Open education… sounds simple enough, but how can it easily be defined? There are a few key ideas that stand out to me with regards to open education:

– broadening access to learning and training

– the elimination of barriers that may exist in more traditional educational systems (these barriers may be financial, physical, or otherwise)

– the creation and adoption of open content such as Creative Commons, Wikipedia, and open educational resources

A big part of defining open education is defining knowledge, and the assumption that people (or institutions) can “own” knowledge. In a traditional business model, teachers own the knowledge, and students are the consumers.

We are living in a highly connected and information rich world, and yet many people do not take advantage of the networking opportunities that exist. Knowledgeable, supportive digital communities exist no matter where we live. Most of us have moved past the stage of learning how to network, and we need to network to learn. Networked learning assumes that most people are open and free with their knowledge. As the infographic below suggests, connected learning is production centred, has a shared purpose, and is openly networked.

 

Networks are able to provide both affordances (communication, collaboration, and cooperation) and inspiration to educators. There is an onus upon educators to share in an open education, networked learning model. Robert Fulghum, in his classic All I really needed to know I learned in Kindergarten said it best. We all would be better off if we just remembered  to share everything and play fair!

Dr. Tony Wagner said that “today knowledge is free”. Would you agree with this statement?