Distributing Knowledge Creation to Include Underrepresented Populations

Richard F. Heller; Stephen R. Leeder

doi:10.19173/irrodl.v26i2.8074

Authors

Richard F. Heller University of Newcastle, Australia https://orcid.org/0000-0003-3161-5967
Stephen R. Leeder University of Sydney, Australia https://orcid.org/0000-0003-3532-7137

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.19173/irrodl.v26i2.8074

Keywords:

distributed knowledge creation, knowledge dissemination, co-creation of knowledge, collaboration, open educational resources

Abstract

This paper documents biases in the creation of knowledge through underrepresentation of diverse populations and population groups in the way research is conducted and published, and subsequently, in the way educational resources are developed and delivered. Research that incorporates the experience of distributed population groups will have greater local applicability, and knowledge published and disseminated in ways that make it available to distributed populations will increase likelihood that the research findings will be incorporated into policy and action across the population. The incorporation of knowledge gained from distributed population groups into the educational experience will enrich it and, like the knowledge, make it more relevant to the whole population. We explore the potential for distributing knowledge creation to contribute in these ways and what changes are required in the way that higher education is organised to maximise distributed knowledge creation, including collaborative co-creation of knowledge and a collaborative capacity-building programme to ensure its sustainability. We propose that the principles described for a distributed university, where education is disseminated largely online through regional hubs to correct local and global inequalities in access, would be suitable to support the development of structures for distributing knowledge creation. Appropriate governance structures should be developed, of which co-creation of knowledge would be an essential component.

Author Biographies

Richard F. Heller, University of Newcastle, Australia

Richard Heller is Emeritus Professor at the Universities of Newcastle, Australia and Manchester, UK. He was Director of The Centre for Clinical Epidemiology and Biostatistics at the University of Newcastle, and consultant physician at the John Hunter Hospital. Then as Professor of Public Health in Manchester he set up the University’s first online master’s degree. He founded and coordinated Peoples-uni to build Public Health capacity in developing countries at low cost, through online learning. His recent open access book is The Distributed University for Sustainable Higher Education.

Stephen R. Leeder, University of Sydney, Australia

Stephen Leeder is Emeritus Professor of public health and community medicine at the University of Sydney. Steve has 45 years of experience in epidemiological research, medical education reform and in mentoring young investigators and is currently Co-Editor-in-Chief of the International Journal of Epidemiology. He held the position of Chair of the Western Sydney Local Health District Board from 2011 until 2016 and was Editor-in-Chief of the Medical Journal of Australia from January 2013 until April 2015.

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