Being open to new ideas: a quick look at the Open Content philosophy. | lost my pen blog

"‘Open Content’ or ‘Open Educational Resources’ is a quickly emerging technology and philosophy and involves sharing content such as music, books, documents, videos, data and even course materials online and free of charge. According to the NMC Horizon Report for K-12 Education Open Content is already a driving trend across a range of sectors and will continue to grow with the changing face of education, work and research in a global community, which relies on collaboration, inquiry and creativity as well as knowledge.   The Open Content trend has evolved due to technological advances such as Internet speed and download capabilities and been encouraged by the global community that web 2.0 and social media sites have created. Hybrid learning and shared working spaces have also contributed to the appeal of open content as students and workers want to have access to knowledge where ever they are, not just in the office or classroom.  The philosophy at the centre of Open Content is not simply acquiring resources free of charge, it revolves around the concepts of personalisation, best practice and life long learning. Open Content reaches far beyond schools and universities and is being used in sectors such as science and business, which according to the research done by the Open Knowledge Foundation gain from having access to data, statistics and training resources. Open Content uses alternative or open licenses which allow teachers and others to co – create resources, and students to personalize their learning but it does not negate the rights of authors.  One of the key descriptors of Open Content according to the SIIA Guide on the Use of Open Educational Resources (OER) in K-12 and Postsecondary Education is that the content is able to be viewed and downloaded effectively therefore giving equal access to anybody with a computer and Internet connection. In regards to the viability of using Open Content materials in the classroom this accessibility is key because many schools rely on software that is free or widely available and do not always have access to full time IT professionals to provide teachers with assistance (especially primary schools). Open Content also reflects the philosophy of the flipped classroom which encourages students to explore or be introduced to a topic at home via an online source such as a video, and then ask questions, discuss and evaluate their learning (meaning making) when back at school with their peers and teachers ..."