Challenge C Substantive Contribution #1

When I first encountered open education, I thought it simply meant providing knowledge freely and making it available to learners. After gaining a deeper understanding, I realized that Open Educational Resources (OER) are more than just “free resources”; they embody an open learning mindset—emphasizing collaboration, creativity, and accessibility. When we create or remix open resources, we are not merely recipients of knowledge, but also contributors to the global learning community.

So, reflecting on my experience with the EDCI 337 project, I realized that our previous work felt perfectly capable of becoming an OER (Open Educational Experience). In our creative process, we inevitably encountered situations where our perspective was limited. Releasing it under open licenses like CC BY-SA allows other educators to adapt it for different age groups or cultural backgrounds. For example, our anti-bullying content could be translated into other languages ​​or reinterpreted with local stories to promote empathy and inclusion. OER makes all this possible, primarily because I feel it lowers the barrier to entry. Teachers and students don’t need to create materials from scratch; instead, they can adapt and innovate upon existing work—saving time and enriching the content. Moreover, this “remix culture” fosters deeper learning and community engagement, which is precisely the core concept of open pedagogy.

Reference

Creative Commons. (n.d.). 5.1 OER, open textbooks, and open courses. In CC Certificate for Educators. Retrieved November 4, 2025, from https://creativecommons.org/course/cc-cert-edu/unit-5-cc-for-educators/5-1-oer-open-textbooks-and-open-courses/

Creative Commons. (n.d.). About CC licenses – Choose a license. Retrieved November 4, 2025, from https://creativecommons.org/share-your-work/cclicenses/