Griffin,2003, p. 120).

“Open” means that teaching and learning resources are provided

free; users are permitted to reuse, revise, remix, and redistribute (Wiley,

2010).

Refers to the learning environment that uses

open educational resources and open source software to

provide openly accessible learning opportunities for

everyone.

OPEN LEARNING

Why Open Learning? Cost of providing open learning is low

Educational resources and learning software applications are free and available

terrya: American Public Univ, (who also includes texts in fees) saves $1.5 million month by using open access texts in top 20 courses! from Phil Ice https://landing.athabascau.ca/pg/thewire/terrya

Open Educational Resources Open Educational Resources are teaching, learning or

research materials that are in the public domain or released with an intellectual property license that allows for free use, adaptation, and distribution (UNESCO, 2010).

Dave Wiley’s (2010) four characteristics of OER1. Can be reused2. Can be revised3. Can be remixed4. Can be redistributed

These four “R”s can largely reduce the cost for developing learning materials.

Supportive Computer Technologies Open source tools have been increasing

rapidly during the past decade.

Tools for improving open learning: Learning Management System - Moodle and SAKAI Video conferencing tools - WizIQ Concept mapping tools - Cmap and VUE Social learning tools - Blogger, GoogleDocs, Mahara,

SlideShare, Google Group, Netvibes Visual tools -ManyEyes and OECD Factbook Learning analytics tools - SNAPP, Singnal And many more …

OERSOpen Source Learning and

analytical tools

Decreased education cost w/o sacrifice in

quality

How Open Learning Can Reduce Costs

Source: http://wikieducator.org/OER_university

Leadership Solution - Complexity Leadership Complexity Leadership:

Expanding leadership from “isolated, role-based actions of individuals to the innovative, contextual interactions” across a whole system” (Lichtenstein, Uhl-Bien, & Marion, 2006, p. 2).

Enables the learning, creative, and adaptive capacity of complex adaptive systems (CAS) in knowledge-producing organizations or organizational units. 

Describes conditions in which adaptive dynamics emerge and generate creative and adaptive knowledge. 

Complexity Leadership Theory

Leadership not only a position and authority but also as an emergent, interactive dynamic that produces new patterns of behavior or new modes of operating. 

Focuses on identifying and exploring the strategies and behaviors that foster organizational sub-unit creativity, learning, and adaptability (Uhl-Bien et al., 2007). 

Leadership, as it in CLT, is the behavior and the resource elements of interacting individuals of the community come together in useful ways (Lichtenstein et al., 2006).

Open Learning as a Complex Adaptive System Different from traditional formal learning

informal; flexible pace, time and places; delivered through social networked learning environment.

CCK08 Registration >2300 Students from >10 countries Tech. used: Skype, Wikis, SecondLife, Facebook, and

Google Reader, etc. No existing learning paths & structures Information and social relation were splicing

Open learning is a emergent, interactive, dynamic, and complex system.

Why CLT is a Good Fit for Open Learning?  Addresses the nature of open learning:

nonlinearly changeable, unpredictable in the long term, temporally based, and dynamic interaction. 

Allows a leadership perspective that extends beyond bureaucratic assumptions leadership as a complex interactive dynamic through which adaptive outcomes emerge. 

Provides an overarching framework that describes the interplay of bureaucratic leadership (formal managerial roles) and CAS (emergent, interactive dynamic) 

(Uhl-Bien et al., 2007)

Adopting Complexity Leadership General steps:

Observing the network of interaction & changing environmental demands

Collecting data that shape ideas (network of interaction, patterns of conflict & tension, interdependent relationships, rules of action, and direct/indirect feedback loops.

Adopting Complexity Leadership General steps:

Analyzing the mechanisms, - correlated action- aggregation of ideas- behaviors that speed/enable certain activities- information flow - pattern formation

Enabling leadership - creating general structure- providing conditions- fostering interdependency with rules- promoting tension by heterogeneity- building atmosphere – respect diversity

(Modified from Siemens, G., 2010)

Complexity Leadership in Open Learning

Adopting Complexity Leadership

Strategies for Leadership in Open Learning 

Identifying and shaping the patterns and structures in models for best interactions (Hazy, 2010)

Focusing on how leadership may occur in any interaction 

Focusing on managing and leading Encouraging all members to be leaders Driving responsibility downward Using tension to create adaptive change  Leveraging the capability of analytic tools

(Lichtensein et al., 2006)

Case Study International Response: UNESCO (Dr. McGreal)

http://elluminate.credenda.net/play_recording.html?recordingId=1251333289787_1299602421128

Institutional/Organizational Response: Athabasca University (Dr. Ives) http://elluminate.credenda.net/

play_recording.html?recordingId=1251333289888_1298671598172

Grassroots Response

Conclusions Open Learning – New opportunities and

challenges

Cost effective model Complexity leadership

Further research - How we can learn in an open world and the leadership required

ReferencesCalder, J., & McCollum, A. (1998). Open and flexible learning in vocational education and training. London: Routledge.

Retrieved from http://books.google.ca/books?id=tQsUuFarOIoC&pg=PA13&dq=definition+of+open+learning&hl=en&ei=l_BfTcSIJMSclget6f2QDA&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=2&ved=0CEAQ6AEwAQ#v=onepage&q=definition%20of%20open%20learning&f=false

CBC News. (2010).Tuition fees on the rise ... again. Retrieved from http://www.cbc.ca/news/business/story/2008/05/15/f-highereducation-tuitionfees.html

Godwin, S., McAndrew, P.,& Santos, A. “Behind the Scenes with OpenLearn: the Challenges of Researching the Provision of Open Educational Resources.” The Electronic Journal of e-Learning Volume 6 Issue 2, 139 - 148, Retrieved from www.ejel.org 

Hazy, J. K. (2010). Complexity thinking and leadership: How nonlinear models of human organizing dynamics can inform management practice. Adelphi University School of Business Working Paper SB-WP-2010-01. Retrieved from http://business.adelphi.edu/pdfs/SB-WP-2010-01.pdf

Holt, D., & Bonnici,, J. (1988). In Rowntree. D. (1992). Exploring open and distance learning. London: Routledge

Jarvis, P., Holford, J., & Griffin, C. (2003). The theory & practice of learning. Oxford & New York: Routledge. Retrieved from http://books.google.ca/books?id=TjoIGr8HrdoC&printsec=frontcover&source=gbs_ge_summary_r&cad=0#v=onepage&q&f=false

Lataif, L (2011) . Universities on the brink: ever increasing costs of education not sustainable. Retrieved from gttp://www.forbes.com/2011/02/01/college-education-bubble-opinions-contributors-louis-lataif.html

Lem, S. (2009). High cost of higher education. Retrieved from http://www.torontosun.com/news/canada/2009/08/24/10580281-sun.html

References Cont’dLewis R., & Spencer, D. (1986). In Rowntree. D. (1992). Exploring open and distance learning. London: Routledge.

Lichenstein, B. B., Uhl-Bien, M., & Marion, R. (2006). Complexity leadership theory: An interactive perspective on leading in complex adaptive system. Emergence: Complexity and Organization, 8(4), 2-12.

Rowntree. D. (1992). Exploring open and distance learning. London: Routledge.

Siemens, G. (2010, October 18). Managing & Learning in Massive(ly) Open Online Courses. Presented at the Open Access Week, Athabasca, Canada. Retrieved from http://auspace.athabascau.ca:8080/dspace/handle/2149/2838

Simon, S., & Banchero, S. (2010). Putting a price on professors. Wall Street Journal (October 22, 2010). Retrieved from http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748703735804575536322093520994.html

Uhl-Bien, M., Marion, R., & McKelvey, B. (2007). Complexity leadership theory: Shifting leadership from the industrial age to the knowledge era. The Leadership Quarterly, 18(4), 298-318. doi:10.1016/j.leaqua.2007.04.002

UNESCO, (2010) . ICTs in education. Retrieved from http://www.unesco.org/new/en/unesco/themes/icts/learning-and-teaching/open-educational-resources/.

Wellman, J. V., Desrochers, D. M., & Lenihan, C. M. (2008). The growing imbalance: Recent trend in U.S. postsecondary education finance . Washington, D.C.: Delta Project on Postsecondary Education Costs, Productivity and Accountability. Retrieved from http://www.deltacostproject.org/resources/pdf/imbalance20080423.pdf

WikiEducator. OER university. Retrieved from http://wikieducator.org/OER_university

Wiley, D. A. (2010). Openness as catalyst for an educational reformation. EDUCAUSE Review, Open, 45(4). Retrieved from http://www.educause.edu/EDUCAUSE+Review/ERVolume442009/EDUCAUSEReviewMagazineVolume45/209245  

Resources for Further Study Complexity and Education

http://www.complexityandeducation.ualberta.ca/index.htm

Complexity: An International Journal of Complexity and Education http://ejournals.library.ualberta.ca/index.php/complicity

IRRODL: Special Issue - Openness and the Future of HE http://www.irrodl.org/index.php/irrodl/issue/view/38