Month: May 2025

The more i read about this week for ECDI 339, I have gained more insight on open learning. I read a decent amount about open learning’s potential, which emphasized a lot on access, cheaper education and overall creativity, the Common Wealth and Learning introduction and Open Education Resources (OEP) mentioned this. But it makes me think about the digital divide that exists today, if it’s really good why isn’t it widespread throughout society?

When i read “Open Pedagogy: A Response to David Wiley” there was the “5 R’s” (Retain, Reuse, Revise, Remix, Redistribute content) which went into a lot of detail and made lots of sense to me. I didn’t originally think about the hidden costs of resources that are free, such as a concern for privacy, but Wiley dove into that concern. I started to wonder if open learning is really open if injustices aren’t addressed after Cronin fought for social justice in open pedagogy. Sharing resources is only one aspect of it, another is inclusion, which i think is something really motivating that has true potential to improve education everywhere.

Wiley’s article on OEP, demonstrated how encouraging teamwork can transform education and set new opportunities of creative learning. Open learning sounds fantastic, and has the ability to reach everyone. With further work, open learning seems to be heading in the right direction! I’m eager to see how far we can push it.

I read some of “Openness and Praxis” and I found a concept that caught my eye which was “context collapse” that Marwick and Boyd mention in references. All aspects of our lives kind of collide together in one area, online. I was surprised by how much this spoke to me. If I’m being honest, I’ve never really been too comfortable learning or simply interacting online through technology. Conversations tend to feel more organic in a classroom for me, however I learnt some more about openness in this article. We may feel obligated to share everything online, but you can choose what you’re comfortable with!

I also watched Jon Dron’s video “How Distance Changes Everything”, he mentioned there is 3 aspects to intrinsic motivation in the classroom, which is autonomy, competence and relatedness (15:06). I think these 3 key points he mentioned really made sense to me. He emphasized on community and that struck a chord with me the most, it served that learning depends on connection, even if it’s online.

Overall, there are so many different way to build a connection with our community online, especially in this class since we have this blog. I’m aiming to be more open about how I participate in open learning environments now and in the future, but also keeping in mind of some methods that protect my privacy too! I’m very excited to learn more from others and through this course!