Open Educational Resources as Tools to Foster Equity

Abstract

Educational Resources (OER) are teaching and learning materials that are available without access fees and with licensing that affords innovation through OER-enabled pedagogy.In this chapter, we review the financial impact of OER and research evidence that the quality of OER is comparable to that of commercial materials. This is followed by an explanation of how OER licensing allows instructors to revise materials and how OER can be adapted to be more culturally responsive, effectively aligned with learning objectives, and inclusive of student needs.By promoting access to materials, being adaptable to student needs, and providing diverse communities the opportunity to share their voices and knowledge, OER serve as tools to improve teaching and learning and promote social justice in higher education. We present future directions for OER research and implementation as well as sample initiatives to support the adoption of OER and activities that incorporate OER-enabled pedagogy.

Renewable vs. Traditional Assignments (NEBHE)

“…Redistributive justice is providing materials to those who typically would be under-resourced (Rawls 1971). Open education addresses this through public sharing and open licensing, allowing materials to be accessed and retained without financial cost (Clinton-Lisell et al 2021). Indeed, students who have been historically underserved by higher education, such as first-generation students, students of color, and low-income students, appear to benefit more from access to freely-available course materials (OER) relative to their peers (Colvard et al 2018;Jenkins et al, 2020;Nusbaum et al, 2019).…”

“…Representational justice is necessary because groups of people who have been historically underserved and marginalized have had their experiences shared by others rather than having the autonomy to speak for themselves (Lambert 2018). Renewable assignments may be designed to provide students opportunities to create materials that express their identities and tell their stories (Clinton-Lisell et al 2021). For example, rather than having a lesson on microaggressions experienced by minoritized individuals prepared by non-minoritized individuals, those who experience microaggressions themselves would have the opportunity and choice to create the materials.…”

“The pictures allowed me to connect to the material more”: Student perceptions of a diversity-focused open pedagogy assignment.

“…Studies suggest OER is not inherently better than commercial materials in recognitive justice (Brandle, 2020), although students report more opportunities for representational justice with renewable compared to traditional, disposable assignments (Clinton-Lisell & Gwozdz, 2023). Open pedagogy-because of its focus on having students develop, create, and expand existing OER as is allowed through open licensing-could be used to improve both recognitive and representational justice exhibited in OER (Clinton-Lisell et al, 2021).…”

Books (Are Not Like People): A Postdigital Fable

“…It was just so impenetrable though. I shuffled some of the fragments on the screen: 'Limitations of the study', 'thematic analysis', 'Braun and Clarke (2006)', 'creative commons', 'accessibility', 'distance education', 'focus groups', '(Authors Forthcoming)', 'qualitative methods', '(n = 8)', 'OER-enabled pedagogy (Bali et al 2020;Clinton-Lisell et al 2021)'. None of this made any sense.…”