Sociology Professor Nicolas Simon participated in the third annual United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) World OER (Open Educational Resources) Congress in Dubai, UAE. Themed “Digital Public Goods: Open Solutions and AI for Inclusive Access to Knowledge,” the congress brought together educators, technologists and policymakers from around the world.

Simon presented a French translation of the Creative Commons course for educators, librarians and GLAM (Galleries, Libraries, Archives and Museums) to French-speaking participants. At the congress, Simon also deepened his understanding of generative AI to create, adapt and improve Open Educational Resources (OER).

The Creative Commons license allows copyrighted work to be reused without asking for permission. “This (experience) provided me with a deeper understanding of Creative Commons licenses,” said Simon, who had previously translated the Creative Commons Certificate Program into French in the summer of 2022.”

Working closely with his contacts at Creative Commons, Simon said: "Under my leadership, a small team reviewed the translation to ensure its suitability for French-speaking countries beyond France and Canada. Our goal was to prevent the translation from being perceived as a tool of cultural imperialism or an imposition of Global North or American perspectives."

Simon highlighted UNESCO’s role in introducing and championing OER in 2002. He referred to the 2019 Second World OER Congress in Paris, where UNESCO defined OER as “teaching, learning and research materials in any format or medium that reside in the public domain or are under copyright but have been released under an open license. This allows for no-cost access, reuse, repurposing, adaptation and redistribution by others.”

“By 2019, I expanded this work by collaborating with my students to create supplemental materials through 'open pedagogy' — specifically OER-enabled pedagogy,” he said. “This approach fosters collaboration between students and faculty to create openly licensed educational resources.”

According to Simon, the congress was eager to learn about how AI could revolutionize OER by automating the creation of textbooks, quizzes, videos and simulations, drastically reducing costs and production times. Though some participants expressed concerns, most were particularly inspired by AI’s potential to translate resources into multiple languages and personalize educational experiences to individual users’ needs. 

“AI in OER creation presents risks that could compromise quality, inclusivity and credibility,” he said. “One major issue is bias in AI-generated content, stemming from the datasets on which AI systems are trained. These biases, rooted in historical inequalities, could unintentionally marginalize groups or present unbalanced perspectives.”  

Simon acknowledged some prevalent issues that AI has in terms of factual errors and other moral grey areas. “Inaccuracies in AI-generated materials such as culturally insensitive translations could mislead learners,” he said. “Inadvertent plagiarism or failure to attribute sources also poses challenges, as do accessibility barriers when AI overlooks the needs of marginalized communities.” 

According to Simon, the congress emphasized the importance of human oversight in the wake of AI’s educational revolution despite its hurdles.  

“AI can enhance learning, but it is human educators who must guide its application, ensuring inclusivity, accuracy and ethical use," he said. “As the world embraces the possibilities of AI, fostering collaboration between educators and technologists remains essential to unlocking its full potential in transforming education for the better.”