How can equitable access to authentic, meaningful & relevant learning environments for all learners be afforded to all learners in open and distributed learning contexts?
“Open education seeks to eliminate as many [barriers] as possible, with the aim of improving educational access, effectiveness, and equality”
Cronin, 2019
This quote by Cronin, in my opinion, sums up the goals of UDL and how adding open distributed learning into learning settings can create more equitable, authentic, meaningful and relevant learning environments.
When we aim to break down barriers and create relevant and meaningful materials and spaces, by allowing learning to happen in a variety of spaces through a variety of voices and choices, we allow for more people to take part in, connect to, take ownership of and enjoy, learning. Open learning attempts to accomplish this by offering access to materials, resources, information, and data freely and with no fees attached, while opening up the conversation to a wider range of humans. This happens by “making content more inclusive [which] begins with understanding what kinds of alternatives are needed, and realizing that inclusivity and accessibility are achieved through awareness, adaptation, collaboration, and flexibility. ” (OCAD, 2021). It is also achieved by asking the learners themselves what they need and where they need to go, as well as placing them in learning environments that will foster their abilities to successfully become part of their future workplaces or promote innovation.
Although, open learning can, at times benefit in information accessibility and diversity, it does continue to have its pitfalls. Lisa, a colleague I have been working with in this course, questioned, “is there truly equity in learning when not everyone has equal opportunity to access said learning?” (Swan, 2021). This struck home with me because I work with learners in Africa who have have minimal resources and technologies. They have no access to these due to costs and accessibility to electricity and wifi. I can see them struggling to obtain and to sustain any learning that is not necessarily happening in larger facilities or towns nearby. Therefore, are open distributed learning resources truly open and accessible to all? No. This makes me question HOW can we make this possible?
What did you already know, what do you know now based on the course readings and activities, what do you hope to learn?
I already knew about UDL and how it is designed specifically to give the learner advocacy over their learning and to shift any power roles that exist in a learning environments. I knew that UDL helps the learner organize or demonstrate their learning which increases engagement, allows for voice and choice and that if given relevance, can increase motivation and meaning behind what and why they are learning. UDL also creates more of an equitable environment, because when a learner is at the centre of their learning, and they are given choice in tools and technology to use in a way that is accessible to them, they can demonstrate where they are at without the barriers of having to use only a single mode they may not be savvy with or even be able to physically do.
I would still like to learn about how we can make OERs more accessible for ALL and how we can get training on developing these OERs for our learners and for ourselves. I am currently trying to get a website I made licensed for CC, so I think it may become easier once I go through the motions once.
Citation
Cronin. C. (2019). Open education: Walking a critical path. In D. Conrad, & P. Prinsloo (Eds.), Open(ing) Education: Theory and Practice. Leiden: Brill. Open Access Version http://eprints.teachingandlearning.ie/4345/
Cronin. C. (2019). Open education: Walking a critical path. In D. Conrad, & P. Prinsloo (Eds.), Open(ing) Education: Theory and Practice. Leiden: Brill. Open Access Version http://eprints.teachingandlearning.ie/4345/
Robertson, T. (2017). Diversity, Equity and Inclusion in Open Research and Education. Press.rebus.community. Retrieved 29 July 2021, from https://press.rebus.community/openatthemargins/chapter/diversity-equity-and-inclusion-in-open-research-and-education/
Welcome to the Inclusive Learning Design Handbook | Inclusive Learning Design Handbook. Handbook.floeproject.org. (2021). Retrieved 27 July 2021, from https://handbook.floeproject.org/
Swan, Lisa. (2021). EDCI339 Open and Distributed Learning.