What happens when a long-standing commitment to open sharing of knowledge awakens to and begins to infuse responses to the stark reality of the climate emergency? What new learning practices are catalyzed, and how can this lead to a more just and livable world?
In this session, we’ll explore some ways that more timely, equitable and effective climate learning is being enabled by the methods and materials of open education; and also how open education practices can evolve to maximize the positive impacts of climate action efforts.
Substantial progress has been made on climate action and climate justice in recent years. But our “business as usual” trajectory of incremental change within existing systems still has us on track for warming of over 3C by 2100. This trajectory is less dire than the prospects of 4C+ that we faced a decade ago; but without much deeper transformations, we’re still on a path to trigger planetary tipping points, ecosystem collapses and mass disruptions of human society.
More must be done. And as a means of transformation, open practices have a key role to play.
These questions are playing out now in developing the Climate Project at MIT, an ambitious program announced in early 2024 to do bigger things faster and work more effectively with partners around the scientific and societal challenges of climate change.
In this session, we’ll highlight some of the ways that open knowledge practices are infusing climate work at MIT and in its collaborations, and ask what might be possible if a commitment to open knowledge practices spreads widely across climate action spaces.
At OE Global 2023, a workshop session began to consider an open climate knowledge community of practice. We discussed needs and opportunities, and identified some resources and programs that can serve as inspirations and a basis for future work. See workshop notes at https://bit.ly/oeglobal-climate-community.
One year later, where are we? How are open methods and materials making a difference for general public engagement and empowering k-12, post-secondary, workforce and professional learning about climate change and climate justice? Current and future generations are counting on us to make this everyone’s business.
Included in
[Session 10A]: Practice and Policy in OEReferencesNotes from OE Global’23 workshop on open climate knowledge: Accelerating Climate Action and Climate Justice Through Open Education. https://bit.ly/oeglobal-climate-community. OE Week 2024 event listing: Accelerating Climate Action and Climate Justice Through Open Education. https://oeweek.oeglobal.org/activity/accelerating-climate-justice-through-open-education/ International Open Access Week 2022 webinar video: Learn Climate with Open MIT Resources. https://youtu.be/WXshIwISJ5Y?si=rC-LUtGFGcypIymi
Author KeywordsLifelong and informal learning, Open educational practices, Open education policies and strategies, Social justice, Sustainability
