What is Open Pedagogy?
（A short animated movie to introduce you to “Open Pedagogy”）
Open pedagogy is a student-centered approach to education that emphasizes collaboration, sharing and innovation in the learning process. It differs from traditional teaching method mainly in the way of knowledge transfer and the change of students’ roles.
With the development of Internet technology and the birth of various social media, we have access to all kinds of knowledge and news without leaving home. I think platforms such as TikTok and YouTube, which have many creators publishing content, are a kind of open education. They have their own profit models, but the viewer is free when viewing the video content. Open education significantly lowers the financial barrier to education and makes quality education accessible to more people. This is especially important for learners from economically disadvantaged families. The flexibility and accessibility of open education enables people to learn and self-improve at any stage, supporting the goal of lifelong learning and skills development.
In traditional teaching methods, the teacher is often the main provider of knowledge, students acquire knowledge by listening to lectures and practicing, learning materials and resources are usually closed, and the results of assignments are mostly graded by the teacher only. In contrast, open teaching methods encourage students to actively participate in the creation and sharing of knowledge and focus on the openness of learning resources. By allowing students to construct and apply knowledge in practice, open pedagogy pays more attention to dynamic communication and collaboration in the learning process. For example, students can participate in creating Open Educational Resources (OER), sharing research results, or collaborating on projects on authentic problems. In this model, students are no longer just passive receivers, but become co-creators of knowledge.
The OER approach helps students develop critical thinking and self-directed learning skills, while enhancing their sense of social responsibility, as the content they create has potential social value. Educators also benefit from this approach by sharing and adapting instructional materials based on open resources, thus continuously enriching their curricula.
The Role and Impact of OER:
The benefits of using OER for my learning or teaching are significant. First of all, it provides a flexible choice of resources and the freedom to choose materials that suit different learners’ needs, which is especially helpful for the implementation of the UDL framework. Through OER, I can provide diverse learning materials such as videos, interactive exercises and text resources to accommodate different learning styles and abilities. In addition, OER is updated frequently and the content is more real-time and relevant, which can help learners keep abreast of current knowledge.
From the perspective of educational equity, OER can reduce the cost of educational resources and provide unpaid learning opportunities for students who are not financially well-off. At the same time, these resources are usually open source, and anyone can create and share them twice, forming a knowledge-sharing ecosystem that further promotes the spread of knowledge and the globalization of education.
Global Trends in OER:
One of the most influential current global trends in OER is the support and promotion of policies at the national level. Governments and international organizations are increasingly incorporating OER into their education policies, such as the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), which put forward an Open Educational Resources Recommendation in 2019, encouraging countries to promote and support OER.This trend has boosted the penetration of OER into the global education system, increasing the visibility and usage of OER. For example, countries such as the U.S. and Canada have supported the creation and promotion of OER in their policies, encouraging colleges and universities to use open textbooks, thus effectively reducing the cost of education for students. International cooperation can promote the sharing of global educational resources and help overcome the problem of educational inequality. For example, through translation and localization, OER can be made to reach a wider audience and knowledge can be disseminated across language and cultural barriers.
Another notable trend is the active participation of higher education institutions, with many universities sharing quality educational resources through open courses (e.g. MIT’s OCW). This provides free or low-cost learning opportunities for students around the world, especially those who do not have access to prestigious institutions. Nonetheless, students may still face the challenge of lack of support services in utilizing these resources, especially in some developing countries, where although the government supports the development of OER programs, there is an imbalance of resources in the promotion of OER in different countries, especially in areas with poor technological infrastructure. Problems of coordination in policy formulation and implementation may also affect the actual effectiveness of OER.
In addition, the integration of OER with technological innovation is evolving, and new technologies such as artificial intelligence and virtual reality are enhancing the interactivity and personalization of OER. However, this technological integration also brings with it high requirements for equipment and networks, and many educational institutions may face financial constraints. Overall, despite the many opportunities presented by the development of OER, there are still a number of challenges to be overcome in its rollout and implementation to ensure that it truly benefits all learners.
Understanding Creative Commons Licensing:
In the context of OER, Creative Commons licenses greatly facilitate the sharing and use of educational resources, allowing educators and learners to use, adapt and redistribute resources legally and responsibly. Creative Commons licenses offer a variety of licensing options that ensure copyright protection of resources when they are shared by clarifying the rules for their use. For me, these licenses have not only helped me to follow compliant use in my learning and teaching, but they have also encouraged a culture of participation in resource sharing.
Several key types of Creative Commons licenses, such as Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike, ensure that when a resource is used and adapted, the original author is given attribution, the resource is used for noncommercial purposes, and the modified work is shared under the same license. This mechanism can drive iteration and optimization of the resource while ensuring that the resource is open for use in the first place. With Creative Commons licenses, I can clarify which resources can be freely cited, edited, and re-created, as well as how to legally share adapted versions.
In my teaching, let’s say that I design and publish an economics lesson as an OER resource. In order to encourage others to use and adapt this resource, I could use an “Attribution-Noncommercial Use” license. This allows anyone to use my courseware and attribute it to me, but not for commercial purposes. This protects my copyright and promotes the sharing of knowledge. Other educators can adapt my courseware to suit different teaching needs, which also promotes the diversification of OER resources. On the other hand, when I am looking for teaching resources, I can also filter through Creative Commons licenses to find resources that meet my needs. For example, when I find a CC BY-SA licensed resource, I can make appropriate modifications on the premise of retaining the original author’s signature, and share the modified resource again to create new value for others to use. This practice not only improves the utilization of the resource, but also enhances its sustainability.
Creative Commons licenses ensure the respect of copyright and legal use of resources in OER, and promote the ecology of “all for one, one for all” resource sharing. At the same time, it helps educators to develop a responsible attitude when using other people’s resources, which contributes to building a mutually trusting and beneficial knowledge community in the long term.
Attributes of Open Pedagogy:
Key attributes of open pedagogy such as collaboration, transparency and student-centered learning are essential to creating an inclusive and engaging learning environment. Collaboration encourages students to work together in groups to solve problems and share different perspectives and experiences, thereby enhancing their communication skills and teamwork. In my educational practice, I can facilitate this collaboration by designing group projects and interactive discussions to ensure that every student has the opportunity to participate and contribute their ideas.
Transparency is another important attribute that relates to the clarity of instructional objectives, assessment criteria, and the learning process. When students understand their learning objectives and assessment criteria, they are more likely to feel that their learning journey is meaningful and actively engaged. In my teaching, I can help students build stronger motivation for learning by clearly stating lesson objectives and providing feedback to keep them informed of their progress.
Student-centered learning emphasizes respecting and meeting the needs and interests of each student. This approach not only motivates students to learn, but also provides individualized support for students of all abilities and backgrounds. In my practice, I can create a more inclusive learning environment by ensuring that every student finds their place in learning through flexible curriculum design and diverse teaching strategies.