This week’s readings offered valuable perspectives on educational design that prioritizes both openness and inclusion. In “A Look at the Future of Open Educational Resources”, that can be found at: https://www.ijoer.org/a-lookat-the-future-of-open-educational-resources/. Stephen Downes critiques the first wave of OER as limited in scope — focused primarily on making educational content free and available. He argues that the next phase of OER should shift toward empowering learners to personalize and interact with learning materials, emphasizing adaptability, autonomy, and community-driven contributions.

In parallel, the CAST framework for Universal Design for Learning (UDL) which can be found at: https://udloncampus.cast.org/page/udl_about, proposes a proactive approach to addressing learner diversity through flexible curriculum design. UDL is grounded in the belief that there is no “average” learner. It promotes multiple means of engagement, representation, and expression, enabling all students — including those with disabilities, language barriers, or different learning styles — to access and participate meaningfully in learning.

These two ideas show that just giving access to learning materials isn’t enough — we need to design learning that includes everyone. Downes talks about how open resources should be flexible and learner-driven, while UDL focuses on creating materials that work for all kinds of learners right from the start. When we put these approaches together, we can build learning environments that are not just open, but also fair and inclusive for everyone. What really stuck with me was when Downes wrote, “The purpose of open education is not merely to deliver content, but to enable learning.” Because it reminded me of how often we confuse availability with accessibility. If OER provides the infrastructure for openness, UDL offers the design strategy to make that openness truly equitable. For example, while an OER textbook might be free, applying UDL would mean ensuring that the same textbook is available in audio format, broken into modular sections, and includes interactive elements that support learner engagement and flexibility.

See the infographic below for a visual summary of how OER and UDL come together to support inclusive learning:

This week’s readings really brought together everything I’ve been learning in this course. Stephen Downes challenged me to think beyond the surface-level idea of “free” and instead focus on creating learning experiences that are customizable and empowering. At the same time, UDL gave me a framework for actually making that happen by designing content that works for different kinds of learners from the start. These ideas helped me see that openness without intentional design can still leave people out. Throughout this course, I’ve learned that truly open education isn’t just about access, it’s about invitation, flexibility, and care. Whether it’s using Creative Commons, co-creating with learners, or thinking critically about design, I now feel better equipped to support learning environments that are open in every sense of the word.

Thanks for reading — and for being part of this journey with me!