In his post, Some Strategies for the Open Homework Systems Project, Clint Lalonde described his efforts as project lead, preparing for the 2-year timeline. Along with months of research, information gathering, and networking within the post-secondary sector, he established an advisory committee and created a working definition of an Open Online Homework System. In alignment with the project’s commitment to open-source content, all materials related to the project have been released with open licenses. With the project now completed; results can be viewed on the BC Campus website.
The main goal of the project was to reduce the cost of study materials for students by creating a digital open-source homework system, seen as a step along the pathway to fully open courseware at post-secondary institutions. Clint Lalonde’s initial environmental scan resulted in his determining that they should focus on 2 platforms: one supporting STEM disciplines, and a second for Social Science and Humanities due to larger enrollment numbers. He made special mention of including Digital Humanities’ due to their increased use of open-source material. His research further determined that the project would contribute to an existing platform, rather than create a new one from scratch. In addition, research into disciplines where expensive digital homework systems are already heavily used would be helpful in narrowing down areas of focus. He further noted that, to entice the faculty to engage with the open learning systems (both open-source digital course materials and homework systems), they would need to ensure that the content was vetted, high quality, and easy to integrate.
I have no professional experience in post-secondary. My perspective comes from my experience as a student, along with that of my adult children. With the cost of living rising, along with university fees, I can see the benefits of the change related to immediate financial burdens placed on students and families. However, if we take a long-term perspective on the financial impact that our rising reliance on digital tools is having on our environment, the future costs our youth will pay is incomparable. According to Selwyn (2022), costs of production, consumption and disposal of technology needs to be addressed. On our current trajectory, continued development of AI is unsustainable.
There are also larger scale social costs to using technology in education. In addition to the negative impacts of AI, mentioned by Selwyn, 2022 (p. 624), on our most marginalized and vulnerable populations, such as algorithmic discrimination or embedded biases, I would consider that there are also costs related to mental health. With 1 in 4 (23%) of Canadian youth experiencing feelings of loneliness (Statistics Canada, 2021), I would question if further reliance on technology in place of in-person study groups with peers or connections with professors and teaching assistants is really the best approach in all disciplines. Not to mention the rich learning that comes from social interactions. Lastly, the impression I get from the post is that decisions around use of learning materials seems more faculty centric than student centered. I’m curious about what a more learner centered approach could be around the creation of learning environments. To be honest, my kids found ways around purchasing course materials and never used any digital homework systems. They successfully completed University.
I think Selwyn’s opinion that “despite what we might be told (by those who have a vested interest in telling us), AI is not a straightforwardly good thing for education. It is not a neutral tool that we can look forward to transforming our classrooms, schools and universities over the next few years. Instead, the very idea of AI is something that needs to be extensively scrutinised, challenged and questioned by those who make decisions that affect education, and those who work in the field of education” (2022, p. 628) is a fitting way to close this post.
References:
BC Campus. (n.d.). The Open Homework Systems Project. https://bccampus.ca/projects/archives/the-open-homework-systems-project/
Selwyn, N. (2022). The future of AI and education: Some cautionary notes. European Journal of Education, 57(4), 620-631. https://doi.org/10.1111/ejed.12532.
Statistics Canada. (2021, November 24). Canadian Social Survey: Loneliness in Canada [Press release]. https://www150.statcan.gc.ca/n1/en/daily-quotidien/211124/dq211124e-eng.pdf?st=DktlTbyF