In this final post, as a part of my involvement in the course 'Open Educational Resources' I am asked to comment on what are the contributing factors of a sustainable 'open initiative'. Additionally, with the recent hype of iBooks 2 being launched I will share my thoughts on the sustainability of this new resource (to be sold at 14.99 or less).
An article in the Huffington Post has Apple Senior Vice President of Worldwide Marketing Phil Schiller speaking of the positive reaction children have to iPads in the classroom. It is apparent in my mind that students will be able to "explore" the textbooks in ways that the traditional paper-based textbooks does not allow. Some of the iBooks 2 features are embedded videos, interactive 3D images and models, and a built in dictionary function.
If an educator truly desired to engage the learner why would he or she willing choose to not implement these latest trends? Perhaps the issue can be viewed from two perspectives (although I am sure it can be viewed in more ways).
First, organization (schools, businesses etc.) do not allow for or promote the interactive learning benefits from using these (shall we call them modern?) online resources. Another angle could be that Apple from this endeavor could (and in my opinion will do so within the next three to five years) monopolize textbooks within the coming years and in doing so coerce (force?) users to purchase iPads, in order to stick with the times.
Individuals may not enjoy this prospect, especially those who are interested in promoting openness in learning (but still content producers have to make a living). As a student I would prefer using iBooks 2, and paying less than $15, than I would shelling out the sometimes exorbitant amount required. Of course, this course is a great model to follow as the textbook is an OER and use of it is completely free of cost.
Why doesn't all universities, schools and businesses simply adopt the use of OER in the classroom? Perhaps the underlying issue is that members of the community are not convinced with the level of quality that OER provides (or perhaps this quality cannot be consistently ensured). As outlined in the course handbook: "quality is the primary concern for most people learning about open education and open educational resources."
This is one of the contributing factors to the sustainability of the OER. movement Affordability is another factor as content creators must be funded (also known as being able to pay the bills). The international OER community is to give further attention to the following topics in the coming years: student assessment, quality of materials, affordability, global perspective, accessibility and access, and appropriateness / adaptation. This will undoubtedly improve society's opinion towards and solve some of the notable concerns with OER use.
The elephant(s) in the rooms will be taken note of and then we will all move happily into the future of open resources and OpenCourseWare.
This is one of the contributing factors to the sustainability of the OER. movement Affordability is another factor as content creators must be funded (also known as being able to pay the bills). The international OER community is to give further attention to the following topics in the coming years: student assessment, quality of materials, affordability, global perspective, accessibility and access, and appropriateness / adaptation. This will undoubtedly improve society's opinion towards and solve some of the notable concerns with OER use.
The elephant(s) in the rooms will be taken note of and then we will all move happily into the future of open resources and OpenCourseWare.
Great points Jonathan, and very real. Recently, I attended a meeting where an educator shared that he was beginning to use iPads in the classroom. His school division had purchased a quantity of iPads for him to use and infuse technology into his courses. He stated that the initial set up was not such an easy task. There were many factors to consider when using these devices, which belong to the school, in the classroom. These factors include IDs and passwords for students. This can't be the teacher's iTunes ID but needs to be generic. The school purchased iTunes gift cards for anything that needed to be purchased so that credit cards didn't have to be entered. Consistent wifi and security are other issues to consider when using iPads with students.
ReplyDeleteYou also mention that OER is not prominent yet because of issues such as Quality and Affordability. I have recently heard statements from several school divisions who are using various models to infuse technology into the curriculum where students bring their own devices. When I asked them about measuring the success of the infusion, I am hearing mixed messages. "As long as students learn to solve problems, it doesn't matter if they haven't used all the technologies or even know about them." The message is "lucy-goosey". I am wondering where the Quality and Rigour are in that kind of message. I think many students will be surprised at the global competition they face when they graduate or look for jobs or look to get into post secondary education. The sad part is that it is the students who will lose out. There is much work to be done!
Thanks Jonathan!
Eva