This chapter has discussed the benefits of open learning and education for learners everywhere, providing them with the ability to access high-quality education and training. Education is an essential, shared and collaborative social good. We have focused on the importance of access, equity, quality, entrepreneurship, continuing professional development,
172 Open Education
learning and preparing for an uncertain future in the digital society.
Research has shown that it is clear that we cannot continue to educate today’s learners using yesterday’s methods for a tomorrow that we do not yet understand (Sangra, 2015; UNESCO, 2015).
Open principles, such as open educational resources, free and open software, open data and open standards, are the keys to the genuine empowerment of faculty and students globally and to making education and opportunities accessible to all. How learners obtain meaningful learning has become part of the opening up debate. Accordingly, education requires new policy reforms which embrace the opening up of educational concepts and debate. Given the rapid changes in learners’
needs in the digital age, there is an intensified need to focus on the renewal of innovation in learning and teaching (European Commission, 2014a, 2014b). The dissemination of learning and knowledge is essential for the reflective experience of constructing knowledge and developing skills in the process of interaction, teamwork and responsibility for personal learning within the framework of the transformation of learning and teaching (Aksal, 2011). Pedagogical innovations such as open education will also promote changes in policies to prioritize human learning and development through access to and equality in learning and teaching.
In this respect, significant collaborative efforts have been made to move from a teacher-centered approach to a learner-centered approach within the framework of a lifelong learning perspective. Because of the changes in teaching and learning practices caused by digitization, pedagogical approaches need to include project-based activities, experiential learning and group dynamics to help learners reconstruct knowledge and develop skills and abilities to fulfil their potential. This chapter has reviewed how learning and teaching processes have shifted rapidly to require open education for lifelong learning. It has considered supporting theories and offered the examples of case studies in order to advocate policy and pedagogical reforms based upon open education.
In transforming lives and developing skills, education and the learning environment have important roles in ensuring inclusive and equal learning opportunities and promoting lifelong learning to an increasing number of people. Because education involves transformative and developmental processes, it affects the inclusion, equity and development of learners in the practices of global and
173 8. Transformation of Teaching and Learning in Higher Education
national educational systems. Learning environments need to reflect the values human rights, shared responsibility, inclusion and the protection of human fulfillment (Kuter, Altinay Gazi and Altinay Aksal, 2012).
Access is a compulsory quality indicator of education systems in which all learners have access to education and learning environments anytime and anywhere. In transforming learning and teaching, educational processes need to encourage inclusion and equality for all learners through assuring access. By proposing meaningful learning and professional development opportunities in lifelong learning processes, open education commits to promoting universal access and participation. In ensuring motivation, equality, evaluation of learning progress and creativity, we must rethink learning and teaching environments to enhance the quality of education (Gazi, 2011).
Educational quality includes both knowledge creation and creativity in terms of skill development within the processes by which educators plan and restructure learning environments to meet learners’ expectations, including global and local standards in education. Significantly, higher education practices need to include equitable and increased access to quality education and research for the continuous improvement in the quality of their practices. Technology-supported learning environments, such as open education, acquire strength through knowledge dissemination, innovation and collaboration to meet global standards.
174 Open Education
References
Aksal, A. F. (2011), Action Plan on Communication Practices: Roles of Tutors at EMU Distance Education Institute to Overcome Social Barriers in Constructing Knowledge, The Turkish Online Journal of Educational Technology — TOJET, 8(2), 33–47.
Barber, M., Donnelly, K. and Riezvy, S. (2013), An Avalanche is Coming: Higher Education and the Revolution Ahead, London: Institute for Public Policy Research.
Bonk, C. J., Lee, M. M., Reeves, T. C. and Reynolds, T. H. (Eds.) (2015), MOOCs and Open Education Around the World, London: Routledge, http://dx.doi.
org/10.4324/9781315751108
Bucklow, C. and Clark, P. (2000), The Role of the Institute for Learning and Teaching in Higher Education in Supporting Professional Development in Learning and Teaching in Higher Education, Teacher Development, 4(1), pp.
7–13, 10.1080/13664530000200101
Butcher, N. and Moore, A. (2015), Understanding Open Educational Resources, in M. Sanjaya (Ed.), Commonwealth of Learning, http://oasis.col.org/
bitstream/handle/11599/1013/2015_Butcher_Moore_Understanding-OER.
pdf?sequence=1&isAllowed=y
Castaño Muñoz, J., Redecker, C. Vuorikari, R. and Punie, Y. (2013), Open Education 2030: Planning the Future of Adult Learning in Europe, Open Learning: The Journal of Open, Distance and E-Learning, 28(3), pp. 171–186, 10.1080/02680513.2013.871199
Chen, Y. C. and Tsai, C. C. (2009), An Educational Research Course Facilitated by Online Peer Assessment, Innovations in Education and Teaching International, 46(1), pp. 105–117, http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/14703290802646297
Courtney, M. and Wilhoite-Mathews, S. (2015), From Distance Education to Online Learning: Practical Approaches to Information Literacy Instruction and Collaborative Learning in Online Environments, Journal of Library Administration, 55(4), pp. 261–277, http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/01930826.2015.
1038924
Creelman, A., Ehlers U. and Ossiannilsson, E. (2014), Perspectives on MOOC quality — An Account of the EFQUEL MOOC Quality Project, International Journal for Innovation and Quality in Learning, 3, pp. 79–87, http://lup.lub.
lu.se/search/record/4648237
Cormier, D. (2015), Re: A Practical Guide to Rhizo 2015, http://davecormier.com/
edblog/2015/04/10/a-practical-guide-to-rhizo15
Daniel, J. (2012), Making Sense of MOOCs: Musings in a Maze of Myth, Paradox and Possibility, Journal of Interactive Media in Education, 2012(3) (Article 18), http://doi.org/10.5334/2012-18
175 8. Transformation of Teaching and Learning in Higher Education
de los Arcos, B., Farrow, R., Perryman, L.-A., Pitt, R. and Weller. M. (2014), OER Evidence Report 2013–2014, OER Research Hub, http://oerresearchhub.org/
about- 2/reports
Devlin, M. and Samarawickrema, G. (2010), The Criteria of Effective Teaching in a Changing Higher Education Context, Higher Education Research and Development, 29(2), pp. 111–124, 10.1080/07294360903244398
Du, J., Xu, J. and Fan, X. (2015), Help Seeking in Online Collaborative Group Work: A Multilevel Analysis, Technology, Pedagogy and Education, 24(3), pp.
1–17, 10.1080/1475939X.2014.897962
Dweck, C. (2006), Mindset: The New Psychology of Success, New York: Random House.
Downes, S. (2012), A True History of the MOOC, http://www.downes.ca/
presentation/300
Downes, S. (2016), Personal and Personalized Learning, EMMA Newsletter, February 17, http://us8.campaign-archive2.com/?u=17ce08681f559814caf135 9d3&id=fa1770e58d&e=6fb1272e29
Edwards, R. (2015), Knowledge Infrastructures and the Inscrutability of Openness in Education, Learning, Media and Technology, 40(3), pp. 251–264, 10.1080/17439884.2015.1006131
European Commission (2013), Opening up Education: Innovative teaching and learning for all through new Technologies and Open Educational Resources, http://
eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/?uri=CELEX%3A52013DC0654 European Commission (2014), High Level Group on Modernisation of Higher
Education. Report to the European Commission on New Modes of Learning and Teaching in Higher Education, http://ec.europa.eu/education/library/reports/
modernisation-universities_en.pdf
Gaebel, M. (2014), MOOCs: Massive Open Online Courses, An Update of EUA’s First Paper (2013), The European Association (EUA), http://www.eua.be/
Libraries/publication/MOOCs_Update_January_2014.pdf?sfvrsn=2
Gaebel, M., Kupriyanova, V., Morais, R. and Colucci, W. (2014), E-learning in European Higher Education Institutions: Results of a Mapping Survey Conducted in October–December 2013, Brussels: European University Association.
Gazi, Z. A. (2011), A Step for Evaluating Constructivist Approach Integrated Online Courses, Turkish Online Journal of Educational Technology — TOJET, 10(3), pp. 13–20.
Gourley, B. and Lane, A. (2009), Re-invigorating Openness at The Open University: The Role of Open Educational Resources, Open Learning: The Journal of Open, Distance and E-Learning, 24(1), pp. 57–65, http://dx.doi.
org/10.1080/02680510802627845
176 Open Education
Haggard, S. et al. (2013), The Maturing of the MOOCs: Literature Review of Massive Open Online Courses and Other Forms of Online Learning, BIS Research Paper no. 10, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills.
Hewlett Foundation (2016), The Open Educational Recourses Initiative, http://
www.hewlett.org/uploads/files/OER_overview.pdf
Inamorato dos Santos, A., Punie, P. and Castaño Muñoz, J. (2016), Opportunities and Challenges for the Future of MOOCs and Open Education in Europe, in E. de Corte, L. Engwall and U. Teichler (Eds.), From Books to MOOCs?
Emerging Models of Learning and Teaching in Higher Education, Proceedings from a symposium held in Stockholm, 23 May 2015, 88, pp. 81–91, London:
Portland Press, http://www.portlandpresspublishing.com/sites/default/
files/Editorial/Wenner/PPL_Wenner_FM.pdf
Kanwar, A., Uvalić-Trumbić, S. and Butcher, N. (2011), A Basic Guide to Open Educational Resources (OER), Vancouver: Commonwealth of Learning; Paris:
UNESCO.
Keeling, R. P. (2009), Learning as Transformation: Resourcefulness and Renewal in Higher Education, Journal of College and Character, 10(3), pp. 1–4, 10.2202/1940-1639.1081
Kuter, S., Altinay Gazi, Z. and Altinay Aksal, F. (2012), Examination of Co-construction of Knowledge in Videotaped Simulated Instruction, Educational Technology & Society, 15(1), pp. 174–184.
Latchem, C., Özkul, A. E., Aydin, C. H. and Mutlu, M. E. (2006), The Open Education System, Anadolu University, Turkey: E-transformation in a Mega-university, Open Learning: The Journal of Open, Distance and E-Learning, 21(3), pp. 221–235, http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/02680510600953203
Mapstone, S. (Ed.), Buttendijk, S. and Wiberg, E. (2014), Online Learning at Research Intensive Universities, LERU Advisory Paper no. 16 (2014), http://
www.leru.org/files/publications/LERU_AP16__Online_Learning_at_RIUs_
final.pdf
Open Education Consortium (OEC) (2016), What is Open Education?, http://
www.oeconsortium.org/about-oec
Open Education Working Group (2014), The Open Education Handbook, http://
education.okfn.org/handbook
Ossiannilsson, E. (2016), Challenges and Opportunities for Active and Hybrid Learning Related to UNESCO Post 2015, in J. Keengwe and G. Onchwari (Eds.), Handbook of Research on Active Learning and the Flipped Classroom Model in the Digital Age, pp. 333–351. Hershey: Information Science Reference, http://dx.doi.org/10.4018/978-1-4666-9680-8
Ossiannilsson, E. (2016), Let the Learners take the Lead for their Learning and Educational Lifelong Learning Journey, in J. Keengwe and G. Onchwari (Eds.), Handbook of Research on Learning Centred Pedagogy in Teaching Education and Professional Development, Hershey: IGI Global, http://dx.doi.
org/10.4018/978-1-5225-0892-2.ch009
177 8. Transformation of Teaching and Learning in Higher Education
Ponti, M. (2014), Self-directed Learning and Guidance in Non-formal Open Courses, Learning, Media and Technology, 39(2), pp. 154–168, http://dx.doi.org /10.1080/17439884.2013.799073
Sangra, A. (2015), Expanding Learning Opportunities for the Last 25 Years…and Beyond, Keynote address, Expanding Learning Scenarios, EDEN Annual Conference 2015, 9–12 June, 2015, Barcelona, Spain.
Shan, D. (2015), MOOCs in 2015: Breaking Down the Numbers, EdSurge, https://
www.edsurge.com/news/2015-12-28-moocs-in-2015-breaking-down-the-numbers
Siemens, G. (2005), Connectivism: A Learning Theory for the Digital Age, Instructional Technology and Distance Learning, 2(1), http://www.itdl.org/
journal/jan_05/index.htm
UNESCO (2010), High-level Meeting on the Millennium Development Goals, http://
www.unesco.org/new/en/education/themes/leading-the-international-agenda/education-for-all/education-and-the-mdgs
UNESCO (2015), Position Paper on Education Post-2015, http://unesdoc.unesco.
org/images/0022/002273/227336E.pdf
Weller, M. (2011), The Digital Scholar: How Technology is Transforming Scholarly Practice, London: Bloomsbury Academic, http://dx.doi.
org/10.5040/9781849666275
Weller, M. (2014), The Battle for Open: How Openness Won and Why it Doesn’t Feel like Victory, London: Ubiquity Press, http://dx.doi.org//10.5334/bam
Wheeler, S. (2015) Learning with ‘e’s: Educational Theory and Practice in the Digital Age, London: Crown House Publishing.
Wood, L. N., Vu, T., Bower, M., Brown, N., Skalicky, J., Donovan, D., Loch, B., Joshi, N., and Bloom, W. (2011), Professional Development for Teaching in Higher Education, International Journal of Mathematical Education in Science and Technology, 42(7), pp. 997–1009, 10.1080/0020739X.2011.608864
Yuan, L. and Powell, S. (2013), MOOCs and Open Education: Implications for Higher Education, JISC CETIS, http://publications.cetis.org.uk/wp-content/
uploads/2013/03/MOOCs-and-Open-Education.pdf