Crisis, Alignment, and Control: Reframing Open Education in Ontario’s Virtual Learning Strategy
Abstract
This study examines how open education, including open educational resources and practices, was reframed within Ontario’s Virtual Learning Strategy during the COVID-19 pandemic. Using a qualitative case study informed by the multiple streams framework and the concept of discursive agency, it analyzes how eCampusOntario leveraged the pandemic as a policy window to elevate open education on the provincial agenda. The findings show that open education, historically associated with equity, access, and participatory pedagogy, was recast as a cost-effective, scalable, and system-compatible solution aligned with performance metrics and digital governance priorities. While this reframing enabled rapid institutional uptake and centralized investment, it also narrowed open education’s social justice ambitions. This study highlights how crisis-driven policy convergence can legitimize innovation while constraining its transformative potential, offering insights for policy makers and educators navigating equity-oriented reforms in performance-driven post-secondary systems.
Published
2026-04-30
Keywords
open education, discursive agency, multiple streams framework, COVID-19 pandemic, eCampusOntario, higher education policy
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Copyright (c) 2026 Mara De Giusti Bordignon
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