By Prune Sochard, Nantes Université
Image by Vectorportal.com, CC BY
When faced with the multiple choices for a subject to choose and study this year, this one stood out to me. The complexity of the association of words used to phrase it makes it a very interesting matter; each component of the question adds a layer of complexity that inscribes this subject in the very thing it tries to solve.
This subject is interesting because it comes from the observation that universities, and especially in the way that they share knowledge with the students, are not “open” enough. In other words, universities do not let students have full and free access to the materials they use to teach and transmit knowledge, and do not make enough, if at all, use of OER (Open education resources). This is a fact that I myself experienced at Nantes Université; after the new semester, the resources that were available online are deleted, and students who did not or could not download them are now left to fend for themselves when trying to find a specific piece of content a few semesters down the line, if not a few years into their career. Therefore, openness really seems to be a challenge that needs to be tackled for the good of students and postgraduate alumni.
The second reason this question seems to intrigue me is the presence of “sustainable culture” in the statement. The word culture implies a movement, a long-lasting change that would help students throughout all of their studies, but also possibly throughout all of their careers. But culture also implies a change in mindset; it implies the installation of a desire to change our university models and the selfish mindset of wanting to restrict knowledge to a specific group and a specific time.
Continuing on “sustainable culture”, as a climate activist and future teacher, the word sustainable is to me what ties this question altogether, but also makes it relevant to present-time challenges. Sustainable here means multiple things to me
- Sustainable throughout time. This idea of an open culture in universities can only exist, and only make sense, if we strive to make it last for a long time. This raises questions such as what format/resources will make it sustainable throughout time?
- Sustainable for the environment. It is no secret that data centres and more specifically AI data centres are rapidly polluting our environment (noise pollution, water pollution, air pollution, the cost of the construction on the local flora and fauna, as well as soil pollution), therefore, when dealing with a sustainable culture of openness in universities, this culture should not aim to overuse polluting solutions just because we can or because its trendy.
- Sustainable for job opportunities. This aspect can tie in with the previous one; should generative AI really be used to generate content when someone can do it? Do we really need to use generative AI when we can hire someone to write, to explain, to teach, to code? Making this culture sustainable for job opportunities also maintains an invaluable social link that is needed for the students.
- Sustainable for the development of critical thinking and cognitive capabilities. Today, teaching is what guarantees this development. This culture of openness should not aim to replace teachers, as they guarantee the development of critical thinking as well as the social aspect needed; instead, it needs to be a complement to help all students, who arrive at conclusions in different ways and at different paces.
