I met the April 2023 Virtual Symposium with trepidations and calm assurance. This ambiguous state consisted of fears and apprehensions of the vast unknown and quiet assurance of endless possibilities that lay ahead. Many MALAT students walked this way before, and many more will; therefore, it can be done.
I was surprised by the concept of Open Education. The idea that “ you never know where you are going to end up” struck me as risky and uncontrolled (Cormier, 2017). In my view, it could create multi-levels of errors and oversight. However, after some thought, I realized that that is how life is; we often never know where we will end up. Ten years ago, I never knew I would be taking this junction in my learning journey, but here I am, writing a blog post for the LRNT521 course.
As intrigued as I am with the Open Education movement, I echo the emphasis placed on balancing openness with privacy, all the way to what Cronin (2017) refers to as the nano level. Balance is required to maintain safe, open spaces for learners so that when learners engage in rhizomatic learning, they do not unintentionally learn things that may be detrimental to their overall well-being (Cormier, 2017).
As Houldsworth (2023) highlighted, passing tacit knowledge to future generations is critical for many industries. The human resources that lay in those approaching retirement are essential in sustaining the credibility of companies and organizations. Reflecting on this made me realise now, more than ever, the importance of that “openness” piece in learning and education across all industries. In the aftermath of a Covid 19 pandemic, boomers may be retiring soon, having had the opportunity to work from home yet not having the chance to have those water fountain conversations where they can impart their ever-so-valuable tacit knowledge. Therefore, being open but safely passing down this knowledge will greatly benefit us all and continue to open endless possibilities for the future. After all, we learn from those that have gone before us.
References
Cormier, D. (2017, April 20). RRU Virtual Symposium: Intentional messiness of online communities [Webinar]. Royal Roads University.
Cronin, C. (2017, April 20). RRU Virtual Symposium: Choosing Open [Webinar]. Royal Roads University.
https://malat-coursesite.royalroads.ca/lrnt521/recordings/catherine-cronin-choosing-open/
Houldsworth, C. (2023, April 11). MA Applied Research Project Presentation: A Research-Informed DIET for Intergenerational Knowledge Transfer [Webinar]. Royal Roads University.
Good thoughts, Ano. Thx!
I’ve been thinking a bit about your comment about an initial reaction to open education as potentially “risky and uncontrolled.” I believe many people have similar thoughts when first wrestling with the different dimensions of “openness” and there is good reason to think critically about just how open online learning spaces should be.
Has anyone else encountered such initial reactions? What hopes and concerns do we share around the idea of open education?
I love that you brought this forward for discussion Ano and Russ. It resonated with me during David Cormier’s presentation (2017, April 20), and again responding to Andrea’s blog post. Once something is launched into the ever-expanding digital space, you have no control over how people will interpret your content, or who and how they engage with it. That loss of control is what feels to me risky and messy.
Professionally, my partner and I offer psychological services and supports to families. We have a moderate social media following on Instagram and TikTok, with good engagement. Social media content funnels consumers through to our website, newsletter and membership platform. We know the content is resonating with them. What we don’t know is how or if they are implementing the knowledge through use of new parenting strategies.
We have experience delivering intensive, evidence-based parenting programs to vulnerable families. They were delivered in person with strict adherence to program principles, and learning was assessed through pre/post-parenting assessments and home visits. Moving from this controlled, structured approach to learning into a more open, online delivery model leaves us uncertain about how to assess learning, evaluate program effectiveness and actively commit to ongoing improvement.
Cormier, D. (2017, April 20). RRU Virtual Symposium: Intentional messiness of online communities [Webinar]. Royal Roads University. https://malat-coursesite.royalroads.ca/lrnt521/recordings/dave-cormier-virtual-symposium-presentation/