Open Knowledge Diffusion Tools: FOSS, OER, OT, MOOC and the Role of the Library in Mitigating the Social Inertia of Constrained Learning Environments

Abstract

The cost of higher education and the rise of student debt, juxtaposed with the attrition of formal learning and the rise and evolution of informal learning presents a unique challenge to academic institutions. Students can no longer afford the cost of textbooks, and the use and embracement of proprietary software limits the freedom of knowledge exchange. A successful pedagogical metamorphosis will depend on the resistance to social inertia, influenced by internal and external entities of academic institutions, and the pressure to remain in a constrained learning environment. In this research, we present our concept of open knowledge diffusion and the effects of social inertia in preserving constrained learning environments. We identify and explain Open Knowledge Diffusion Tools (OKDT) such as Open Educational Resources (OER), Open Textbooks (OT), Massive Open Online Course (MOOC), and Free and Open Source Software (FOSS). We discuss their impact on pedagogy and informal learning. Finally, we present a framework in which libraries play a major role in mitigating the social inertia of constrained learning environments.