OER, Equity, and Decolonizing the Curriculum
While OER can contribute to enhanced learning outcomes, do we also ask if it contributes to better justice indices? Does OER implementation bring about a flourishing of local knowledge systems? Self-affirmation and expression of identities? Higher knowledge production within historically underrepresented populations? Fairer flow (or reverse flow) of resources from more affluent to more in-need, formerly colonised, geographies? Reparations for extraction and exploitation historically and in contemporary days? Restoration of ecological systems? More balanced global world order?
-- EdTech Hub, "Decolonising Open Educational Resources"
This talk from the 2020 Open Education Conference discusses the importance of using OER in the classroom to promote equity among students from different financial backgrounds and shares the benefits of involving students in the creation and use of OER. The resources mentioned in the talk can be found at this link.
Open DEI Resources
This resource aims at de-centering the English-speaking global west and amplify OER created in languages besides English.
This resource guide compiled by the Community College Consortium for OER covers a variety of open books, courses, and reading lists on anti-racism and inclusive pedagogy.
Another resource guide with books, webinars, articles, and images centering racial justice and cultural responsiveness.
A list of stock photo libraries featuring women, trans and gender diverse models, models of color, disabled models, and more. It also contains links to other widely-used image libraries.
Inclusive Access vs. OER
The inclusive access model is often seen as an alternative to OER, since textbook and other materials costs are incorporated into the price of tuition and they often offer full courses, which can mean less work for faculty. That said, there are hidden inequities in the inclusive access model. Students often cannot access their materials indefinitely after the course ends, and the financial burden still falls on the student, even if it's not considered an additional textbook cost.
This guide from the California Community Colleges has more information about the benefits and drawbacks of the inclusive access model.
This chart was created for the CWU Libraries.