Educating Teachers about Open Educational Practices : Firefighting Tactic or Long Term Strategy ?

Sandhya Gunness

doi:10.12816/0010836

Article Details

Educating Teachers about Open Educational Practices : Firefighting Tactic or Long Term Strategy ?

Authors:

Sandhya Gunness

Publisher:

Hamdan Bin Mohammed e-University

Main Topics:

Education

Journal:

International Journal of Excellence in Education 2014 Vol.6 Issue 2, pp.1-13

Document Type:

Article

Publication Date:

10/2014

Document Language:

English

Document ID (Org No.):

62925

Frequency:

Bi-Annual

eISSN:

19938675

DOI:

10.12816/0010836

Descriptors:

Keywords:

Abstract:

 Most research pertaining to Open Educational Resources (OER) in developing countries (Mauritius, Nigeria, India, etc) show that OER awareness is minimal. The countries where OER were seen as most needed, are actually those that are not even aware, let alone understand about OER. Thus, putting content out in the public does not ensure appreciation, nor does it provide additional opportunities for learning. The parallels can be drawn with the internet that allows much wider access to higher education, but it has been proved that simply making content more easily available does not result in higher quality learning (Butcher, 2007). The relevance of this work is to hear the teachers’ voices about Opening up education. In most developing world cultures, the teachers are the main mediators of knowledge and thus have a great impact on their student’s propensity for learning. Teachers either inspire, tire, or worse - make no difference to their learners and the linchpin of this outcome lies in the epistemological beliefs of teachers and how they perceive their influence on their students. The question that arises relates to whether teaching a module on Open Educational Resources will simply provide teachers with didactic knowledge for simply passing the module or whether there will be perceptible changes in mindset and more professional teaching cultures. This paper aims at looking at Open Educational Practices and whether it can be an appropriate framework to encourage a “culture of sharing and collaborative practices” and enhance the reflexive practices of teachers for more innovative teaching practices.

Article Details

Educating Teachers about Open Educational Practices : Firefighting Tactic or Long Term Strategy ?

Authors:

Sandhya Gunness

Publisher:

Hamdan Bin Mohammed e-University

Main Topics:

Education

Journal:

International Journal of Excellence in Education 2014 Vol.6 Issue 2, pp.1-13

Document Type:

Article

Publication Date:

10/2014

Document Language:

English

Document ID (Org No.):

62925

Frequency:

Bi-Annual

eISSN:

19938675

DOI:

10.12816/0010836

Descriptors:

EDUCATIONAL DEVELOPMENT

REMOTE EDUCATION

TEACHING METHODS

HIGHER EDUCATION

OPEN UNIVERSITIES

TEACHERS

Professionalisation of Teachers

Open Educational Practices

Bildung

Mezirow's Transformative Learning Theory

Issues

Article Details

Authors: Sandhya Gunness

Publisher: Hamdan Bin Mohammed e-University

Main Topics: Education

Journal: International Journal of Excellence in Education 2014 Vol.6 Issue 2, pp.1-13

Document Type: Article

Publication Date: 10/2014

Document Language: English

Document ID (Org No.): 62925

Frequency: Bi-Annual

eISSN: 19938675

DOI: 10.12816/0010836

Descriptors:

Issues

Authors:

Sandhya Gunness

Publisher:

Hamdan Bin Mohammed e-University

Main Topics:

Education

Journal:

International Journal of Excellence in Education 2014 Vol.6 Issue 2, pp.1-13

Document Type:

Article

Publication Date:

10/2014

Document Language:

English

Document ID (Org No.):

62925

Frequency:

Bi-Annual

eISSN:

19938675

DOI:

10.12816/0010836