Open Education 2017

According to the Merriam-Webster dictionary, equity is defined as the freedom from bias or favoritism. Achieving the Dream believes that higher education institutions have an obligation to work toward equity for their students. The development and use of non-biased open resources have the power to create equitable learning experiences for all students. One question this panel will tackle is whether or not the use of OER in higher education environments automatically ensures that issues of diversity and equity are addressed.

The open education movement is heavily rooted in the belief that teachers and faculty have the freedom to develop content that meets the needs of their students. This raises a few questions. Can the implementation of OER exacerbate bias? To what degree is OER content culturally relevant? Does the majority of OER content have a white American male slant? Are we remixing content that unintentionally alienates a particular group of students?

During this session, panelists from community colleges and four year institutions will tackle the tough questions related to the intersection of equity and OER while addressing the ways in which OER can challenge bias.

Session panelists will discuss strategies for creating more diversity in the OER space and exploring success and challenges in developing culturally relevant and relatable OER content. They will also address ways in which colleges can consider issues of equity when designing OER courses and degree programs.

Overview: In the US, there is desperate need to address inequity in our education system. High poverty-schools account for 25% of all public schools, and in every state, those students complete high school at a significantly lower rate than their peers. This trend continues straight into higher education, where economically disadvantaged students finish their degree programs at significantly lower rates than their peers.

OER has tremendous potential to bring equity to our schools and ensure that all students – regardless of their economic status, location, and background – have access to the same high quality learning materials. But as we push for greater OER adoption, are there ways that OER can exacerbate or entrench existing inequity?

This panel features two higher education experts and two K-12 experts, who will discuss this question and brainstorm how to best position OER as a solution to inequity in education moving forward.