Open Education

Open Education is ever-evolving, inclusive, barrier-free, and co-created education. It is facilitated by openly licensed, reusable, revisable, remixable and further sharable Open Educational Resources, and Open Pedagogy wherein everyone is a learner empowered for co-creating knowledge for the benefit of all. 

This is the future of education envisioned by the Open Education Community of Practice. To achieve this future, the community brings together teachers, professionals and students, working together to remove barriers and roadblocks to enable Open Educational innovation. Our vision is underpinned by the following key definitions:

Openly Licensed:

Open Educational Resources enable their users to:

• Retain: download & save
• Revise: reuse with adjustment
• Remix: reorder, make a mashup
• Reuse: use original, revised or remixed copy
• Redistribute: share, repost

These “5R freedoms” are necessary requirements to fully empower learners to become co-creators of their own knowledge for the benefit of all.

​See a more detailed overview at 5 R's framework by David Wiley, and visit the University Library’s Libguides page on Open Educational Resources for further information, support and examples.

Co-Creation of Knowledge

Open Education redefines the role of the learner as an active creator of knowledge. It moves beyond the traditional teacher-student dynamic—where one disseminates knowledge and the other passively absorbs it—and instead fosters a collaborative environment. In this model, the classroom becomes a hub of learning, where individual experiences, perspectives, and aspirations intersect with essential skills and information. Together, empowered learners co-create knowledge that is meaningful, relevant, and rooted in the unique standpoint of each learner.

Empowered Learners for the Benefit of All

Each learner is empowered with the agency to shape their own knowledge and skills, tailoring their learning journey to their unique goals and contexts. As active members of learning communities, they don’t just acquire knowledge—they co-create it, ensuring their contributions extend beyond personal growth to benefit the broader social and ecological world.

We intentionally use the phrase "benefit of all"—rather than just "society"—to emphasize that responsible, empowered learning must also consider non-human animals, ecosystems, and the interconnected environments in which we live and learn. This reflects a commitment to education that is not only inclusive of people but also mindful of the planet and all its inhabitants.

Open Science Programme

This community is supported by the Open Science Programme. The community functions as a crucial co-creator of the change needed within the UG to make Open Education the norm, by providing important input on the various project deliverables of the Open Education pillar within the programme. We use the Lippitt-Knoster model for complex change to analyse the gaps in support, culture and infrastructure, and develop new points of action to bridge those gaps. This community is therefore action and results oriented. 

Interim Community Leader - Manuel Reyes

Manuel Reyes is currently leading the community through its startup phase. They are the project manager of the Recognising and Rewarding Open Science project, and co-pillar leader of the Open Education pillar in the Open Science Programme.