Open Educational Practices

Open educational practices (OEP) is an umbrella term that includes the creation, use, and reuse of open educational resources (OER); pedagogical practices encouraging peer learning, collaborative knowledge creation, sharing, and empowerment of learners; and systemic and structural initiatives to support and embed openness. The underlying values of OEP match those of open education more broadly, i.e. enabling educational access, ensuring inclusivity, and furthering equity. Examples of OEP include using OER, renewable/non-disposable assignments (where students publish work openly), collaborative annotation, Wikipedia editing, open courses, and engaging in open learning/teaching communities, among many others. Some people use the terms 'OEP' and 'open pedagogy' interchangeably, while others consider OEP to be a broader concept, inclusive of open pedagogy, as the latter focuses primarily on teaching practices (see Open Pedagogy). OEP can be enacted at the level of individual artifacts, modules or programs (via OER, open pedagogy, open textbooks, open learning design) as well as systemically across institutional structures (via open education policies, open publishing practices, reward/recognition structures). Recent OEP research focuses on the importance of critical and social justice approaches, reflecting wider trends in digital and higher education. Such approaches acknowledge the importance of context and power relations and encourage diverse, inclusive, and equitable approaches to openness

EdTec Implementation in a global higher education network: Empirical data from a field study in South Asia

This paper examines the appropriateness of using educational technologies toward increasing flexibility of learning in a global higher education in South Asia. The integration of information and communication technology (ICT) into education is widely perceived as an essential aspect of teaching and learning in contemporary society and therefore embodied in education policies across many countries, Cambodia and Sri Lanka included. Authors consider the argument that while interactive educational technologies may be appropriate in countries in which self-directed study and student autonomy are emphasised, a similar use of educational technologies may be found appropriate. Yet, in South Asian countries, education has traditionally been more tightly structured and teacher-directed that is why this paper does examine government policies toward the use of educational technologies in higher education in Cambodia and Sri Lanka. Qualitative analyses of both needs and challenges of introducing and implementing ICT in these particular cultural contexts are considered as preconditions for an effective implementation of Higher Education (HE) skill development. Subsequently, a plan is concluded of how to implement EdTec in that HE network to trigger awareness about further steps of the recent measure

Towards Digital Thinking and Practices: Experiences of Sri Lankan Teachers and Students

Commonwealth Digital Education Leadership Training in Action (C-DELTA), an open and free online programme of the Commonwealth of Learning, provides a framework to foster digital education. The Open University of Sri Lanka implemented an intervention during 2020-2021 to promote digital education in Sri Lankan secondary schools, through the adoption of C-DELTA. This paper presents how C-DELTA supported developing digital thinking and practices among teachers and students, challenges faced and supports received by them, and impacts of the intervention. Participants’ experiences were captured through questionnaire surveys, concept maps, focus group interviews, reflective stories, and video narratives. The findings revealed that the intervention has enhanced developing digital learning skills of teachers and students, and changing their thinking and practices, yet, amid various challenges. While the implementation of C-DELTA in schools has been slow during the COVID-19 pandemic, the pandemic itself has shown the significance of improving digital literacy and digital practices

Openness in Education as a Praxis: From Individual Testimonials to Collective Voices

Why is Openness in Education important, and why is it critically needed at this moment? As manifested in our guiding question, the significance of Openness in Education and its immediate necessity form the heart of this collaborative editorial piece. This rather straightforward, yet nuanced query has sparked this collective endeavour by using individual testimonies, which may also be taken as living narratives, to reveal the value of Openness in Education as a praxis. Such testimonies serve as rich, personal narratives, critical introspections, and experience-based accounts that function as sources of data. The data gleaned from these narratives points to the understanding of Openness in Education as a complex, multilayered concept intricately woven into an array of values. These range from aspects such as sharing, access, flexibility, affordability, enlightenment, barrier-removal, empowerment, care, individual agency, trust, innovation, sustainability, collaboration, co-creation, social justice, equity, transparency, inclusivity, decolonization, democratisation, participation, liberty, and respect for diversity. This editorial, as a product of collective endeavour, invites its readers to independently engage with individual narratives, fostering the creation of unique interpretations. This call stems from the distinctive character of each narrative as they voice individual researchers’ perspectives from around the globe, articulating their insights within their unique situational contexts

Openness in Education as a Praxis: From Individual Testimonials to Collective Voices

Why is Openness in Education important, and why is it critically needed at this moment? As manifested in our guiding question, the significance of Openness in Education and its immediate necessity form the heart of this collaborative editorial piece. This rather straightforward, yet nuanced query has sparked this collective endeavour by using individual testimonies, which may also be taken as living narratives, to reveal the value of Openness in Education as a praxis. Such testimonies serve as rich, personal narratives, critical introspections, and experience-based accounts that function as sources of data. The data gleaned from these narratives points to the understanding of Openness in Education as a complex, multilayered concept intricately woven into an array of values. These range from aspects such as sharing, access, flexibility, affordability, enlightenment, barrier-removal, empowerment, care, individual agency, trust, innovation, sustainability, collaboration, co-creation, social justice, equity, transparency, inclusivity, decolonization, democratisation, participation, liberty, and respect for diversity. This editorial, as a product of collective endeavour, invites its readers to independently engage with individual narratives, fostering the creation of unique interpretations. This call stems from the distinctive character of each narrative as they voice individual researchers’ perspectives from around the globe, articulating their insights within their unique situational contexts

Openness in Education as a Praxis: From Individual Testimonials to Collective Voices

Why is Openness in Education important, and why is it critically needed at this moment? As manifested in our guiding question, the significance of Openness in Education and its immediate necessity form the heart of this collaborative editorial piece. This rather straightforward, yet nuanced query has sparked this collective endeavour by using individual testimonies, which may also be taken as living narratives, to reveal the value of Openness in Education as a praxis. Such testimonies serve as rich, personal narratives, critical introspections, and experience-based accounts that function as sources of data. The data gleaned from these narratives points to the understanding of Openness in Education as a complex, multilayered concept intricately woven into an array of values. These range from aspects such as sharing, access, flexibility, affordability, enlightenment, barrier-removal, empowerment, care, individual agency, trust, innovation, sustainability, collaboration, co-creation, social justice, equity, transparency, inclusivity, decolonization, democratisation, participation, liberty, and respect for diversity. This editorial, as a product of collective endeavour, invites its readers to independently engage with individual narratives, fostering the creation of unique interpretations. This call stems from the distinctive character of each narrative as they voice individual researchers’ perspectives from around the globe, articulating their insights within their unique situational contexts

Impact of integrating OER in teacher education at the Open University of Sri Lanka

This chapter reports on a research project implemented in the Faculty of Education at the Open University of Sri Lanka (OUSL) which investigated the impact of integrating Open Educational Resources (OER) in the teaching-learning process by secondary level student teachers in Sri Lanka. The research questions this study seeks to answer are: What are the impacts of OER integration on the use of instructional materials by teachers? What are the impacts of OER integration on teachers’ pedagogical perspectives? What are the impacts of OER integration on teachers’ pedagogical practices? The study adopted a design-based research approach. An intervention programme was implemented with 230 participants who were student teachers registered in the OUSL Postgraduate Diploma in Education programme in nine OUSL centres across the nine provinces of Sri Lanka. Data were collected at multiple stages through the following quantitative and qualitative strategies: survey questionnaires, analysis of lesson plans, concept mapping, self-reflection, semi-structured interviews, focus group discussions, usage data from the learning management system and narratives in the form of “stories”. While descriptive statistical methods such as percentages were used to analyse the quantitative data, the authors employed an Interpretive Phenomenological Analysis approach to analyse the qualitative data. Findings showed that the integration of OER had a substantial impact on changing teachers’ instructional resource use, pedagogical perspectives and pedagogical practices. The careful and systematic design of activities facilitated a shift from a “low” to a “high” degree of innovative use of instructional resources as well as creation of OER by teachers, while their pedagogical perspectives and practices shifted towards more constructivist, context-centric and collaborative patterns, as well as to a participatory and sharing culture, in favour of Open Educational Practices. This kind of capacity-building of teachers in the adoption of OER has the potential to strengthen the school education system in Sri Lanka. Motivating teachers through provision of further opportunities, and recognition of their initiatives through incentives and appreciation, would enhance empowerment of teachers to act as “change agents”. It will also provide insights to inform recommendations for the formulation of evidence-based guidelines to support OER adoption.</p

A Collaborative Approach to OER Policy and Guidelines Development in the Commonwealth: The Case of Botswana, Cameroon, and Sri Lanka

Access to relevant learning resources is an important aspect in ensuring inclusive and equitable quality education and lifelong learning opportunities for all as outlined in the sustainable development goal 4 (SDG4). The Commonwealth of Learning (COL) has identified the development of open educational resources (OER) as a potential answer to these challenges. A total of 29 provincial/regional OER policies and guidelines were developed in Sri Lanka, Botswana, and Cameroon closely involving 608 provincial/regional policymakers from the general education system. The innovation of this project lies in the collaborative approach adopted for OER policy/guideline development where a maximum number of policymakers at the provincial/regional level have been included in the policy development process. Key applications of the approach are mass-sensitization of policymakers, identification of champions in each province or region to drive the OER agenda forward, and the development of policies/guidelines tailored to the specific needs of a particular jurisdiction. The paper will also highlight the success factors, challenges, and the follow-up activities of the project

EdTec Implementation in a global higher education network: Empirical data from a field study in South Asia

This paper examines the appropriateness of using educational technologies toward increasing flexibility of learning in a global higher education in South Asia. The integration of information and communication technology (ICT) into education is widely perceived as an essential aspect of teaching and learning in contemporary society and therefore embodied in education policies across many countries, Cambodia and Sri Lanka included. Authors consider the argument that while interactive educational technologies may be appropriate in countries in which self-directed study and student autonomy are emphasised, a similar use of educational technologies may be found appropriate. Yet, in South Asian countries, education has traditionally been more tightly structured and teacher-directed that is why this paper does examine government policies toward the use of educational technologies in higher education in Cambodia and Sri Lanka. Qualitative analyses of both needs and challenges of introducing and implementing ICT in these particular cultural contexts are considered as preconditions for an effective implementation of Higher Education (HE) skill development. Subsequently, a plan is concluded of how to implement EdTec in that HE network to trigger awareness about further steps of the recent measure

EdTec Implementation in a global higher education network: Empirical data from a field study in South Asia

This paper examines the appropriateness of using educational technologies toward increasing flexibility of learning in a global higher education in South Asia. The integration of information and communication technology (ICT) into education is widely perceived as an essential aspect of teaching and learning in contemporary society and therefore embodied in education policies across many countries, Cambodia and Sri Lanka included. Authors consider the argument that while interactive educational technologies may be appropriate in countries in which self-directed study and student autonomy are emphasised, a similar use of educational technologies may be found appropriate. Yet, in South Asian countries, education has traditionally been more tightly structured and teacher-directed that is why this paper does examine government policies toward the use of educational technologies in higher education in Cambodia and Sri Lanka. Qualitative analyses of both needs and challenges of introducing and implementing ICT in these particular cultural contexts are considered as preconditions for an effective implementation of Higher Education (HE) skill development. Subsequently, a plan is concluded of how to implement EdTec in that HE network to trigger awareness about further steps of the recent measure