Quest One

The First Quest
On this first quest of the Introduction to Open Education, we have been asked to right a brief post on the history of the movement of open education.
The concept of open education is essentially the long fought battle of freedom vs. control. Access to education (and knowledge) has been an age old tug of war in every human culture and society. Often controlled and manipulated by the few, open education resource "movement" is yet another attempt to free education from class or religious constraints.
With that said, I consulted the following sources as I began this quest for a historical background on Open Education:
Giving Knowledge for Free: The Emergence of Open Educational Resources
Open Educational Resources- Opportunities and Challenges for Higher Education
OER Handbook for Educators
These aforementioned texts show how open educational resources are a part of an educational evolution. From the ancient Greek Lyceum, to independent learning methods where the figure of the student is replaced and becomes an active participant in the creation of his/her knowledge acquisition, how we educated and are educated is limited only by our own imaginations. It seems clear to me that the history of open education is only a chapter in a much bigger book of how humans learn and teach; a book of educational history. The methods are essentially the same; it is the tools that change. Instead of going to a school to hear a teacher lecture, you go to your computer and interact with peers and educators and begin to acquire the knowledge that interests you. Sadly though, as history has often shown us, education is reserved for those who have the economic possibilities to access it. Open educational resources are all good and well, and how they have come about is fascinating, but what does all this mean to those who don't have a computer let alone electricity in their homes or communities? I live in what first world countries call "a developing country" and the reality is that many people are lacking the basics and the basics are still needed in order to use open educational resources. If history repeats itself, as I sadly think it will, open educational resources will be like a mirage in the dessert for so many individuals. A glimmering view of what they need but in reality a stark empty space of what they don't have.