Openness as a teacher

Open learning… what is that… ? Well, yes, open access – that I’ve heard about before. Mostly about sharing research results and make it available for everyone. That is great, even though it is expensive for researchers and institutions in the way it is organized today. But what more can Open learning be about? What is actually open education ad how can I approach it from a teachers perspective? It arises so many questions that I probably will dig more into during this course, and hey – I might end up “open up” 🙂

I started by listening to a podcast about open education, moderated by Kiruthika Ragupathi, where I got a better understanding about how other people around the world reflect and experience openness. This was a good starting point for me.

green leafed trees outside window
https://unsplash.com/@mrrrk_smith

I found David Wileys TedcNYED talk really interesting where he talked abourt sharing and being generous about the knowledgde we have and produce. Without sharing there is no education he says. I agree! And especially I think knowledge is for everyone, regardless if you can come to the university, or have an internet connection or not.  We have an online bachelor program starting this fall, and again, how will I make it the best possible? There is online content technology where passwords, restrictions and set up limits in some ways. We can only use some “safe and secure” program due to GDPR etc and that limits the online way of communication, connecting and collaborating. Well, do we need all fancy ways of online technology or is that just a need in me?

Furthermore, David Wiley talks about openness in general, but as a university teacher there is more to it to understand than “just” share openly – I think. So many questions arises!

  • What do I need to know?
  • How to do this?
  • Is there copy right of the content and material that I as a teacher produce?
  • Am I the owner of that or my institution?
  • Can I share this openly?
  • Can I use open sources, and which cant I use?
  • Open text books would be great to use (as Bates, 2019 writes about). But can I found a similair book as the proposed physical one today (that might be an e-book also).

But for a teacher at a university, the most important task is to educate good public health workers. This can be done in many ways. But when there is problem for us to even collaborate over divisions or between universities, how long way is it to reach out to the rest of the world – openly! Is open education (aka MOOC) rewarded with some money so students can have a diploma/credits? We as educators (and I as program leader for two programs) need to make sure that the education we have is profitable. I know – that is a institutional problem that probably can be solved, but the settings need to be there for at least Swedish systems.

I found one of @wearethedreamersofourownfuture reflection very interesting where I want to highlight one of his thoughts about how openness in education can affect our human capacity and brain. So important to acknowledge this, especially for me, cause I am always “trigging” on new online techniques and tools, new ideas on how to learn online etc.

“The fact that we can communicate easier and faster nowadays means that I try to limit and format the ways of communication – in order to create time for recovery and rest. I fear that the wealth of communication platforms in combination with an idea of “open” access to everyones time and – in the long run – private sphere – does create problems for the human capacity and brain.”

https://wearethedreamersofourownfuture.wordpress.com/2021/03/30/openness-in-education-a-reflection/

11.4 Open pedagogy – Teaching in a Digital Age – Second Edition (bccampus.ca)

So many new thoughts has arise in my head – as it always leads to new ideas and how I wish to work as a university educator, teacher and researcher. I think below picture highlight the different aspects of what open pedagogy can be. So much more to learn.

To be continued…

References:

Bates, T. (2019). Teaching in a Digital Age: Guidelines for Teaching and Learning. (2nd edition)

Podcast by Kiruthika Ragupathi https://www.opennetworkedlearning.se/onl211-course-overview/onl211-topic-2-open-learning-sharing-and-openness/onl211-topic-2-event-discussion-webinar/

Open education and the future, Short TED-talk by David Wiley

2 kommentarer

  1. Thank you Malin for your wonderful questions and the very informative image from Paul Stacey 2018. The point on ‘recovery and rest’ is so pertinent in an age where everything moves too fast, where perhaps learners get busy in the knowing and doing but have very little time to reflect and reset. From a career advancement point of view especially in the area of adult learning and CPD, the credibility of MOOCs and all the certifications awarded has made me wonder how many organizations accept a MOOC certification for career advancement. MOOCs offer golden opportunities to learn but their credibility has some way to travel for many academic institutions around the world. Indeed, much to ponder over.

  2. Interesting to read your thoughts. I agree that we are to some extent locked in the system where educations must go with “profit”. It is also about our own jobs. I struggle with how open I can be. But sharing knowledge may be one thing and shaping the knowledge of our students another. I am thinking of ‘bildning’ and generic knowledge, in addition to the content of courses.

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