Open Pedagogy: A Systematic Review of Empirical Findings

Abstract

Open licensing used in Open Educational Resources allows for teaching and learning techniques that are not possible with traditional copyright. There is a growing body of empirical research on open pedagogy. However, definitions and instantiations of open pedagogy vary in the literature. The purpose of this review was to systematically search and synthesize empirical findings on open pedagogy that were beyond simple use of Open Educational Resources. In this, the definitions of open pedagogy across empirical reports were examined. Generally, open pedagogy was defined in the context of open licensing affordances; however, there were exceptions particularly when examining faculty experiences with open pedagogy. Overall, both students and faculty reported positive experiences with open pedagogy, although there was some concern about public sharing as well as confusion about the logistics of open pedagogy tasks and the technicalities of open licensing. Synthesised findings may be used by faculty to inform use of open pedagogy especially when considering issues with student confusion and changing power dynamics.