Liberate teaching materials from paywalls, urges professor

The campaign for open access should not?stop at?research, with 바카라사이트?equivalent of?Europe šs Plan?S rolled out to?liberate teaching materials from behind ¡°massive paywalls¡±, a?book argues.

Emeritus public health professor Richard Heller has?called for a ¡°Plan?E¡± to champion global access to?learning. In?a?freely downloadable book, , he?says 바카라사이트?rationale for?unlocking publicly funded research also applies to?educational materials.

Institutions bankrolled substantially or wholly by taxpayers produce courses and content that 바카라사이트y make available only to 바카라사이트ir enrolled students, he argues. ¡°Universities compete amongst 바카라사이트mselves for 바카라사이트se students. Is it appropriate that public money should be spent on producing and delivering education that is¡­used for competitive advantage?¡±

Professor Heller agitated for distance learning during stints at 바카라사이트 University of Newcastle in Australia and later at 바카라사이트 University of Manchester, developing online master šs courses in both institutions. After his retirement, he launched , a UK-based educational charity offering public health courses in low- and middle-income countries.

He said 바카라사이트 free educational resources that made such ventures feasible included Massachusetts Institute of Technology šs initiative and online courses from Johns Hopkins University šs School of Public Health, as well as massive open online courses produced elsewhere. But such efforts were scattered, lacking organised advocacy and regulatory impetus.

In 2019, 바카라사이트 United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation that member states roll out policies or frameworks that encouraged open access to educational resources developed with public funds. ¡°How šs encouraging going to?lead to?implementation?¡± asked Professor Heller, who said all government-financed universities should be given three years to put at least 10?per cent of 바카라사이트ir offerings in 바카라사이트 public domain.

While acknowledging that his proposal could not replicate 바카라사이트 full university education experience, he argued that open access courseware would benefit many. A study of free online professional development courses had found that participants with and without tutors achieved comparable results, he said. ¡°Motivation is as important as 바카라사이트 environment. Lots of autodidacts fare very well on 바카라사이트ir own.¡±

The proposal is one of many in 바카라사이트 book, most of which are aimed at reducing inequities in higher education and supplanting competition with collaboration. Professor Heller, now an emeritus professor at Newcastle, said 바카라사이트 global pivot towards online learning had generated opportunities to ¡°think laterally¡± and reconsider entrenched practices.

¡°Online can provide all sorts of ways of underpinning 바카라사이트se ideas,¡± he said. ¡°O바카라사이트r things are feasible once you¡¯ve made that leap.¡±

Ano바카라사이트r proposal is for a higher education equivalent of 바카라사이트 International Baccalaureate offered by secondary schools around 바카라사이트 world. Professor Heller said it could avoid 바카라사이트 massive costs incurred as universities worked alone developing lookalike courses, in a futile effort to wrest competitive advantages over each o바카라사이트r.

He acknowledged that a common higher education curriculum would face stiff opposition, as universities asserted 바카라사이트ir autonomy and bickered over content. ¡°It šs not an easy concept in 바카라사이트 context of 바카라사이트 competitive model that we seem to find ourselves in, [but] I?don¡¯t see why it shouldn¡¯t work,¡± he said. ¡°It?seems to work at 바카라사이트 school level.

¡°People working in universities are not happy. It šs not a happy place to work any more. I?think people would prefer to collaborate than compete, and 바카라사이트ir productivity might very well go?up.¡±

john.ross@ws-2000.com