Leveraging OER and Open Pedagogy to Promote EDI in the Classroom

In the context of promoting equity for students, the open educational resources (OER) movement has shifted from just cost savings to addressing the larger issue of decolonizing education and promoting social justice for marginalized students. Studies suggest a lack of inclusiveness and diverse perspectives in educational materials despite the diverse demographic of students in post-secondary institutions. Open education advocates have argued that students need "windows and mirrors" to fully engage in their learning – course content they can relate to and content that offers different perspectives from their own.

This research paper is the author's capstone project for the 2022-2023 SPARC Open Education Leadership Program that she participated in. The paper explores how OER and open pedagogy can help promote equity, diversity, and inclusion (EDI) for students in the classroom. These questions are addressed:

1. Who can benefit from OER?
2. Why should educators consider adapting or creating OER through an EDI lens?
3. How can OER and open pedagogy improve EDI for equity-deserving students and support learning for all students?
4. When does open not serve students or a community?
5. What is decolonizing and Indigenizing education in the context of open?

To help generate ideas and foster discussions on promoting EDI through OER and open pedagogy, the paper provides considerations and additional resources for faculty and academic leaders.