KNOWLEGE: WHO OWNS IT?

Topic two challenges the idea of owning knowledge. Topic two also required a level of introspection. It required as academics to interrogate our own reluctance to share our intellectual property. Topic two begged the question: Can knowledge truly be owned by an individual?

The topic reminds me of the scripture in Ecclesiastes that says that there is nothing new under the sun. It was always there, waiting to be discovered. I think the challenge about sharing and your work being stolen relates to acknowledgement and someone else getting the credit for your hard work. It is a challenge of letting go and freeing the work to ‘grow’ even if the growth comes by someone else's efforts. In fact that is what we did in Topic one of the ONL171 PBL7 group. We read each other's comment and it opened us up to other possibilities, new angles of seeing things.

 What is openness and does it have limitations? Should there be limitations? My colleague Mohsin points out that science is "free" and I guess exists freely. Like I said above, it was waiting to be discovered. Openness at the very least is sharing what we know. Wiley points out that teachers do it every day by giving feedback, in writing or comments on student's online work. It is about lighting another's candle so-to-speak without losing light yourself (quoted by David Wiley 2010). Wiley talks about resources and information being given without being given away. In other words, sharing multiplies knowledge.

Topic two is also about being responsible for the protection of the work of another. Once again a scripture comes to mind: do unto others as you would have them do unto you.  As academics we understand the importance of referencing and must do likewise with the material found in the digital commons. My colleague Dilrukshi calls this “digitial etiquette” and I agree with her that it is essential.

 It is also important not to re-invent when it comes to creating teaching resources. If resources are available that can enhance the teaching and learning experience then we should make use of them. As my colleague Viktoria said "open resources have the potential to boost pedagogical innovation, introducing new alternatives for effective teaching." May be we need to go back to the reasons we are in the education rather than focusing on the business of education. Digital education should increase our capacity to be generous says Wiley, rather than create new means to withhold knowledge from those who need it.

 

 

References:
Open education and the future, Short TED-talk by David Wiley