Arizona State University has a number of global education initiatives that deliver educational content to developing areas: the SolarSPELL project, a portable, solar-powered digital library designed to provide educational resources to people without reliable internet or electricity; and the MasterCard Foundation Scholars Community platform, creating a social learning network connecting scholars with tools and resources that can be used to contribute to their local communities. Additionally, the Center for Education through eXploration, focused on science learning through explorative digital experiences, is interested in partnering to develop OERs. The ASU Library supports these initiatives, assisting them with finding OERs, content curation, and consulting about licensing and intellectual property rights.
Using open content is critical to the success of these initiative. These programs require content that is freely available for people everywhere to view, and local teachers and learners need to be able to reuse and repurpose resources for their own needs. Trying to teach about copyright, intellectual property, and licensing on a global scale would make these projects impossible.
Our panelists will discuss their hopes for contributing to a healthier and more informed global society, and share ideas about how to overcome the challenges they face, such as:
How to partner with local educators and curate content for communities with different cultures and contexts? Can we augment their curricula and optimize materials, tools, and interfaces to reflect life in those locations?
How to build capacity in underdeveloped areas to sustain digital educational programs, including: teaching with technology, leveraging content for the curricula, developing information literacy skills, and developing local content?
How to create platforms that are easy to use for a wide variety of teachers and learners that incorporate many ways of understanding, knowing and navigating?
