Dismantling the education exclusion zone

Empowering OER authors towards inclusive design

Abstract

Traditional textbook publishing magnifies some voices while silencing others, pushing consistently marginalised groups into an education exclusion zone. Open educational resources (OER) purportedly address this problem; however, without adequate guidance on inclusive design, OER fail to rise to the challenge. This paper undertakes an exploratory initial review of EmpoweredOER, a practical tool in first-phase iterative development, designed to unpack the complexities of inclusive OER. Emerging from a grant-funded international study tour, three best practice themes informed the design of EmpoweredOER: true accessibility, beyond technological; universal design for learning and inclusive open education nexus; and diverse perspectives and representation. Initial findings indicate EmpoweredOER meets its objective. Future research will analyse the impact and growth of EmpoweredOER as it matures.

Implications for practice:

• There is appetite to dedicate further resources to developing inclusive OER tools.
• Advocates can instill a sense of community in their resources for increased engagement.
• Resource creators should incorporate interactivity and adaptability for greater contextualisation.