Framework for an ethics of open education

Dr. Robert FarrowInstitute of Educational TechnologyThe Open University, UK

Framework for an ethics of open education

Dr. Robert FarrowInstitute of Educational TechnologyThe Open University, UK

@philosopher1978@oer_hub

What will this presentation cover?

The role of ethics in open educationEthical problems and complexities related to open educational practicesThe rationale for a flexible, reconstructive frameworkFramework design processDescription of frameworkEvaluation through example of OER Research Hub

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“[T]he information society has been brought about by the fastest growing technology in history […] No previous generation has ever been exposed to such an extraordinary acceleration of technical power over reality, with corresponding social changes and ethical responsibilities”

Prof. Luciano Floridi (Philosopher of Technology)

The open paradigm in education

Widespread recognition that the shift to digitized, online and freely accessible learning resources can bring profound ethical challenges

A range of cultures, behaviours, practices and technologies from educational contexts may be described as ‘open’, including access to education or published research, policies, teaching methods, software, data sets and other educational resources.

Over the last decade – primarily in the form of Massive Open Online Courses (MOOC) and Open Educational Resources (OER) – the open education movement has expanded opportunities for education worldwide.

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The ethics of open education“When educational materials can be electronically copied and transferred around the world at almost no cost, we have a greater ethical obligation than ever before to increase the reach of opportunity. When people can connect with others nearby or in distant lands at almost no cost to ask questions, give answers, and exchange ideas, the moral imperative to meaningfully enable these opportunities weighs profoundly. We cannot in good conscience allow this poverty of educational opportunity to continue when educational provisions are so plentiful, and when their duplication and distribution costs so little.” (Caswell, Henson, Jensen & Wiley, 2008)

Open education: the moral mission

Most people who advocate for open education believe it is the right thing to do- Improving access to education as a moral mission- Voluntarily investing time in promoting OER - For many practitioners the ethical dimensions of open education are crucial- Even if the goal is prudential/pragmatic (e.g. only to save institutional funds or improve grades) there

remains a normative dimension

Also grounded in international human rights legislation & agreements- Paris Declaration on OER (2012) - United Nations Universal Declaration of Human Rights (1948)- The International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights (United Nations, 1966)

Open education: a force for exclusion?

A review of 68 empirical studies, systematic reviews and reports on MOOC (Rolfe, 2015) suggests there is “a paucity of literature” addressing the socio-ethical dimensions, noting that despite the rhetoric of improving access “we are at a point where social inclusion is polarised toward the more privileged” (Rolfe, 2015, p. 65)

Unequal access to communications technology, unequal distribution of basic study skills, and unavailability of resources in certain languages mean that open approaches can act as a force for exclusion rather than inclusion (Emmanuel, 2013; Laurillard, 2014; Perryman, 2013)

World Development Report 2016: Digital Dividends

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A ‘deeper’ ethics of care?

As openness increasingly enters the mainstream there is concern that the more radical ethical aspirations of the open movement are becoming secondary. Wiley (2015) for instance argues for a ‘deeper’ understanding of open ethics as a form of being with an ethic of care and sharing rather than a set of duties (such as a requirement to use open licensing)

Research beyond the institution

In open contexts, teaching and research are increasingly taking place outside institutionsNovel use of open, publicly available datasetsApplication of new methods to legacy data Use of online mechanisms for dissemination (social media, etc.)Weller (2013) terms this ‘guerrilla research’ – no collection of primary data; further permissions are not required Examples include:

Research beyond the institution

http://www.katyjordan.com/MOOCproject.html

http://blog.ouseful.info/2009/04/02/visualising-mps-expenses-using-scatter-plots-charts-and-maps/

http://www.theguardian.com/news/datablog/2009/apr/03/mps-expenses-houseofcommons

Coal Run (Ohio) Map Mashup

Mapping mash-up overlaid city boundaries, water supply lines, and house occupancy by race Showed almost all the white households in Coal Run have water service, while all but a few black homes do not

$11m in damages from the city of Zanesville and Muskingum County (2008)http://www.dispatch.com/content/stories/local/2014/02/16/bittersweet-water.html

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To find out whether the psychological states of its users can be manipulated Facebook ran a study which involved showing users either only ‘positive’ or ‘negative’ status updates and seeing whether this would affect their mood (it did).

Expert opinion is divided over the acceptability of Facebook’s actions.

• What are our expectations of use of online information?

• Can we reasonably consent to our own harm?

• What role is technology playing in the pedagogical situation; of what should we be aware?

• Mirror with ethical responsibilities around distance learning

Facebook: ‘Emotional Contagion’ Study

Panama Papers!

Image: https://pixabay.com/static/uploads/photo/2016/04/05/07/41/panama-1308874_960_720.jpg

The need for a framework

Though we have some expectations of behaviour, we aren’t yet at a point where we could professionalize an ethics for open educationOpenness always increases complexity and reduces predictabilityIt is not possible to prescribe guidance for the multitude of scenarios where openness might make an ethical differenceWe lack adequate terminology for describing and assessing the ethical significance of openness The framework is developed in order to facilitate identifying and reflecting on normative elements of open interventions in teaching and research

Constructing the framework

The study examines ethical guidance for research from the British Educational Research Association (BERA), the Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC); and the British Psychological Society (BPS)

Not a systematic review & the choice of sources is somewhat arbitrary – although the full paper explains the genealogy (Nuremburg Code, Belmont Report) shared by other guidance (e.g. National Institutes of Health)

Textual analysis identifies the following shared principles:

Principles of ethical intervention

Respect for participant autonomy (fair treatment; recognizes human dignity)Avoid harm / minimize risk Full disclosure (interventions should be understood by those affected)Privacy & data security (respect for confidentiality)Integrity (meeting recognized professional standards)Independence (objectivity)Informed consent

Resources from philosophical ethics

Normative Theory Definition of ‘Good’ FocusDeontological Fulfilment or discharge of moral

obligations Responsibility, intention & duty

Consequentialist Acting to promote best outcomes

Consequences and outcomes

Virtue Ethics Flourishing (eudemonia) Individual character and ‘well-being’ Developing practical wisdom (phronêsis)

The framework

Evaluation: OER Research Hub

OER Research Hub was a Hewlett funded research project that ran from 2012-2015

Mixed methods qualitative & quantitative research

Collaborative research model designed to test key hypotheses about OER impact

Openness in practice: methods, data, dissemination

Project Co-PILOT

OER Evidence Report 2014

http://tinyurl.com/oerevidence

Respect for autonomy

Avoid harm / minimize risk

Full disclosure

Privacy & Data Security

Integrity

Independence

Informed Consent

Conclusion

The framework is intended to complement existing institutional processes for ethical approvalFor ‘guerrilla’ researchers the framework can encourage focus on professional standardsEven where institutional guidance is available it may not reflect what is possible with open technologies Ultimately, practitioners to continue to reflect on issues themselves and practice their own autonomy and phronêsis as researchers and educators

Farrow, R. (2016). A Framework for the Ethics of Open Education. Open Praxis, 8(2).

http://dx.doi.org/10.5944/openpraxis.8.2.291

• Research into open education and strategies for building worldwide open education research capacity

• Available for research & consultancy (short & long term)• Current projects include:

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