By Kaela Parks, Director, Disability Services, Portland Community College
I was intrigued when I saw that a webinar was being offered on “How OER can support student equity, diversity, and inclusion.” I am drawn to open education for a variety of reasons. Some are pragmatic, some are philosophical, but all have to do with equity, diversity, and inclusion.
Thus – even though I have more questions than answers, I am joining in. I’m going to share some of the aspects of this huge and complex topic that resonate particularly for me as an educator and as a learner, and I am going to eagerly look forward to the contributions of others as this important conversation continues.
Please understand. The examples I share here are mere drops in the bucket.
Synergy
I recently watched recordings from a series called “Black Minds Matter” facilitated by Dr. Luke Wood of San Diego State University. One of the episodes was focused on promising educational practices for black boys and men, and it included a conversation with Ilyasah Shabazz and Dr. Chance Lewis, as well as an interview with Dr. Jawanza Kunjufu.
I found myself reflecting on the piece in the days and nights following my initial viewing. I was seeing connections between the practices that were described as being important for black minds, and the practices that are embodied in universal design and open education. I don’t know how to express all the connections that I think are present, but in this blog post, I will try to briefly highlight a few examples that I think can illustrate the potential for synergy.
Promising Practices – Challenging the Dominant Perspective
The table below represents connections between three conversations; promising practices for black minds, universal design for learning, and open education practices. Each of the three is offering a critical response to dominant educational practice, but doing so from a different base, and to a certain extent, in conversation with a different population. That said – the connections are there – the ideas are compatible.
And really, for the purposes of this blog – the point I want to make is that while OER might or might not be any more equity focused in and of themselves, if we shift our focus from just trying to lower costs through open licensing, to trying to minimize barriers through open practices, then we get closer to a model of education that is consistent with what universal design and black minds matter might call for. Open education can lead to greater equity if the rejection is not only of high cost commercially produced texts, but also of commercialized educational practices.
Table: Challenges to the dominant perspective
| Dominant Practice | Promising Practice from Black Minds Matter | Universal Design Practice | Open Practice |
| Sage on the Stage | ● Using people’s names ● Providing mentors | Multiple means of engagement | Students as content contributors, curators |
| Commercial textbooks | ● Accurate history ● Relevant readings | Multiple means of representation | Materials cultivated from rich source set |
| Timed exams | ● Project-based learning ● Right-brained activities | Multiple means of Expression | Student-led demonstrations |
A more person-centered practice?
As it is, I often see conversations within diversity efforts that focus on race, and conversations in accessibility circles that focus on disability, and in OER initiatives that focus on lowering costs. But really – all are (potentially) talking about the same thing – we are talking about rejecting dominant practices that favor profit over people, and shifting to be more person-centered, more exploratory, and more authentic as we seek ways to encourage learners to uncover meaning.
Why we need open to address equity
There are more challenges than solutions, and more questions than answers, but at the end of the day – if we are hearing what research tells us, and looking at the history, then it becomes clear why open is needed. Dominant practices are benefiting some individuals but harming others. We need open because whiteness is real and discrimination is pervasive, because “born digital, born accessible” is not the norm. We need open because textbook costs have outstripped inflation and students are going without.
Ultimately, we need open because we deserve access in the true sense. We deserve access for all of us. I don’t know how we bring it all together – how we leverage the folks in each of these (often distinct) circles – but I hope there are ways to do so. I’d love to see more conversations and collaborations that bring those interested in equity and inclusion together. I’d love to see us connect and reinforce efforts, using open practices to dismantle barriers as we go.
Featured image by Helena Cuerva from Pixabay