Open learning in higher education

Authors

• Kaisu Clarot Oulun yliopisto
• Päivi Helminen Helsingin yliopiston kirjasto

DOI: https://doi.org/10.33350/ka.80215

Keywords:

Open learning, Open educational resources, online materials, higher education

Abstract

Open access publishing is familiar to researchers and many theses are openly available online. The use of open access materials in teaching is one way of putting open science into practice. Open learning materials will be even more important in the future as the prices of purchased materials increase. Open learning can mean different things in different learning contexts: it can refer both to the opportunity to learn for everyone or to pedagogical solutions where the agency and responsibility are divided. Open access to learning materials and teaching tools, regardless of time and place, is another aspect of open learning. 

In order to publish their own learning materials freely online, a teacher needs to have skills in technology, pedagogy and content, and be familiar with copyright issues. Mastering the existing basic software and Creative Commons licenses is the basis for creating open educational resources. Many universities openly publish complete courses online. Open materials and courses improve the quality of teaching and bring visibility to both the teacher and the university. 

To promote the use of open educational resources (OER), there is an ongoing project to build a digital service for all levels of education where open educational resources can be stored and searched for.