Let’s Get Practical! Two Frameworks to Improve Practices of Open Education

Abstract

In our Open Educational Resources (OER) advocacy work, we have encountered various challenges considering formulating a vision and policy on Open Education and implementing these visions and policies. Among these issues are a lack of proper definitions and terminology and lack of support for formulating and implementing a vision and policies for Open Education. To tackle these issues, two frameworks are proposed. One framework addresses the categorisation and definition of learning materials (including OER) within an educational ecosystem, emphasising the importance of distinguishing various types of resources. The other framework is meant to support defining a vision on Open Education in a specific context, bridging instrumental characteristics with value-driven goals. Several use cases are described to illustrate practical use of these frameworks. Both frameworks should provide clarity and practical guidance for stakeholders, from governments to individual educators, navigating the complexities of OER adoption and Open Education.

Keywords

• open practice
• OER
• framework
• open education
• open vision