While Open Education (OE) focuses on digital access, it often ignores the physical and cognitive realities of learners in the Global South. This session presents a case study from the PragatiSankalp India Foundation in Nashik, Maharashtra, addressing two barriers: "Spatial Scarcity" and "Algorithmic Sycophancy."
Grounded in Ambedkarite philosophy, we share findings from socio-economic surveys of 600+ residents in Bhim Nagar. We identify how high-density housing creates a physical barrier to learning, solved by our "Bodh Saksham Study Hall"—a physical open-infrastructure hub.
We also tackle the cognitive risk of AI in OE. We demonstrate how AI "sycophancy", the tendency for models to prioritize agreement over truth, harms first-generation learners. We propose "Intentional Role Prompting" as a pedagogical tool to turn AI from a "yes-man" into a constructive mentor. Attendees will learn a scalable model for bridging the gap between digital openness and physical/ethical access.
Attendees of this session will be able to:- Define "Spatial Scarcity" and identify it as a critical barrier to the use of Open Educational Resources in high-density urban environments.
- Apply "Intentional Role Prompting" techniques to mitigate AI sycophancy and encourage critical thinking in student-AI interactions.
- Describe the "Open Infrastructure" model for community learning centers that combine physical safety with ethical digital guardrails.
- Utilize localized socio-economic data to advocate for interdisciplinary safety standards in open education.
