Authors: Leo Havemann, Verena Roberts
Institutions: University College London / Open University, University of British Columbia
Countries: United Kingdom, Canada
Topic: Applications of Open Education Practices/Open Pedagogy/Open Education Research
Sector: Higher Education
UNESCO Area of Focus: Sustainable OER
Session Format: Presentation
Abstract
This abstract was almost unwritten due to the ongoing demands of the rapid 2020 ‘pivot online’ in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. Precisely because this move to online teaching, learning and assessment or 'Emergency Remote Teaching' (Hodges et al, 2020) has occurred so rapidly throughout the educational sectors of much of the world, many of us who work in support and development of (typically blended-mode) digital education have (certainly in the initial few months following the suspension of classroom teaching) spent more waking hours web conferencing from any available quieter spaces within our homes than we might previously have believed humanly possible (Beer, 2020). Meanwhile, edtech vendors and thought leaders have moved quickly into the space, framing the needs and concerns of this moment in accordance with particular agendas which might not, in fact, align with those of students or educators (Hess, 2020). A particular angle on the current crisis which has been voiced, but perhaps nonetheless has gone less heard than others, is that of the open education movement which presents an alternative vision of a sustainable online education ecosystem. The increased workload, in which each day has felt like a week, has been accompanied by a deluge of online advice and discussion from both renowned and rather newly minted experts, ranging from the helpful through the mundane to the damaging, the volume of which has made it challenging to even keep up with, let alone respond to. As a result it has been difficult, but we suggest, is imperative, for those in positions like ours to tell our stories. It is vital for those of us who have been at the screenface doing this work to think about what has been learned, and what this all means for online learning, our work, our colleagues, and our institutions going forward into a very different academic year. Our stories will amplify the relational and convivial narratives that were a major contribution to our survival and growth as open learners throughout the pandemic and beyond (Macgilchrist, 2020). This presentation will isolate and consider some key questions in an attempt at some synthesis of that discussion and reflection on the experiences from multiple perspectives and identities that were amplified as a result of the Covid 19 learning crisis.Beer, D. (2020) The writing moment: Three difficulties with writing in this time of upheaval. https://davidbeer.substack.com/p/the-writing-moment
Hess, F. (March 13, 2020). No, COVID-19 is not a swell chance to market your Ed-Tech ‘solution’. Forbes. Retrieved from https://www.forbes.com/sites/frederickhess/2020/03/13/no-covid-19-is-not-a-swell-chance-to-market-your-ed-tech-solution/#31a75ea32291
Hodges, C., Moore, S., Lockee, B., Trust, T., & Bond, A. (2020). The Difference Between Emergency Remote Teaching and Online Learning. EDUCAUSE Review. Retrieved from https://er.educause.edu/articles/2020/3/the-difference-between-emergency-remote-teaching-and-online-learning
Macgilchrist, F. (2020). Three Stories about EdTEch after the Corona Pandemic. TechLash #01 Digital education after Covid 19. June 2020 Retrieved from http://der.monash.edu.au/lnm/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/TECHLASH-01-COVID-education
Keywords
pandemic, pivot online, online learning, learning design, open educational practices
