Open Educational Curricula Interpreted Through the Māori Concept of Ako

Abstract

The idea of open educational resources has been growing in popularity over the last decade, particularly in response to the initiatives of large institutions such as Massachusetts Institute of Technology and the UK Open University and the work of organizations such as UNESCO. In essence, this concept promotes ideas originally developed in the context of software which state that genuine freedom requires the ability to change and share any tool. Traditional models of curriculum development can be seen as embodying many of the undesirable aspects of closed systems, with control remaining in the hands of teachers. Truly Open Curricula would allow the same freedom of modification that currently exists for content. The Māori concept of Ako describes the relationship that exists between learners and teachers and recognizes that an educational experience influences both through their shared experience. This useful idea is used to explore the reality of an Open Curriculum and to suggest a model for open education that is defined less by technology and more by the structured social experience of education. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2021 APA, all rights reserved)