Reimagining Open At The Crossroads - Make Claims


Sticker Open Science: just science done right by Melanie Imming and John Tennant CC BY

This third Reimagining Open at the Crossroads activity invites you to make claims about open education and about reimagined forms of open education. Everyone is welcome to participate in this activity whether you are attending the OEGlobal 2024 conference or not.

As with activities one (Reimagining Open Education At The Crossroad Through Music) and two (Reimagining Open Education At The Crossroad What If?), activity three builds on the work of Catherine Cronin and Laura Czerniewicz and their five part action framework for moving forward from a crossroads. For background context I invite you to read their essay and the Reimagining Open at the Crossroads Introduction.

In their essay The Future isn’t what it used to be: Open Education at a Crossroads Catherine Cronin and Laura Czerniewicz write, “Making legitimate and explicit claims to better futures is necessary, both to fuel resistance to dominant narratives and to inspire the production of new visions. Individually and collectively, we must make claims for open education that recognise, value, and serve all, particularly marginalised individuals and communities, and all those hurt by increasingly iniquitous systems and structures.

When we make claims about open education we often simplify our communication. One thing I frequently here is that, “Open education is about affordability and lowering the cost of education.” Which is true but this statement leaves out the main component of open education, its unique value add - “openness”.

This Make Claims activity invites you to make claims about open education that emphasize the “open” nature of open education.

It is this openness that connects open education to other open movements such as open access, open science, open source, open data, and open culture. Currently these different forms of open are largely siloed from each other. One way of breaking down the silos is by making claims that interconnect them based on their shared practice of openness.

So, in addition to making claims that emphasize the “open” nature of open education, you are invited to make claims that reimagine open education in ways that connect it with other open movements.

Feel free to make a claim based on some of the “What if?” scenarios from activity 2. Other claims about open education reimagined are welcome too.

To make a claim simply reply to this post and state your claim. Big, bold claims are welcome. Generate a phrase or sentence that conveys your claim in a memorable way. For example here are some recent claims from within and outside open education I’ve found memorable:

Earth is our only shareholder.” (Patagonia)
Open science: just science done right.” (Melanie Imming & Jon Tennant) “We are who we include.” (Norquest 2030)
Open is everyone’s business.” (OEGlobal 2024) :blush:

In the make bold claims spirit here are two open education claims from me:

The heart of education is open.

Open education is a public good for all.

Feel free to add explanatory comments for your claims and to reply to the claims of others with comments and feedback.

Now it’s your turn.
Click Reply and post your claim.