Weekly Reflection #2: A Thought on Open Education
One of this week’s main concepts and the general overarching theme of this course is the concept of open education. Through the conference call with Valerie Irvine and Jessie Miller, I have gained more insight into how open education, or specifically Creative Commons, works and is an extremely beneficial resource for educational tools. Miller, who works in the United States, spoke about some of the things that had been huge learning blocks to students in post-education, one of them being finances. He mentioned that even something as simple as a $150 chemistry textbook could put them far enough out of pocket to prevent them from continuing their education. He mentioned that through Creative Commons and other resources, they have helped students save thousands of dollars. Miller also mentioned how copyright works in open education, he has even used it to publish online with the correct copyright that he needs and wants, allowing it to be published exactly how he wants it to be. I think this tool of open education is an incredible resource for all students and professionals seeking knowledge in an encouraging and empowering way, putting knowledge back in the hands of the everyday person.