Open, connected, social – implications for educational design

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to describe the design and implementation of an open access, graduate education course where openness, connectivism, and social learning are guiding principles. The described experience aims to offer insight into developing courses that respond to changes in the manner in which individuals learn, connect, and form knowledge. Design/methodology/approach The course implements Web 2.0 and open source software within the learning environment. Pedagogical processes are also congruent with philosophies inherent in the open source movement, especially group collaboration and transparency. Findings The facilitation of this course is complex and would likely be difficult for many instructors. However, student satisfaction is high and long‐term, social learning benefits are perceived to be positive. Originality/value This course is one of the first of its kind, and one that inspired other explorations into open teaching/pedagogical course formats.