Openness in education as a living idea: A longitudinal investigation of its growth and development

AbstractOpenness in education has received significant attention in recent years. To comprehend this concept in education ecosystems thoroughly, a longitudinal study is crucial, offering a comprehensive perspective of its evolution. The study utilizes bibliometric techniques, social network analysis, and text mining to investigate openness from its origin to the present day. The research highlights that the idea of openness, initially linked to open universities, has expanded into broader education ecosystems due to advancements in digital technologies, especially around the turn of the 21st century. Embracing open access and open scholarship as new business models is essential to consolidate openness in education. Additionally, distance education, online learning, and educational technology play vital roles as catalysts for openness in education, providing a holistic understanding of the concept.Keywords: open and distance learningopen educationopen accessopen learningopen scholarship Disclosure statementNo potential conflict of interest was declared by the author(s).Data availability statementThe datasets used and/or analyzed during the current study are available from the corresponding author on reasonable request.Additional informationFundingThis work has been supported by Anadolu University Scientific Research Projects Coordination Unit, under grant number SBA-2023-94. Notes on contributorsSerpil KoçdarSerpil Koçdar is an associate professor at Anadolu University, Türkiye. With a background in economics, she holds a master’s degree and a PhD in distance education. Her research focuses on quality assurance, e-assessment, instructional design, and new learning technologies in ODL.Aras BozkurtAras Bozkurt is a researcher and faculty member in the Department of Distance Education, Open Education Faculty at Anadolu University, Türkiye. He holds MA and PhD degrees in distance education. Dr. Bozkurt conducts empirical studies on online distance education and educational technology. He is also interested in emerging research paradigms.Hasan UçarHasan Uçar is an associate professor in the Department of Distance Education at Anadolu University. He received his PhD and master's degree in distance education. Hasan’s research focuses on open and distance education, specifically motivation and engagement of learners in online learning environments.Abdulkadir KaradenizAbdulkadir Karadeniz, associate professor at Anadolu University's Faculty of Open Education, earned a BA and MA from Dokuz Eylul University and a PhD in distance education from Anadolu University. His expertise covers open and distance learning, educational technology, learning analytics, and AI in education.Erdem ErdoğduErdem Erdoğdu is a faculty member in the Department of Distance Education, part of the Open Education Faculty at Anadolu University. He earned his MA and PhD degrees in distance education from Anadolu University. His studies primarily focus on e-learning content development, instructional design, interaction, and digital publishing.Som NaiduSom Naidu is principal associate, Technology, Education and Design Associates, Melbourne, Australia. A former pro vice-chancellor (Flexible Learning) at the University of the South Pacific, his expertise lies in the design and development of open and flexible learning environments and in the enhancement of learning and teaching more generally.