Social Justice for Open Education in Complex Educational Contexts: Bilingual Institutions

This blog post has been written to meet the requirements of the course OPEN9600, Open Education Policy and Leadership, as part of the Professional Program in Open Education offered at Kwantlen Polytechnic University.

It is understood that to implement real changes in education, regarding open education and OER, we must have leaders who are moving things forward and policies or recommendations that guide the projects and the implementation of these changes. But this can be complicated as we are working in complex and unique settings. For this week’s blog, I decided to reflect on a context that is close to me at the University of Ottawa, a bilingual educational setting with a linguistic minority group.

Complex educational context: Bilingual institutions and linguistic minority groups

I’ve been reflecting on social justice for linguistic minority groups for a while. I’ve dedicated a whole master thesis to the topic (hence this website). In Canada, there are 22 postsecondary institutions that are either francophone or bilingual in a minority setting, which indicates that there are thousands of students studying in French outside of Québec. It is important to reflect on the equity issues they face. While searching on the topic, I realized that the current open education movement can be seen as unilingual Anglophone and homogeneous (Cobo, 2013; Hodgkinson-Williams & Trotter, 2018; Karakaya & Karakaya, 2020). Therefore, I’ve asked myself this question: Can we say that open education is truly open, inclusive, and equitable for minority language speakers? This is where social justice comes into play.

To provide a bit more context on what equity issues can look like at a bilingual institution, I think it’s worth looking into the University of Ottawa. The University of Ottawa released in 2019 its Action Plan for the Francophonie. This report presents actions to promote the success of three major objectives, namely, to ensure more effective governance of the Francophonie at the University, to strengthen the presence and influence of the Francophonie on campus, and finally to better communicate the University's Francophone mission to its various target audiences (Cardinal, 2019). In 2021, the University presented its first summary report that presents the main findings of the consultations on the Francophonie at the University of Ottawa. Unfortunately, we see some striking inequities regarding francophone students. The report highlights the lack of access to courses in French, primarily due to the lack of course offerings. The report also notes the close link this issue has to the availability of course resources and textbooks. The lack of access to French language courses and learning resources, which also includes software, " significantly reduce the quality of the Francophone student experience. Unfortunately, this leads to the creation of two categories of students who simply do not have the same rights" (Office of the Vice-President, International and Francophonie, 2021, p. 7).

I consider open education (which includes OER and open educational practices), with an inclusive and social justice perspective, as a way to mitigate the complexity of those equity issues. Lambert (2018) suggests a definition of open education that focuses on the movement's potential for social justice, particularly for learners who are marginalized or underrepresented in systems, of which francophone students in minority settings are part:

Open Education is the development of free digitally enabled learning materials and experiences primarily by and for the benefit and empowerment of non-privileged learners who may be under-represented in education systems or marginalized in their global context (p. 239).

It suggests that open education is there to address a broader issue than the price of textbooks, namely access to education and academic success for all. But the definition does not address minority languages and cultures of students and professors. In the context of my master's degree, I developed a definition that considers the particularities and potential of open education in minority language communities:

Open educational practices in minority language contexts are evolving critical pedagogical practices that are recontextualized in the languages and cultures of the local context. They are characterized by the creation and sharing of open knowledge and learning materials by and for minority language speakers and thus contribute to a form of linguistic revitalization. The contribution and collaboration between students and teachers are at the heart of the practices (Lachaîne, 2023).

But how do we put this definition into action?

Leadership and Policy

This is where leadership and policies are essential. Without leaders and experts, it is quite difficult to implement innovative open practices with a social justice perspective.

In their policy co-creation method, Atenas et al. (2019) identify key elements to consider for policymaking, such as process, partners, context, and stakeholders. In a complex educational context, these elements are even more important and must be considered carefully. Regarding the context, they say that socio-cultural issues are important to examine. In my example, we need to really understand the francophone students, where they come from, their educational background, challenges, and issues they face. Partners are also important. We would ideally like people who really understand that specific group, that might be related to it, and leaders that can help the process to succeed. Leaders are those who see equity issues and act for them. It’s not trivial to see leadership as a core transversal dimension of open education (Inamorato dos Santos et al., 2016). Leadership is important in policymaking because it “promotes actions that enable the take up of open education across a university by a whole range of stakeholders, including learners” (Inamorato dos Santos et al., 2016).

To fully integrate a social justice perspective, students should also be considered as partners and leaders. By engaging students in discussion, they can express their needs and challenges and participate in problem-solving and policymaking.

To better understand how social justice can help better support Francophone students at the University of Ottawa through open education, I've adapted Sarah Lambert's work on three social justice principles.

Social Justice for Open Education in a Linguistic Minority Setting: Consideration for Policymaking is an adaptation of "Three Principles of Social Justice Applied to Open Education" by Sarah Lambert (2018) under a CC BY-SA 4.0 license. Social Justice for Open Education in a Linguistic Minority Setting: Consideration for Policymaking is attributed to Catherine Lachaîne and is under CC BY-SA 4.0 license.

Because of the uniqueness of some educational contexts, it’s difficult to apply a formatted process. But the social justice framework for open education can help leaders set the table for strategic, positive, and sustainable policy development that supports all learners.

References

Atenas, J., Havemann, L., Nascimbeni, F., Villar-Onrubia, D., & Orlic, D. (2019). Fostering Openness in Education : Considerations for Sustainable Policy-Making. Open Praxis, 11(2), Article 2. https://doi.org/10.5944/openpraxis.11.2.947

Cardinal. L. (2019). A Shared Responsibility: An Action Plan for the Francophonie at the University of Ottawa. https://www.uottawa.ca/about-us/sites/g/files/bhrskd336/files/2022-03/francophonie_action_plan_-_january_30_2019.pdf

Cobo, C. (2013). Exploration of open educational resources in non-English speaking communities. The International Review of Research in Open and Distributed Learning, 14(2), 106‑128. https://doi.org/10.19173/irrodl.v14i2.1493

Hodgkinson-Williams, C. A., & Trotter, H. (2018). A social justice framework for understanding open educational resources and practices in the global south. Journal of Learning for Development, 5(3). https://jl4d.org/index.php/ejl4d/article/view/312

Inamorato dos Santos, A., Punie, Y., Castaño-Muñoz, J. (2016) Opening up Education: A Support Framework for Higher Education Institutions. JRC Science for Policy Report. http://publications.jrc.ec.europa.eu/repository/bitstream/JRC101436/jrc101436.pdf

Karakaya, K., & Karakaya, O. (2020). Framing the Role of English in OER from a Social Justice Perspective : A Critical Lens on the (Dis)empowerment of Non-English Speaking Communities. Asian Journal of Distance Education, 15(2). http://www.asianjde.com/ojs/index.php/AsianJDE/article/view/508

Lachaîne, C. (2023). Pratiques éducatives ouvertes au postsecondaire en milieu minoritaire francophone au Canada : Défis et possibilités pour viser l’équité linguistique [Thesis / University of Ottawa]. http://dx.doi.org/10.20381/ruor-29135

Lambert, S. R. (2018). Changing our (Dis)Course : A Distinctive Social Justice Aligned Definition of Open Education. Journal of Learning for Development, 5(3). https://jl4d.org/index.php/ejl4d/article/view/290

Office of the Vice-President, International and Francophonie (2021). Summary Report - Towards a renewed Francophonie at the University of Ottawa: A Shared Responsibility. https://www.uottawa.ca/about-us/sites/g/files/bhrskd336/files/2022-03/towards_a_revewed_francophonie.pdf

The Role of Collaboration to Sustain Open Education

This blog post has been written to meet the requirements of the course OPEN9600, Open Education Policy and Leadership, as part of the Professional Program in Open Education offered at Kwantlen Polytechnic University.

Collaboration is at the heart of the open education (OE) movement, with its principles implemented in its various definition. We often talk about collaboration between professors and students (McGeary et al., 2021), collaborative knowledge creation (Bali et al., 2020), and collaborative learning (Cape Town Open Education Declaration, 2007). But this is all from the praxis point of view. What about collaboration for sustaining open education from a policy and advocacy perspective?

I consider collaboration as an essential part of open education awareness and advocacy to achieve a real engagement and transformational impact, at the local/institutional, national, or international level. Open education, with its related concepts such as open educational resources and open educational practices, is based on a paradigm shift of teaching and learning and the whole higher education system (I am focusing my reflection on higher education here). Adopting open education principles means redefining how we perceive education.

To implement these great ideas, we need people with common values, goals, and visions. But how can this be achieved at all levels (local, national, international), when we are all evolving in different contexts, with different priorities, and with different capacities?

For me, I think it really starts with a local community. For example, Canada as a country cannot completely support international initiatives if we do not have a strong community of advocates, leaders, and participants at the local and national levels. Therefore, I think that collaboration should start small. And then, the more widespread the conversation becomes, the more “external” collaboration can be built. To explain this idea, I like this infographic (Figure 1) that explains six patterns of Open Education international cooperation, in relation to the required institutional engagement and their potential transformational impact (Nascimbeni et al., 2021).

Figure 1. The six patterns of Open Education international cooperation, in relation to the required institutional engagement and their potential transformational impact (Nascimbeni et al. 2021)

When looking at the infographic, we see that the collaboration starts at the local/institutional level and goes up to the more transformational impact that can resonate at the international level. The more we are engaged with open education, the more we are perceived as leaders and influential. It is important to say that not all institutions will achieve transformational impact, but if there are leaders in the field, this is where collaboration becomes essential to help those who might have limited capacities or knowledge to become active in the OE movement. Therefore, I see that framework as working in both directions, either from local institutional initiatives to national/international leadership and collaboration or from national/international leadership and collaboration to institutions. In short, those who have reached a higher level of engagement can then help support those who are still in the beginning stages. Collaboration is also about sharing your expertise with others. For example, institutions such as Kwantlen Polytechnic University have reached transformational impact with their Zero Textbook Cost (ZTC) initiative, which is leading the way in Canada. If collaborating with other institutions on similar initiatives, their knowledge and expertise on the topic can be essential for the development of similar successful programs in Canada and elsewhere and could ultimately lead to policy implementation and a paradigm shift of teaching and learning in the whole higher education system.

I could reflect endlessly on the idea of collaboration within open education. I haven’t addressed “open collaboration”, consortium and networks, such as the Regional Open Education Leaders Network (ROEL), initiatives and organizations such as OE Global. But the main takeaway would be that I see collaboration (at all levels) as the first step to achieving fundamental changes in policy and education. Unity is strength!

References

Bali, M., Cronin, C., & Jhangiani, R. S. (2020). Framing Open Educational Practices from a Social Justice Perspective. Journal of Interactive Media in Education, 2020(1). https://eric.ed.gov/?id=EJ1254006

Cape Town Open Education Declaration. (2007). Cape Town open education declaration: Unlocking the promise of open educational resources. http://www.capetowndeclaration.org/read-the-declaration.

McGeary, B., Guder, C., & Ganeshan, A. (2021). Opening up Educational Practices through Faculty, Librarian, and Student Collaboration in OER Creation : Moving from Labor-intensive to Supervisory Involvement. Partnership: The Canadian Journal of Library and Information Practice and Research, 16(1), Article 1. https://doi.org/10.21083/partnership.v16i1.6149

Nascimbeni, F., Burgos, D., Spina, E., & Simonette, M. J. (2021). Patterns for higher education international cooperation fostered by Open Educational Resources. Innovations in Education and Teaching International, 58(3), 361‑371. https://doi.org/10.1080/14703297.2020.1733045

The Role of Policy in Open Education

This blog post has been written to meet the requirements of the course OPEN9600, Open Education Policy and Leadership, as part of the Professional Program in Open Education offered at Kwantlen Polytechnic University.

The open education movement is propelled by various recommendations. For example, UNESCO published its Recommendation on Open Educational Resources (OER) in 2019, and more locally to me, the University of Ottawa share the Report and Recommendations for Open Educational Resources (OER) Initiatives and Affordable Alternatives at uOttawa in 2021. Despite these recommendations, we still see few policies put in place for the tangible implementation of those recommendations. That brings the question, are recommendations enough to activate changes in education cultures and practices?

While policies are procedures to comply with, which, honestly, we don’t always appreciate in the context of higher education where some of us have academic freedom, I think they have an important role to play in open education awareness and adoption. Without those policies, we won’t see substantial changes in higher education practices in the short and medium term.

While reviewing the literature on the topic, and browsing online to find policies on open education, we realize that most policy guidelines are about OERs, and less about open education or open educational practices (OEP). Atenas et al. (2019) suggest that these OER policies are often treated in isolation or in parallel with the wider education sectors and their social and economic contexts (p. 168).

An example of a policy in application is the Open Educational Resources (OER) Policy (2022) from The University of the Highlands and Islands, in Scotland. Their policy is intended “to support staff and students across the university in the use, reuse and sharing of OERs to enhance learning and teaching within [their] context as a geographically and digitally dispersed institution, promoting education for all, sustainability in the curriculum and contributing to the health, economic and cultural wellbeing of the global community” (p. 2), and to “to encourage equality and diversity in the curriculum through greater transparency of content and processes” (p. 3). While many elements of this OER policy evoke open education in general, such as transparency, community, and sustainability, the focus is really on OERs and their usage and creation.

One interesting aspect of this policy, which can be read in its entirety online, is the focus on their local context, a geographically and digitally dispersed institution, which I think is fundamental to a successful policy. For example, my institution is officially bilingual, and an OE policy should address this context and the barriers and opportunities it can bring to the implementation of such a policy. Cox & Trotter (2016) suggest that the institutional culture and local context are at the basis of OER or open education policies.

Knowing that a policy could mandate practitioners to integrate OER and OEP in their teaching and learning practice, a guiding document is not enough for sustainable changes at an institution. This is an important investment in faculty training and professional development to rethink postsecondary education in a digital, highly technological, and globally open environment. Without support from the education system and peers, it can be difficult for an educator to embrace open education. It is therefore important that the open education movement be joined with patience and perseverance, and that all stakeholders, such as higher education administrators, professors, and even governments, support the principles of this movement and policy and be active participants as well.

Photo by Ashkan Forouzani on Unsplash

References

Atenas, J., Havemann, L., Nascimbeni, F., Villar-Onrubia, D., & Orlic, D. (2019). Fostering Openness in Education : Considerations for Sustainable Policy-Making. Open Praxis, 11(2), Article 2. https://doi.org/10.5944/openpraxis.11.2.947

Cox, G., & Trotter, H. (2016). Institutional Culture and OER Policy : How Structure, Culture, and Agency Mediate OER Policy Potential in South African Universities. The International Review of Research in Open and Distributed Learning, 17(5). https://doi.org/10.19173/irrodl.v17i5.2523

Open & Affordable Learning Materials Working Group. (2021, March). Report and Recommendations for Open Educational Resources (OER) Initiatives and Affordable

Alternatives at uOttawa. https://ruor.uottawa.ca/bitstream/10393/42580/4/Open%20and%20Affordable%20Learning%20Working%20Group%20Report%20REV_ENG.pdf

UNESCO. (2019, November 25). Recommendation on Open Educational Resources (OER). https://en.unesco.org/about-us/legal-affairs/recommendation-open-educational-resources-oer

University of the Highlands and Islands. (2022). Open Educational Resources (OER) Policy. https://www.uhi.ac.uk/en/t4-media/one-web/university/about-uhi/governance/policies-and-regulations/policies/UHI_OER_Policy.pdf