Why open education matters in South Africa

Why it matters to South AfricaOpen education

• Open scholarship• Open access• Open licensing• Open education practices• Open education resources• Open source• Open data• Open research• Open science• Open web• Open knowledge

http://www.flickr.com/photos/opensourceway/5535034664/sizes/o/in/photostream/

http:

//w

ww

.flic

kr.c

om/p

hoto

s/ja

nnem

ei/1

0230

1539

6/si

zes/

o/in

/pho

tost

ream

/

OPEN CONTENT

Published open license or public domain

Free for the user

BooksStudy guides

Journal articlesCourse readings

Notes Images

AnimationsRecorded lectures/classes

PodcastsReading lists

TextbooksBlogs

ReviewsReports

Conference presentations

“The labours of knowledge must

have public benefit.”

St Hildegard , Seer 1098-1179

An old tradition

ENABLERS OF OPENNESS

Stev

e So

ng A

pril

2012

The network society

Networks constitute the new social morphology of our societies, and the diffusion of networking logic substantially modifies the operations and outcomes in processes of production, experience of power and culture

Castells, M. (1996) The Rise of the Network Society.

Enabling legal frameworks

BENEFITS OF OPENNESS

http://www.flickr.com/photos/pixthepixie/188345043/sizes/z/in/photostream/

Openness is like sunshine

http://www.flickr.com/photos/planetina/405489316/sizes/o/in/photostream/ Thanks to Amber Thomas

Openness exposes content

online and

enables growth

ACCESS TO KNOWLEDGEFor everyone

ScholarsStudents

Policy makersCivil society

But scholarly resources

are locked away in expensive journals

Alternative: open content

2000+ 30% of journals

OPENNESS ENABLES DEVELOPMENTdoctorsfarmers

civil societythe public

government itself

Obama 2009

“….too many doctors and patients are making decisions without the benefit of the latest research.”

A case: the sleeping sickness test

• Njiru ZK, Mikosza ASJ, Armstrong T, Enyaru JC, Ndung'u JM, et al. (2008) Loop-Mediated Isothermal Amplification (LAMP) Method for Rapid Detection of Trypanosoma brucei rhodesiense. PLoS Neglected Tropical Diseases 2(2): e147. doi:10.1371/journal.pntd.0000147

OPENNESS ENABLES PARTICIPATION

African universities are essentially consumers of knowledge produced in developed countries.

Minister of Higher Education, Blade Nzimande UNESCO Conference on Higher Education, 2009

the opposite of open is “broken”

Books published

In the past, social networks were more limited in different spheres. Networks were more exclusive. The Internet changed the nature of networks by making them more inclusive and easy to participate in.

Castells, M. (1996) The Rise of the Network Society.

Conventional north – south relationships

…can be replaced with networked relationships

OPENNESS ENABLES INNOVATION

Open access benefits the private sector

Houghton, J; Swan, A & Brown, S (2011)

OPENNESS INCREASES VISIBILITY

http

://ww

w.flic

kr.c

om/p

hoto

s/cin

dy_m

c/69

6780

6783

/ Tha

nks

to S

am G

ross

My question is “Am I making an impact?”

http://www.flickr.com/photos/87913776@N00/5129607997 CC-BY

Open access increases citations by 45% - 600%

A RISING TIDEelsewhere

A rising tide globally

CC Brian Colson http://www.flickr.com/photos/bpc009/3456099658/

United KingdomWe will make publicly

funded academic research free of charge

to readers. . . .

Science Minister Willits 2 May 2012

European Union

WHAT NEEDS TO BE DONE?

Be open scholars & educatorsStacey Stent

Re-distribute

Re-mix

Re-use

Create open resources

http:

//w

ww

.flic

kr.c

om/p

hoto

s/re

cycl

ethi

s/18

5807

557/

in/p

hoto

stre

am

LEGISLATEOpen content with public funds

Mar

kus

Poss

el

The more we all have direct access to information and knowledge, the better our lives will be….

….Information and knowledge are valuable and are not generally online for free…..

…the DST is championing the open access route in South Africa

Naledi Pandor, Minister of Science and Technology, March 2012

LAURACZERNIEWICZ.UCT.AC.ZA@czernie