Educator’s Dilemma: Defining Open in Education

Open learning environments are not only in the best interest of students and educators; they are vital for survival in the new learning ecosystem. This is why open learning environments are gaining popularity among states, school districts and lawmakers. A new bipartisan amendment to the U.S. Senate’s rewrite of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act encourages the use of free, modifiable and openly licensed resources.

But many education experts and policy advocates disagree on what it means to be truly open. Are open technology standards the key, or are free, open-source educational resources the defining factor of open technology in education? Or is it a mix of both?