Inclusive Open Education: Presumptions, Principles, and Practices

Overview & Synopsis

Open education has long been forwarded as a producer of equity. However, there currently exists a lack of critical engagement with issues of justice in open educational practices (OEP). Although the affordances of open education have potential for increasing equity, creating knowledge alongside learners is inherently rife with complexities for inclusion and diversity. As online faculty build relationships with and between students and engage in unconventional but authentic instruction, they must be cognizant of the ways in which historically underrepresented populations are systematically marginalized and might be excluded from full participation. This article seeks to investigate tensions at the nexus of OEP and social justice, identify underlying principles of inclusive OEP, and offer initial strategies on using OEP inclusively and in alignment with a social justice framework.