Open Educational Resources: The Real Democratization of Education

In a recent post, English Professor Miles McCrimmon discussed the ways in which Open Educational Resources (OERs) are impacting the traditional approaches to and soaring costs of textbooks in education. Along those same lines, I've been thinking about how the technologies of the Internet and mobile global access are breaking down barriers to information, education, and learning.  I recently heard someone declare that in virtual reality, "everyone is free."  In the context of politics, sociology, and education, this statement is powerful indeed.

The digitization of knowledge, information, speech, communication, and social and cultural tools has eroded the political, geographical, and economic structures that once defined the concrete landscapes of our world. As our world(s) become increasingly multi-dimensional and as we move further into virtual landscapes limited only, it sometimes seems, by our own capacity to imagine them into being, new freedoms come into definition. We have witnessed such freedom most graphically in the recent weeks in the context of the dramatic political changes that have brought long-standing dictatorships to an end. These revolutions began within the virtual worlds created by the Internet and spilled over into the real spaces of city squares, neighborhoods, and entire nations.

While the democratization of political and social power is visibly at the forefront these days, the digitization of our world is likely have its most powerful impact in the field of education and, especially, to our access to education. The increasing and free availability of information tears down the rigid barriers of money, privilege, and resources that once limited the power of knowledge and knowledge-creation to only a few. This "liberation" of information and learning is, in many ways, a quieter revolution whose true impact will be felt more gradually than the political and economic revolutions that currently reverberate on the global stage.

The availability of Open Educational Resources abounds. These resources are wonderful tools not only for students but for educators as well. Resources are accessible in a variety of media; many are created by leading researchers, institutions, and scholars, and others are produced by individuals driven by personal passion and interest. The generous spirit of collaboration and free dissemination of information is the common thread that links such resources and make them powerful agents for the transformation of education.

A good starting point for further information about OERs and their connection to community colleges in particular is The Community College Consortium for OERs.  This site provides links to the top "Featured Sites" that house a variety of rich material.

--Ghazala Hashmi

QEP Coordinator