Objective
The term open has become popularly used to describe a variety of objects (software and technology, educational resources, education, etc.). Ambiguity exists in the meaning of open, for example open education where anyone can enroll with the only requirement a fee, or open education that is available to anyone, and without a cost. In addition to the ambiguity of open (what it enables), there is also ambiguity with how organizations might operate to allow openness.
The Openness Index attempts to define open attributes and a means to assess the type of openness within the community of practice responsible for the design, development, and distribution of the open artifact.
Importantly, the Openness Index is not designed to assess the "openness" of an artifact (object, software, OER, etc.) claimed to be open–there are plenty of licenses which can be used to assess the openness of an object–rather, the model assess the openness of the organization/community that creates and manages artifact.
Meetings
Traditional Maturity Model Definition:
There are five levels defined along the continuum of a maturity model
- Initial (chaotic, ad hoc, individual heroics) - the starting point for use of a new or undocumented repeat process.
- Repeatable - the process is at least documented sufficiently such that repeating the same steps may be attempted.
- Defined - the process is defined/confirmed as a standard business process, and decomposed to levels 0, 1 and 2 (the latter being Work Instructions).
- Managed - the process is quantitatively managed in accordance with agreed-upon metrics.
- Optimizing - process management includes deliberate process optimization/improvement.
"Opening" the Maturity Model Definition:
Using the above as a framework, the following can be applied to access the maturity of an open project:
- Initial/Aware: (chaotic, ad hoc, individual heroics) - the starting point for use of a new or undocumented open project.
- Repeatable - openness is at least documented sufficiently such that repeating the same steps toward openness may be attempted.
- Defined - openness is defined/confirmed as a standard business process, and decomposed to levels 0, 1 and 2 (the latter being Work Instructions).
- Managed - openness is quantitatively managed in accordance with agreed-upon metrics (those of the OMM)
- Optimizing - openness management includes deliberate principle/process/practice optimization/improvement.
Openness Values
Courage: Courage is sufficient to participate in openness, however participants may be motivated by other causes, such as: a condition of employment; direction from a supervisor; peer pressure; or, a hidden agenda—perhaps to influence (or sabotage) direction.
Participation: Participation is necessary in order to contribute. While there is no guarantee the contributions will be honest, one must participate in order to offer a honest contribution.
Honesty: Honesty requires sincerity, directness and specificity, where actions and statements are free from bias or dogma and motivated to achieve the goals and objectives of the initiative. Reflection (assessment) of one's ideas and self can only be genuine if one is honest.
Reflection: Knowing one's limits or failures is fundamental to acknowledging them, however recognizing one's limitations does not mean one would admit to them or correct them. Humility accepts that current ideas, drivers, approaches, expectations, values might change and readily accepts those.
Humility: The scope of competency and capacity.
Principles
Communication: Communication is necessary for transparency in openness. While some individuals/organizations may provide communication, this may be promotional, marketing or spin rather than actual policies, processes and practices. Yet in order for transparency to exist at all in openness, some form of communication must take place that conveys information and exposes organizational artifacts.
Transparency: Transparency, or access to and discover-ability, of information, contributes to the development of affinity groups (self-organizing, self-interested, self-motivated, self-directed). If an organization provides access to information, individuals can find topics of interest and others who share those interests. Groups cannot effectively organize or contribute without knowing organizational details.
Self-organization: A group of at least two people is sufficient for collaboration in openness. However collaboration can occur outside of self-organizing groups, such as committees, departments, etc. who collaborate as part of their jobs or who may have been appointed, rather than based on an affinity for the topic.
Collaboration: Collaboration contributes to evidence-based decision-making but is not necessary. Individuals can use evidence in governance.
Evidence-based decision-making
Meritocracy
Objectives
Simplicity
Emergence
Incremental Development
Rapid Feedback
Continuous Feedback
Potential Openness Key:
1:
Optimized
|
Managed
|
Defined
|
Repeatable
|
Initial
|
Not assessed
|
2:
Fully Open
|
Largely Open
|
Partially Open
|
Not Open
|
Not assessed
|
References:
Laffan, Liz. (2011) A New Way of Measuring Openness, from Android to WebKit: The Open Governance Index [Updated]. VisionMobile, 29 July 2011. Web. 30 July 2012. Available from http://www.visionmobile.com/blog/2011/07/the-open-governance-index-measuring-openness-from-android-to-webkit/
Marshall, S. (2007) eMM Version 2.3 Process Descriptions. Victoria University of Wellington, New Zealand. Available from http://www.utdc.vuw.ac.nz/research/emm/Publications.shtml
Masson, P. (2009) Agile Causality. Available from http://openmasters.wordpress.com/agile-causality/
Masson, P. (2011) Open Governance in Higher Education: Extending the Past to the Future. Educause Review. Available from http://net.educause.edu/ir/library/pdf/ERM1112.pdf
Waugh P. & R. Metcalfe (2007) The Foundations of Openness. What are we doing today, brain? Available from http://pipka.org/blog/2008/07/23/the-foundations-of-openness/
Legacy Notes
- The Artifacts Created During Participation in an Open Course
- Pedagogical Intent
- Learning Activities
- Assessments
- Assessment
- Externally Used Resources
- Credentialing (course and program level)
- Course Content
- Access Dimensions: non-discriminatory: open to everyone–non restrictive.
- Licensing Dimensions:
- Use
- Reuse
- Derivative Works
- Economic Access (open to everybody irrespective of their financial means)
- Learning Design
- Instruction and Support
- Delivery Technology
Open Access - publishing of research data- Externally Used Resources
- Licensing Dimensions:
- Use
- Reuse
- Derivative Works
- Economic Access (open to everybody irrespective of their financial means)
- Software used
- Public Contribution
- Public comment
- Interoperability - resources are distributed with cross-platform interoperability in mind (for example RTF vs. PDF)