Open Educational Practice (OEP)

Overview:

Open educational practice is a learning perspective which emphasizes student voice, identity and culture by ensuring equitable access to learning resources and opportunities for all students. The focus of open learning is on sharing and building knowledge for all learners and encouraging learner participation in safe, respectful and supportive learning spaces. In K-12 learning contexts, there is a continuum of openness which considers how much learning occurs in publicly open environments which is dependent upon the individual open readiness (Cronin, 2017) of learners and teachers. "Open practice is not a one-time decision. It is a succession of personal, complex, and nuanced decisions" (Cronin, 2017).

Open educational practice (OEP) in K-12 learning contexts describes an intentional design that expands learning opportunities for all learners beyond classroom walls by collaboratively and individually sharing and building knowledge and encouraging networked participation by interacting with others from multiple cultural perspectives.

Roberts, 2018 building from Cronin, 2017)

The open learning experience for any K-12 learner will be directly influenced by the open readiness of their teacher.

More information about Open Educational Practice:

• Open Educational Practice (OEP) in K-12 Online and Blended Learning Environments.
• Openness and Praxis: Exploring the Use of Open Educational Practices in Higher Education

Open educational practices (OEP) can help support the expansion from one formal learning space into multiple non-formal learning spaces because the student is in control of the learning environments that they wish to explore. The coloured circles represent some of the current research which describes characteristics of open educational practice which can act as a bridge to connect learners to open learning spaces .

Open learning can occur in any classroom context or environment but does not require technology, the only essential factor is that all learners to connect with networks and learning opportunities outside the classroom.

The openness refers to the learning which occurs as a result of interactions in learning environments that blend formal and non-formal learning opportunities. Formal learning opportunities (like classrooms, google classroom, moodle, the AB Program of Studies) are interconnected with Non-formal learning opportunities (like community partners, other classes in your school, other classes around the world, authors and guests) to create "open learning spaces".

Open educational practices also provides a means for teachers to consider how to connect formal curriculum and competencies in one learning space.

Additional References:

• Hendricks, Christina. Open Pedagogy, Open Educational Practice
• O’Byrne, Ian and Kristy Pytash. Becoming Literate Digitally in a Digitally Literate Age
• Roberts, Verena, et al. Open Educational Practice (OEP) in K-12 Online and Blended Learning Environments
• Various contributors. Openness and the Open Mindset in Learning (podcast)