Open Education

A brief introduction

By: Dr. Andreas Meiszner, United Nations University UNU-MERIT – The Netherlands Workshop on “The Why and How of Open Education: Concepts and Practices”

OKCon 2011, June 31st – Berlin, Germany

Traditional formal class based Higher Education

This is definitely NOT Open Education --- OK, it might be Open in the sense that students can exercise their right of Free Speech (and accept bad grades in return)

Traditional formal Higher Education in the communication age

This also is definitely NOT Open Education

The Open Educational Resource movement

If content equals education, then this IS Open Education

The emergence of Free / Open Courses

If content and learning together with formally enrolled students – but without teacher support, with no assessment and with no certification IS STILL EDUCATION, then this IS Open Education.

The emergence of Free / Open Universities ?!?

If content, learning together with others, support by volunteering teachers and assessment through those, but no certification IS STILL EDUCATION, then this IS Open Education.

•  How we define Open Education depends on how we define Education.

•  In many societies Education equals to obtaining Formal Degrees or Certifications.

•  If Formal Degrees or Certifications are indeed the relevant criterion that defines Education, then Open Education pretty much the same then Closed traditional formal education as we know it – except that it is not “Closed”, but “Open”.

•  Luckily there are more shades then “black” and “white”, and the same likely holds valid for Education.

Thank you for your attention!

Dr. Andreas Meiszner, United Nations University

UNU-MERIT meiszner@merit.unu.edu