Open Educational Resources: A Catalyst for Social Justice and Equality

Abstract

An important step toward quality education and universal access to information was taken when the General Conference of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) adopted the Recommendation on Open Educational Resources (OER) in November 2019. Five areas of actions are outlined in the UNESCO OER recommendation: Capacity Building; Policy; Inclusivity, Equitable Quality OER; Sustainability Models; and the Promotion and Strengthening of International Cooperation. The OER Recommendation will contribute to and catalyse human rights, equity and social justice. Through the recommendation the United Nations (UN) Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) can be achieved, and open and inclusive knowledge societies can be build. The Recommendation will support the development and sharing of openly licensed learning and teaching materials based on universal design for the benefit of students, educators, and researchers worldwide. Although the term OER and the concept were coined already in 2002, its implementation at all levels, e.g.-nano, micro, meso, macro, and meta-has been far too slow. The social, ethical and moral dimensions of learning and education must be seriously considered as a priority in the agenda for social justice, equality and human rights, prosperity, liberation and growth in line with major global initiatives. This conceptual chapter, focusing on OER, discusses even micro-redentials, universal markers for learning, and open pedagogical approaches to fulfil the promise of resilient, sustainable, and high-quality open education in the ecosystem of a new social contract.