In reading articles and academic papers on the ’emerging’ issues surrounding open online education, the conclusions and directions for further research and discussion illustrate the very echo chambers that they criticize. The derogatory turn of phrase “it’s all just academic” is supported by the continued discussion and circular arguments presented by the literature that do very little to offer action and change to the monolith of education. The traditions of a system that is so large and pervasive in civilized society, with almost every other system plugged into education on some level, is a ship whose course cannot be plotted any better than civilization itself. The pursuit of academics to affect change in the fundamental workings of education is a self-admittedly futile exercise as most of the literature attests to the need for more discussion and research. The question that arises from this point of view is this: To what end does the production and proliferation of scholarly literature serve the education system?
The answer is simple. It is self-serving and cannot hope to make a difference. The education system has changed and evolved as a result of technological change. Classical Greece brought government-run cities and democracy to its citizens and schools of thought became places of education. The age of Enlightenment produced the first universities. The Renaissance celebrated new discoveries both real and theoretical. The Industrial age brought efficiency for the sake of economics and profit that spilled from the manufacturing and commercial sectors to other sectors of society, including the education system. The Information age heralded a paradigm shift to blend virtual economies with real ones and begin the commodification of data and the globalization of culture. The change in education and in the thinking about education have all been in reaction to the greater changes that society has experienced as a result of the evolution of technology.
Dissenting views about education have always existed. The UN Declaration on the Rights of the Child may be a starting point for education systems around the world upon which to agree and build education in an equitable way. However, in the virtual world of the internet, many still believe that the internet is the ‘wild west’ of our times and that for all the good potential it holds, it also carries a much larger burden of free and open access to markets and people that are easily exploited and outside jurisdictional law. This may help to explain why academic literature is for the most part self-serving and maintains a circular economy that has somewhat insulated itself from the prying intentions of profit-driven interests.
So, even the dissenting ideas about open online education are criticized in an unconscious effort to protect itself from complete privatization, for as most would agree, the education system of a society is a strong reflection of its democratic civility and its ability to offer a high standard of living. Changing how ‘open’ online education is for everyone will do nothing for those without access; and access for all will be dependent upon much more than philosophical positions. Adapting technologies to educational purposes has been the driving force behind change in education and the virtual world and economies of online education are perhaps some of the most unpredictable and exciting grounds for educators to explore. This is why the literature on the subject carries such a heavy philosophical weight–it is looking for new directions in a largely uncharted space.
References
Funes, M., & Mackness, J. (2018). When inclusion excludes: A counter narrative of open online education. Learning, Media and Technology, 43(2), 119–138.
https://doi.org/10.1080/17439884.2018.1444638
Knox, J. (2019). What does the ‘postdigital’ mean for education? Three critical perspectives on the digital, with implications for educational research and practice. Postdigital Science and Education.
https://doi.org/10.1007/s42438-019-00045-y
Caines, A., & Glass, E. (2019, Fall). Education before regulation: Empowering students to question their data privacy. EDUCAUSE Review, 54(4). Retrieved from https://er.educause.edu/articles/2019/10/education-before-regulation-empowering-students-to-question-their-data-privacy
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