Using Open Educational Resources to Promote Social Justice

Guide to the reviewed opening

The editors describe becoming interested in a wider purpose for OER than affordability alone. Their account of a publication agreement also connects the subject of openness with the practical conditions under which academic work is published.

The introduction locates part of their own route within critical race theory while acknowledging that this is one aspect of a broader social-justice field. That distinction matters: the editors’ starting point is not presented as an exhaustive account of every contributor’s concern.

The resulting learning question is how educational resources are made, whose knowledge they represent, and which practices accompany their use. The later chapters need direct reading for their particular claims and evidence. This guide remains with the introductory purpose and the collection’s multi-author structure.

How to study this book

When reading a contribution, separate its definition of a problem, its proposed practice, and the evidence for the connection between them. Note whose experience is represented and whose perspective may be missing.

Compare a resource’s accessibility and cost with questions about participation, representation, and authorship. Check the licence of the specific chapter or asset before reuse, rather than assuming one permission statement covers the whole collection.

Questions for reflection

• How does a resource’s openness differ from its price?
• Whose knowledge is represented in a proposed curriculum change?
• What evidence supports a claim about educational justice?

The study suggestions and questions are independent Academic Master editorial material.