Open Educational Practices for accessibility, equity, inclusiveness, and social justice

Open Educational Resources (OERs) have long been discussed as a means of making education more affordable by reducing costs of accessing resources, but the discourse more recently has begun to shift towards recognising  OERs and the practice that surrounds their use as a way to make education more accessible, inclusive, and equitable as the resources can be adapted to fit the needs of a class and all its diverse learners. Open Educational Practices (OEP) have emerged as a broad descriptor of approaches that can include use of OERs, open and inclusive pedagogies, and open sharing of teaching practices, usually characterised by a deep commitment to concepts of openness across the spectrum of academic practice.

This workshop explores the critical work of leaders in OEP including Bali, Cronin, Jhangiani, and Lambert to consider the ways in which open practices and praxis can contribute to achieving a more just and equitable educational environment, including some practical examples of how educators can begin this journey.