Collaborative learning and the open educational resource movement

Collaborative Learning and the Open Educational Resource Movement

Dirk Bowles

Abstract

Open Educational Resources (OERs) are bringing a wealth of information, through various technologies, to all corners of the planet. This vital new movement has greatly impacted how our next generation now learns, but the promise is far grander. For the movement to reach it’s full potential, it must keep pace with technology. As Web 1.0 has moved on to the more interactive Web 2.0, so must the OER movement progress to the more interactive, student-centered, social learning environment of Learning 2.0. In this analysis I will share current examples of social learning in OER’s. First, I will look at the trend of consumers becoming producers on websites such as Connexions and Rip Mix Learner. Second, I will examine the current and future role of education in social and interactive sites like Facebook and Wikipedia. Third, I will address how social learning is incorporated into OER’s that are created for developing countries. And finally, I will discuss future trends and how OER’s can, and must, continue to drive learners to interact and connect when they are in disparate areas.

Keywords

Open Educational Resources (OER), Collaborative Learning, Social Learning, Social Web Sites, Learning 2.0, Web 2.0

1. Introduction

As the Internet continues to change the landscape of society, education is certainly not immune to the impacts of the digital age. To the contrary, education must be on the front line of these changes if we are to best prepare our students for the future. There are an infinite number of examples of how education and technology are meeting. Whether it is in Science with projects like the University of Illinois’ Bugscope project, that gives students access to high powered electron microscopes through the internet Retrieved April 6, 2009, from Bugscope Web site: (External Link) , or in the arts with projects like Theatrelink that allows students in disparate locations to write plays together Retrieved April 6, 2009, from TheatreLink Web site: (External Link) , learning collaboratively is fostered more effectively everyday through technology. I would like to examine one aspect of this revolution, and that is where collaborative learning meets the Open Educational Resource (OER) movement. OERs are bringing a wealth of information, through various technologies, to all corners of the planet. This vital new movement has greatly impacted how our next generation now learns, but the promise is far grander. For the movement to reach it’s full potential it must keep pace with technology. As Web 1.0 has moved on to the more interactive Web 2.0, so must the OER movement progress to the more interactive, student-centered, social learning environment of Learning 2.0. In this analysis I will share current examples of collaborative learning in OERs. We will begin by discussing how consumers have become producers. The very creation of many OERs has become a lesson in collaborative learning. Then we will look at social sites like Facebook, MySpace, and Elgg and the impact they are having on the OER movement. Next we will look at how collaborative learning through OERs can foster a more effective approach to pedagogy in developing countries. And finally, we will look into the potential of Learning 3.0. We will see what’s next for collaborative learning in OERs in the years to come.