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Recently my team members and I began considering the concept of educational video from a critical perspective. To better understand our chosen technology, we selected the video learning platform Khan Academy, and we undertook the process of enrolling in and progressing through an online lesson about Carol Dweck\u2019s (2006) Growth Mindset. On the surface level, the learning experience through Khan Academy provided colourful illustrations, narrative mini-lessons, and video explanations. The course progressed from one idea to the next, asking the learner open-ended questions between each section. As I read the lessons and watched the videos, I aimed to sharpen my analytical skills and consider what issues lurk beneath the surface of platforms like this. Selwyn (2010) implores academics and educators to \u201clook beyond issues of learning\u201d and consider the \u201csocial realities of technology use\u201d (p. 66). In adopting this approach, I focused my critical inquiry towards my personal context of open source and Open Educational Resources (OER).<\/p>\n
Free is an enticing word. As an adverb, it offers something \u201cwithout cost or payment,\u201d and as an adjective, it enables one to act without \u201cthe control or in the power of another\u201d (\u201cFree,\u201d n.d.). Free is a particularly attractive concept in EdTech, where many schools are looking to tighten their bottom line. Khan Academy represents a free video learning platform, offering their content under the mission \u201cto provide free, world\u2011class education for anyone, anywhere\u201d (Khan Academy, n.d.). However, as I considered the broader implications of this mission, I wondered if free video platforms really are without a cost. Both the words free<\/em> and cost<\/em> have nuanced meanings (\u201cGratis versus libre,\u201d n.d.). This line of inquiry led me to ask: What is the cost of free EdTech?<\/p>\n Free educational content is not necessarily open. Wiley (2014) defines five properties of open content: retain, revise, remix, reuse, and redistribute. Free video platforms like Khan Academy may offer their videos freely, but their content is often proprietary (Khan Academy, n.d.). Open versus proprietary is an important distinction, one which the word free<\/em> does not encompass. As an advocate of open content, I wondered what the societal impact of learning platforms like Khan Academy could be if people came to see free yet proprietary EdTech as the highest ideal. Would teachers be dazzled by free content and not realize that they could have genuinely open content? Could OER platforms lose their traction or funding in the face of proprietary platforms backed by billionaire philanthropists? Are many teachers aware of how to find open content, and how to recognize restrictive licenses?<\/p>\n If video platforms like Khan Academy become the norm, what are we missing out on? Losing one thing in exchange for another constitutes a cost (\u201cCost,\u201d n.d.), and a loss of openness may be just one of the many hidden costs of free<\/em> EdTech.<\/p>\n In undertaking this critical inquiry, I recognize that my perspective is not unbiased. As an open source developer and advocate of open pedagogy, I am passionate about the impact that a philosophy of openness can have on education. However, I realize that open source and OER are not a silver bullet. As I continue this inquiry and develop a learning plan, I will need to consider a wide range of research and pay specific attention to the biases that may be implicit in my initial arguments. I’d be interested to hear thoughts and additional perspectives from fellow MALAT students that may help me refine this line of inquiry.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n References<\/p>\n Cost. (n.d.). In Lexico Dictionary by Oxford<\/em>. https:\/\/www.lexico.com\/en\/definition\/cost<\/p>\n Dweck, C. S. (2006). Mindset: The New Psychology of Success<\/em>. Random House Incorporated.<\/p>\n Free. (n.d.). In Lexico Dictionary by Oxford<\/em>. Retrieved from https:\/\/www.lexico.com\/en\/definition\/free<\/p>\n Gratis versus libre. (n.d.). In Wikipedia<\/em>. Retrieved April 22, 2020, from https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Gratis_versus_libre<\/p>\n Khan Academy. (n.d.). Khan Academy | Free online courses, lessons & practice. Retrieved from https:\/\/www.khanacademy.org<\/p>\n Selwyn, N. (2010). Looking beyond learning: Notes towards the critical study of educational technology. Journal of Computer Assisted Learning<\/i>, 26<\/i>(1), 65\u201373. https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1111\/j.1365-2729.2009.00338.x<\/p>\n Wiley, D. (2014). Defining the \u201copen\u201d in open content and open educational resources. Retrieved from http:\/\/opencontent.org\/definition\/<\/p>\n Attribution<\/p>\n Recently my team members and I began considering the concept of educational video from a critical perspective. To better understand our chosen technology, we selected the video learning platform Khan Academy, and we undertook the process of enrolling in and progressing through an online lesson about Carol Dweck\u2019s (2006) Growth Mindset. On the surface level,… Continue reading What is the cost of free EdTech?<\/span> \nPhoto by rupixen.com<\/a> on <\/span>Unsplash<\/span><\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"