The Future is Open
Channel: Empower Teaching
Date: 2020-01-27

Higher education promises to be a vehicle for economic and social mobility; however, this promise increasingly goes begging as our institutions are structured to reinforce existing inequalities, with engagement, persistence, and achievement still closely tied to affordability. The oft-heard institutional claim to be student-centered is similarly hypocritical, as it is usually faculty, accreditation requirements, and budgetary constraints that dictate both the structure and content of the learning experience. It is against the backdrop of such paradoxes that open education practices have emerged as a transformational force in higher education.
Open educational practices (OEP) encompass the creation, adaptation, and adoption of open educational resources, open course development, and even the design of renewable assignments where students are empowered as co-creators of knowledge. OEP represents a truly learner-centered approach to education that radically enhances both agency and access. This presentation will draw on a diverse set of examples to make a case for why the shift away from traditional (closed) practices is not only desirable but also inevitable, and how OEP support the modern university’s mission by serving both social justice and pedagogical innovation.

Featuring:
Rajiv Jhangiani, Kwantlen Polytechnic University