Paul Prinsloo is a research professor at the University of South Africa who focuses on analyzing student data to improve open and distance learning. His research also examines open and distributed learning models. When researching open education, it is important to move beyond binary definitions and consider the complex ecologies that influence whether environments are open or closed. All evidence is ideological, preliminary, and subject to critique and change. Effective methodologies depend on the specific research questions being investigated and should consider how findings will be disseminated and promote further discussion.

2. Paul Prinsloo
• Research Professor in Open and Distance Learning at
the University of South Africa (Unisa), established
1873, 350,000 students
• My current and primary research focus is on the
collection, analysis and use of student data as evidence,
in order to improve the effectiveness of teaching and
learning in open and distributed environments. My
secondary focus is on open and distributed learning –
mapping ecologies of open

3. Some general comments
Evidence in the
social imaginary
Open in the
social imaginary
The broader
context in higher
education
Our beliefs about the
practice and impact
of educational
research
Researching
‘open’/
evidence in
‘open’
research

4. What are the today most relevant research
challenges on Open Education?
• Thinking beyond binaries – open/closed and rather
explore the ecologies making open/closed desirable
• Moving beyond definitions and declarations – what was
left unsaid, who/what is excluded by whom, on what
basis, and what are the effects on those (material and
human) that are not included but are affected?
• Realising that all evidence are ideological,
preliminary/until-further-notice, contested and fragile

5. Can Evidence-Based Research approach offer
a new and better perspective to the Open
Education research?
• A new perspective? Better than what?
• To what extent can evidence be open and not close off
interrogation/critique?
• How is Evidence-Based Research different in Open
Education compared to “non-open” education?

6. What kind of Evidence-Based research
methodologies are more appropriated to
research on Open Education?
• Methodologies depend on and should flow from the
research questions. So, what are the questions?
• What research methodologies are not focused on
gathering and reporting on evidence?
• How will the evidence be disseminated (open/closed)?
Who will have access to the findings? How will the
findings be open and open up further spaces?