SHARING A PRAGMATIC NETWORKED MODEL FOR OPEN PEDAGOGY: THE OPEN HUB MODEL OF KNOWLEDGE GENERATION IN HIGHER-EDUCATION ENVIRONMENTS

Abstract

We outline a model for innovative online practice called the open hub model of knowledge generation in higher-education environments. Following from models such as communities of inquiry, communities of practice, and learning in the collective, we present a model that is based on a modified connectivist practice to support teachers in creating learning environments in which they can develop and expand tools for learning in an age of rapid change and information abundance. We explore literature on designing for an open pedagogical environment, specifically in terms of the usefulness of a blog for realization in these contexts. We also consider stages of open-learner readiness. The open hub model uses aspects of other models, designs, and stages to create a flexible method to initiate and develop open learning and practice for inservice teachers, preservice teachers, and faculty so that they may organize, facilitate, and learn in such environments. We discuss implications for university policy, student learning, and digital literacies.