BC Open Textbook Summit 2017

SDG4 + OER: Working Together to Mainstream Open Education

The world’s nations have adopted the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and committed to 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). https://sustainabledevelopment.un.org/sdgs

SDG4 is about “Education: Ensure inclusive and equitable quality education and promote lifelong learning opportunities for all.”

This session will explore how and why the global open education community can work with their national governments to mainstream OER (including open textbooks) in support of achieving SDG4.

Why connect OER to SDG4? (1) OER can be the education resources to teach the public about and are continuously updated by working on SDGs. (2) It would connect education institutions and people to solving SDGs, forming a new, positive connection between governments and their public education systems. (3) Global challenges / SDGs are constantly changing and OER can be updated in real time. (4) As learning spaces shift to open pedagogy, students can contribute to improving the open curriculum, work on complex and authentic SDG challenges, and have their work be used in their fields. (5) As working on SDGs is meaningful and the stakes are high (e.g., climate action, zero hunger, gender equality, no poverty, etc.), students are motivated to work smarter, learn more deeply, have an opportunity to contribute to society – by producing, revising, and sharing OER about SDGs - while they earn their degree.

Dr. Cable Green
Director of Open Education
Creative Commons