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On the role of openness in education: A historical reconstruction
Abstract and Figures
In the context of education, “open(ness)” has become the watermark for a fast growing number of learning materials and associated platforms and practices from a variety of institutions and individuals. Open Educational Resources (OER), Massive Open Online Courses (MOOC), and more recently, initiatives such as Coursera are just some of the forms this movement has embraced under the “open” banner. Yet, ongoing calls to discuss and elucidate the “meaning” and particularities of openness in education point to a lack of clarity around the concept. “Open” in education is currently mostly debated in the context of the technological developments that allowed it to emerge in its current forms. More in-depth explorations of the philosophical underpinnings are moved to the backstage. Therefore, this paper proposes a historical approach to bring clarity to the concept and unmask the tensions that have played out in the past. It will then show how this knowledge can inform current debates around different open initiatives.
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... The establishment of the Open University in 1969 led to the birth and dissemination of the term openness in education (Peter & Deimann, 2013). Openness functions as a philosophical umbrella term without having a clear definition. ...
... This article attempts to link the use of virtual worlds with the enhancement of openness and accessibility, placing some focus on people with disabilities in Distance Education. Openness first appeared in the 1960s with the establishment of the Open University of Great Britain (Peter & Deimann, 2013). Open and Distance Education, in its primary form, used correspondence as a tool and, later, television and radio (Peter & Deimann, 2013). ...
... Openness first appeared in the 1960s with the establishment of the Open University of Great Britain (Peter & Deimann, 2013). Open and Distance Education, in its primary form, used correspondence as a tool and, later, television and radio (Peter & Deimann, 2013). Gradually, technology development and utilisation became inextricably linked to Open and Distance Education and enhanced accessibility for People with Disabilities (Davis & Boellstorff, 2016;Lane, 2009). ...
This article aims to investigate the role of virtual worlds in enhancing the philosophy of openness in terms of accessibility in distance education. A bibliographic research was conducted, based on specific sampling criteria, to search and collect contemporary and topic-related literature, emphasising the last ten years. Articles and books on openness, accessibility, distance education, and virtual worlds were collected through research sources, such as Google Scholar, HEAL-Link and ERIC, utilising relevant keywords. This information was then organised and synthesised to show the importance of using virtual worlds to enhance accessibility in Open and Distance Education. According to the literature, Second Life is the most prevalent virtual platform within the educational community, thanks to its openness and the diverse opportunities for creating interactive virtual learning environments that foster the skills necessary for contemporary education. It is also noteworthy that virtual worlds, like Second Life, increase accessibility for people with disabilities, breaking down many physical barriers and providing significant opportunities for socialisation and learning. In conclusion, in the context of Open and Distance Education, virtual worlds like Second Life offer: a) an interactive, creative and collaborative environment with numerous possibilities and diverse sensory stimuli; b) accessible environments without spatiotemporal constraints; c) inclusive environments for users with disabilities and other vulnerable social groups, d) virtual visits to historical and art projects, workshops, and more, e) the creation of personalised learning experiences of high aesthetic value, and f) the democratisation of knowledge, since virtual communities, projects and activities in the virtual environment, can be open without spatiotemporal and economic constraints most of the time. Utilising virtual worlds increases accessibility, a strong indicator of openness in any educational context.
... Εκπαίδευσης Η ανοικτότητα, ως όρος, έκανε την επίσημη εμφάνισή του τον 20 ο αιώνα με την ίδρυση του Ανοικτού Πανεπιστημίου στη Μεγάλη Βρετανία (Peter & Deimann, 2013). Βέβαια, η έννοιά της ενυπήρχε ήδη στις θεωρίες της Κοινωνιολογίας της Εκπαίδευσης. ...
... Η ανοικτότητα στην εκπαίδευση έγινε ευρέως γνωστή κυρίως χάρη στην ίδρυση του Ανοικτού Πανεπιστημίου στη Μεγάλη Βρετανία, τη δεκαετία του 1960 (Peter & Deimann, 2013). Ακολούθησε η ίδρυση πολλών Ανοικτών Πανεπιστημίων παγκοσμίως, τα οποία εξυπηρετούν και εκπροσωπούν σε μεγάλο βαθμό τις πολιτικές των αντίστοιχων κυβερνήσεων (Tait, 2008). ...
... Μια δυνητικά ευρύτερη ερμηνεία της ανοικτότητας αναφέρεται στην ελεύθερη πρόσβαση στην εκπαίδευση, όσον αφορά στο κόστος, το ακαδημαϊκό υπόβαθρο, τον χώρο, τον χρόνο και την ελεύθερη διακίνηση του εκπαιδευτικού υλικού με τη μορφή των Ανοικτών Εκπαιδευτικών Πόρων (Cronin, 2017;Smith & Seward, 2017). Ωστόσο, παρά τις όποιες προσπάθειες ερμηνείας, η ανοικτότητα παραμένει ακαθόριστη και στις περισσότερες περιπτώσεις μόνο εν μέρει εφαρμόσιμη (Peter & Deimann, 2013). ...
Το άρθρο αυτό προσπαθεί να ερμηνεύσει την ανοικτότητα υπό το πρίσμα της Κοινωνιολογίας της Εκπαίδευσης, έτσι ώστε να θέσει τις βάσεις για την κατανόηση και την πιθανή υιοθέτησή της από το εκπαιδευτικό σύστημα. Οι Κοινωνιολόγοι της Εκπαίδευσης, περίπου μισό αιώνα νωρίτερα, έθεσαν –ασυνείδητα, ίσως– τις πρώτες θεωρητικές προϋποθέσεις της ανοικτότητας. Εστιάζοντας στους δύο βασικούς εκπροσώπους της Κοινωνιολογίας της Εκπαίδευσης, Pierre Bourdieu και Basil Bernstein, το συγκεκριμένο άρθρο συνδέει την ανοικτότητα με το habitus του Bourdieu και τους παράγοντες της ανοικτότητας με τα λεγόμενα πεδία (fields). Τα σημαντικότερα ευρήματα της έρευνας καταδεικνύουν ότι οι Κοινωνιολόγοι της Εκπαίδευσης, εξηγώντας τα κακώς κείμενα της σχολικής και πανεπιστημιακής εκπαίδευσης στην εποχή τους, κατέληξαν σε διαχρονικά συμπεράσματα που μπορούν να ληφθούν υπόψη για την οριοθέτηση, ερμηνεία και εφαρμογή της ανοικτότητας. Οι σύγχρονες παγκοσμιοποιημένες κοινωνίες του 21ου αιώνα επιβάλλουν το άνοιγμα των εκπαιδευτικών συστημάτων, ώστε να υποστηρίζουν τη Δημοκρατία, την ισότητα και τα Ανθρώπινα Δικαιώματα. Η ανοικτότητα, λοιπόν, ως πολιτική και φιλοσοφία αποτελεί προαπαιτούμενο και έχει τη δυναμική να απαντήσει στις προκλήσεις που αντιμετωπίζει η εκπαίδευση διαχρονικά. Ωστόσο, ο ορισμός και η ερμηνεία της ανοικτότητας και κατ’ επέκταση η πρακτική εφαρμογή της, αποτελούν δύσκολα εγχειρήματα, καθώς επηρεάζεται από πολλούς παράγοντες που αφορούν στο εκάστοτε κοινωνικό πλαίσιο.
... As already mentioned, openness emerged in the 21 st century with the creation of the British Open University (Peter & Deimann, 2013) and is often referred to as philosophy and political ideology, characterisations that are not well documented due to the lack of a clear definition of openness (Baker, 2017;Lionarakis, 2008). Nevertheless, by studying the literature, its relationship with the ideology of liberalism, which emerged in the 17 th and 18 th centuries and overturned what had previously been the case, albeit at a theoretical level and to a limited practical extent (Dupuis & Gordon, 2010), becomes apparent. ...
... The need for substantive equality arose in the era of industrialisation. Workers in heavy industry were excluded from any form of education, perpetuating the lack of opportunities and poor economic situation (Dupuis & Gordon, 2010;Peter & Deimann, 2013). ...
... This paper aimed to examine and connect the concept of openness in education with various educational philosophies and theories, namely the Philosophy of Education, the Sociology of Education, the Frankfurt School, and Critical Pedagogy. The term "openness in education" is a relatively new concept that is explored through a literature review in this paper (Peter & Deimann, 2013) and is often identified as philosophy and policy. However, these characterisations are not substantiated and to date, no clear definition has been found due to openness' fluid nature (Baker, 2017;Tunnel, 2010). ...
This research paper undertook the task of exploring and analysing the concept of openness in education through the lens of Philosophy of Education, Sociology of Education, the Frankfurt School, and Critical Pedagogy. A literature review was conducted, exploiting both recent and earlier peer-reviewed and topic-related papers on openness. In addition, original texts and books by the theorists of the above-mentioned schools, fields and movements were studied and utilised, also conducting additional analyses of them. Openness in education emerged as a term in the 20th century with the establishment of the Open University and has no clear definition. While commonly categorised as philosophy, culture, and policy, the supporting research for these labels is not entirely concrete. Nevertheless, an examination of these fields reveals a strong connection to the concept of openness, both in theory and in practical implementation. More specifically, the major findings showed that openness as a philosophy can be based on the ideas of Liberalism, as a culture can be related to Bourdieu's habitus and Habermas' lifeworld, while as a policy and practice it can be related to Pedagogy of Liberation. Overall, openness appears to be connected to and a logical progression of the aforementioned theories, suggesting that it could effectively tackle educational obstacles in the modern era. Establishing the theoretical and philosophical background of openness in education can lay the foundation for its definition and practical adoption by educational systems.
... Η ανοικτότητα στην εκπαίδευση εμφανίστηκε ως όρος για πρώτη φορά τον 20 ο αιώνα και από τότε αναπροσαρμόζεται διαρκώς, ανάλογα με τις εκάστοτε συνθήκες (Peter & Deimann, 2013). Αποτελεί φιλοσοφία και πολιτική και η ερμηνεία της είναι ρευστή, δημιουργώντας δυσκολία στην υιοθέτηση ενός σαφούς ορισμού (Baker, 2016). ...
... Αποτελεί φιλοσοφία και πολιτική και η ερμηνεία της είναι ρευστή, δημιουργώντας δυσκολία στην υιοθέτηση ενός σαφούς ορισμού (Baker, 2016). Πιο συγκεκριμένα, η δυσκολία ορισμού της ανοικτότητας οφείλεται στο γεγονός ότι η ίδια επιδρά, αλλά και δέχεται επιρροές από κοινωνικούς, οικονομικούς, πολιτικούς και εκπαιδευτικούς παράγοντες (Darling, 2007;Peter & Deimann, 2013). Έτσι, συνθήκες, όπως αυτές που προέκυψαν από την οικονομική κρίση το 2008 -2009 ή την πανδημία το 2020 και αφορούν σε όλους τους προαναφερθέντες παράγοντες, διαμορφώνουν την ανοικτότητα και με τη σειρά της, η ανοικτότητα διαμορφώνει εκ νέου το περιβάλλον στο οποίο ενυπάρχει (Jones, 2015). ...
Εξαιτίας της παγκοσμιοποίησης και των πρωτόγνωρων συνθηκών που προέκυψαν από την πρόσφατη πανδημία του Covid-19, ήρθε στο προσκήνιο ανάγκη για εκπαιδευτικές μεταρρυθμίσεις και στροφή προς ανοικτότητα. Η ανοικτότητα επιβεβαιώνει τον χαρακτήρα της εκπαίδευσης ως βασικό Ανθρώπινο Δικαίωμα, παρέχοντας ισότητα στις εκπαιδευτικές ευκαιρίες και ενισχύοντας τις δημοκρατικές ιδέες. Ωστόσο, τα σχολεία κινούνται προς αυτή την κατεύθυνση με ιδιαιτέρως αργούς ρυθμούς και σπανίως υιοθετούν πρακτικές ανοικτότητας, διατηρώντας τον κλειστό και αναχρονιστικό χαρακτήρα τους. Η αξιολόγηση των μαθητών/-τριών, ως αναπόσπαστο κομμάτι της μαθησιακής διαδικασίας, έχει τη δυναμική να ενισχύσει τόσο τον ανοικτό όσο και τον κλειστό χαρακτήρα του σύγχρονου σχολείου. Έτσι, ο σκοπός του άρθρου είναι να εξετάσει, μέσω βιβλιογραφικής επισκόπησης, τον τρόπο με τον οποίο η ανοικτότητα στην αξιολόγηση μπορεί να εφαρμοστεί και να συνεισφέρει στη δημιουργία ενός ανοικτού σχολείου, το οποίο θα στοχεύει στη συνολική βελτίωση των μαθητών/-τριών και όχι στη βαθμολογική κατάταξή τους. Τα σημαντικότερα ευρήματα της έρευνάς μας δείχνουν ότι με αφορμή τις εναλλακτικές μορφές αξιολόγησης που ήδη εφαρμόζονται στην εξ αποστάσεως εκπαίδευση γενικά, τα σχολεία έχουν τη δυνατότητα να προχωρήσουν στην αξιοποίηση ανάλογων πρακτικών ανοικτότητας στην αξιολόγηση των μαθητών/-τριών, ώστε να ενισχύουν την καλλιέργεια των δεξιοτήτων του 21ου αιώνα, καθώς και των αξιών της δημοκρατίας και της ισότητας.
... In AB learning, technology mediation empowers learners to choose their preferred learning methods, leading to significant improvements in their learning experience [5]. It may also prompt the investigation of various assets and develop students' digital literacy abilities, thus preparing them to traverse the digital terrain and giving them the tools they need to thrive in the digital era [18,19]. By leveraging digitalisation, technology mediation in AB learning provides learners with choices and creates an optimal learning environment. ...
In the evolving higher education landscape, students increasingly demand flexible and accessible learning opportunities that transcend traditional classroom boundaries. This article introduces agile-blended (AB) learning as a transformative educational approach that integrates the adaptability of agile methodologies with the versatility of blended learning. By combining these innovative strategies, AB learning aims to create a dynamic, learner-centred environment that enhances academic performance and engagement. This study explores the theoretical foundations, key features, and practical implementation of AB learning, focusing on metropolitan students who face unique challenges such as balancing work, family responsibilities, and a strong inclination towards technological integration in education. A case study conducted at a Hong Kong university illustrated the application of AB learning in a module designed for early childhood education students. The experiences and outcomes of 180 third-year Bachelor of Education students were examined through an AB approach facilitated by a video platform (YouTube). According to the results, AB learning significantly improves flexibility, learner autonomy, and the effective use of educational technology, thereby addressing the diverse needs of metropolitan learners. The implications of AB learning for future educational practice and research are highlighted, and its broader adoption is advocated to meet the evolving demands of modern students.
... In recent years, the landscape of higher education has been significantly transformed by the open education movement, which aims to increase access to and participation in education through the removal of barriers (Peter and Deimann, 2013). A key concept within this movement is open educational practices (OEP), which has gained considerable attention from researchers, educators and policymakers alike (Cronin and MacLaren, 2018). ...
Purpose
This study aims to examine the factors influencing university students' adoption of open-source software (OSS) within the context of open educational practices (OEP) by applying an extended Unified Theory of Acceptance and Use of Technology (UTAUT 2) model.
Design/methodology/approach
The research employs a quantitative approach, gathering data from 156 students at Hong Kong Metropolitan University through an online survey. The survey was designed to test nine hypotheses derived from the UTAUT 2 model, incorporating additional constructs relevant to OSS. Structural equation modelling (SEM) was used to analyse the data and test the relationships between constructs.
Findings
The results indicate that Performance Expectancy (PE), Effort Expectancy (EE), Price Value (PV), Self-Efficacy (SE) and Value Alignment (VA) significantly influence students' Behavioral Intention (BI) to adopt OSS. Conversely, Social Influence (SI), Facilitating Conditions (FC), Hedonic Motivation (HM) and Habit (HT) were not significant predictors. The findings suggest that while UTAUT 2 provides a useful framework for understanding OSS adoption, it requires adaptation to fully capture the unique characteristics of OSS in educational settings.
Originality/value
This study contributes to the literature by extending the UTAUT 2 model to the context of OSS adoption in higher education, highlighting the importance of economic factors and user alignment with OSS values. The results offer practical insights for higher education institutions aiming to promote OSS, emphasizing the need for support structures, training, and the promotion of OSS’s economic and collaborative benefits.
... The concept of openness emerged in the 21st century with the establishment of the British Open University (Peter & Deimann, 2013). Openness is often referred to as a philosophy, strategy and political ideology, characterizations that are not well established due to the lack of a clear definition of openness (Baker, 2017;Lionarakis, 2008;Sakkoula & Lionarakis, 2024). ...
This study attempts to answer the question of how "Open" Distance Higher Education is for Students with Disabilities (SwD) through a literature review. To this end, published books, journals, reports, and articles were examined using authoritative research sources such as Google Scholar, ResearchGate, and ERIC. In addition, laws related to Persons with Disabilities and education were also utilized. This paper is divided into four sections, where accessibility in Open and Distance Higher Education is analyzed in relation to SwD more broadly, concluding in the last section by discussing Open and Distance Higher Education and SwD in Greece. The existing literature and related research are very limited. The findings show that Distance Education offers significant opportunities for inclusive education, mainly due to the flexibility it provides. For students with mobility disabilities, Distance Higher Education offers the possibility of education without geographical limitations, especially when physical presence is impossible due to a lack of appropriate accessible building infrastructure. Furthermore, while multiform distance learning material can enhance accessibility, they can also pose barriers for SwD, as all tools and resources need to be accessible to everyone. Subtitles are an important accessibility tool, especially for deaf or hard of hearing learners. Additionally, examinations should be equally accessible to all learners, regardless of their disability. The distance learning material should be based on the principles of Universal Design for Learning. Also, assistive technologies and voice reading software play an important role, especially for visually impaired learners. Assistive technology and AI tools can help students depending on the type of disability. Under the current circumstances, the accessibility of SwD to Distance Higher Education, including in Greece, faces significant challenges. In conclusion, Distance Higher Education has the potential to support inclusive education, but it is necessary to implement appropriate accessibility standards and strategies.
Bu araştırmanın amacı, Türkiye’de açık öğretim konulu çalışmaları belirli ölçütlere göre incelemek ve çalışmalara ilişkin bütüncül bir bakış açısı sunarak açık öğretim konusunda yapılmış olan çalışmaların ne tür bir eğilim gösterdiğini belirlemektir. Bu amaç kapsamında, araştırmada içerik analizi türlerinden betimsel içerik analizi yöntemi ve kategorik çözümleme tekniği kullanılmıştır. Araştırmada ölçüt örnekleme yöntemi doğrultusunda belirlenen ölçütlere uyan toplam 49 (18 tez – 31 makale) çalışmaya ulaşılmıştır. Örneklem dâhilinde olan her bir çalışma araştırmacı tarafından geliştirilen kodlama formuna göre değerlendirilmiştir. İçerik analizi türlerinden kategorik çözümleme tekniği kullanılarak verilerin analiz süreci tamamlanmıştır. Araştırma sonuçları açık öğretim konusunda yapılan çalışmaların 2016 yılı itibariyle niceliksel dağılımının ivme kazandığını ve çoğunlukla makale türünde çalışmaların yayımlandığını ortaya koymuştur. Ayrıca sonuçlar açık öğretim konusunda yayımlanan çalışmalarda nitel araştırmanın yanı sıra nicel araştırma yöntemlerinin de sıklıkla tercih edildiği ve buna bağlı olarak verilerin analizinde ise betimsel istatistiklere ve betimsel analize daha çok yer verildiğini göstermiştir. Açık öğretim konulu çalışmaların eğilimleri göz önünde bulundurularak farklı ülkelerdeki açık öğretim konulu çalışmaların eğilimleri karşılaştırılabilir ve mevcut durum üzerinden konuya ilişkin eğitimde kültürel farklılıklar bağlamında değerlendirme yapılabilir. Böylece açık öğretim konusundaki eğitim politikalarının geliştirilmesi ve uygulamasına katkı sağlanabilir. Ayrıca farklı veri tabanlarında dizinlenen ve farklı ölçütler kullanılarak örnekleme grubuna dâhil edilen çalışmaların eğilimlerinin incelenmesi önerilmektedir.
Purpose
There is an inclination towards openness in research greatly supported by the accessibility of open access theses and dissertations (OATDs) from many universities and research institutions through institutional repositories or collaborative efforts like the OATD.org. This study aims to explore different trends in the availability of theses through OATD.org to assess different dimensions concerning the OATD landscape.
Design/methodology/approach
An online survey was conducted to examine the availability of theses from 1994 to June 2023. The indexed theses were analyzed for their incorporation into OATD.org during different time frames. The data were further analyzed to reveal different facts concerning OATDs, with a focus on their growth and evolving trends.
Findings
OATDs are fast becoming available globally, with a significant overall growth rate. The data depicts growing trends in almost all the identified time frames, with the highest during 2004–2008. Moreover, there is a significant gap in the availability of OATDs from different geographical domains, with the highest-indexed OATDs from developed countries, indicating that the OATD landscape is still in its infancy in developing nations.
Research limitations/implications
This study is limited to the coverage encompassed by the OATD.org portal, which is the best and most significant resource for finding OATDs published worldwide.
Originality/value
To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this study is the first ordered and thorough attempt to explore the trends in the availability of OATDs through OATD.org.
The number of online master’s programs in Russia is growing by the year with IT programs leading the way. The online master’s programs engage working adults whose goal is to obtain a new profession or master the skills required for their professional development. In terms of governmental regulation in Russia, almost no distinction is drawn between on-campus and online master’s programs. The surge in the number of the latter is attributed to university digitalization which merely transfers traditional content and structure to a digital form. The authors being actively engaged in educational practice challenge this point of view as it becomes apparent that online master’s programs constitute a stand-alone phenomenon worth thorough investigation. The article in question scrutinizes the core features of 48 Russian online master’s programs in IT; an explanatory analysis of the phenomenon is conducted through the open and distance education theories and the concept of professional master’s program. It is concluded that online master’s programs in IT in Russia bear signs of open and distance education models. However, it is premature to claim it a new type of education.
This article explores different forms of openness and closure in two knowledge communities: the fictional world of Castalia in Hermann Hesse's great work The Glass Bead Game, and the twenty-first-century cyberspatial universe of Wikipedia. These two worlds differ in some important respects, but they also share a number of educationally significant features in common. The authors compare the respective approaches to knowledge, decision-making and social organization in Castalia and Wikipedia. They argue that both can be seen as flawed knowledge communities, from which, nonetheless, much can be learned that is helpful in advancing current discussions of openness as an ideal.
The dawn of print was a major turning point in the early modern world. It rescued ancient learning from obscurity, transformed knowledge of the natural and physical world, and brought the thrill of book ownership to the masses. But, as Andrew Pettegree reveals in this work of great historical merit, the story of the post-Gutenberg world was rather more complicated than we have often come to believe. The Book in the Renaissance reconstructs the first 150 years of the world of print, exploring the complex web of religious, economic, and cultural concerns surrounding the printed word. From its very beginnings, the printed book had to straddle financial and religious imperatives, as well as the very different requirements and constraints of the many countries who embraced it, and, as Pettegree argues, the process was far from a runaway success. More than ideas, the success or failure of books depended upon patrons and markets, precarious strategies and the thwarting of piracy, and the ebb and flow of popular demand. Owing to his state-of-the-art and highly detailed research, Pettegree crafts an authoritative, lucid, and truly pioneering work of cultural history about a major development in the evolution of European society.
In this paper we present a history of the idea of Open Educational Resources, overview the current state of the Open Educational Resources movement, report on critical issues facing the field in the immediate future, and present two new projects to watch in 2009.
What is ‘open’ about Open Educational Resources? How does education become ‘open’ when it is removed from the institutional housing of the school or the university and develops in public social settings? Has the Internet, in providing educational content without cost and free of copyright restrictions, provoked a unique and fundamental shift in what we understand education to be and who we understand it to be for? The authors analyse the persistent but elusive claims to ‘openness' in education by examining two moments when education seemed to be released from institutional constraints to be accessible to ‘everyone’. They look at today's Open Educational Resources and the coffee houses of Europe at the beginning of the Industrial Revolution. Their focus is the learner - what constitutes access, the role of technologies in enhancing access, and the social and institutional constraints which are always in tension with the affordances of technologies.
