Disciplinary associations (i.e. scholarly and professional associations) represent tremendous untapped potential to grow the open education movement. Association groups offer the networking tools to share information about OER, raise the visibility and prestige of open education, recruit authors and peer reviewers, and develop communities of practice around OER materials, providing a vital boost to their sustainability. This presentation will discuss the results of a study that used both semi-structured interviews and a series of case studies on association OER work. It will discuss the potential benefits and challenges of association engagement with OER. It will also address concerns about potential inequities that could arise if associations engage without fully embracing the values of the open education movement. Finally, a model will be advanced for open education advocates to begin conversations within other disciplinary associations.
Attendees of this session will be able to:- Identify the benefits to the open education movement that may result from OER advocates engaging with disciplinary associations.
- Identify the challenges that OER advocates may experience when approaching associations about engaging with the open education movement.
- Identify the potential benefits and challenges that disciplinary associations may experience from within, if they choose to engage in OER work.
- Engage with the concern that disciplinary participation in OER work could reinforce existing power structures within academia, and identify ways to avoid this outcome.
