Articles
Kane, B., Cox, G., Immenga, C. & Fleisig, R. (2025). Student-Staff Partnerships for Democracy, Justice, and Hope in higher education. International Journal for Students as Partners, 9(1), 1–7. https://doi.org/10.15173/ijsap.v9i1.6655
Iftikhar, F., Cox, G., Lau, P. F. M., Ishkova, M., Sun, J. Z., Iannucci, C., … Howarth, D. (2025). A Time-Capsule for Students as Partners 2034: What We Left Behind, What We’ve Taken With Us, and What We Hope Will Be. International Journal for Students as Partners, 9(1), 321–336. https://doi.org/10.15173/ijsap.v9i1.6116
Masuku, B., Cox, G. & Willmers, M. (2025). Elevating Student Voice and Levelling Traditional Power Hierarchies Through Open Textbook Co-Creation: What Do Students Say? Social Sciences 14(1), 6. https://doi.org/10.3390/socsci14010006
Cox, G. & Masuku, B. (2024a). Student Co-Creation of Open Textbooks: Reflections on Power Dynamics and Building a Sense of Belonging in Higher Education. The Open/Technology in Education, Society, and Scholarship Association Journal, 3(2), 1–15. https://doi.org/10.18357/otessaj.2023.3.2.54
Cox, G., Willmers, M., Brown, R. & Held, M. (2024b). Learning Along the Way: A Case Study on a Pedagogically Innovative Approach to Engage Medical Students in the Creation of Open Educational Resources Using ChatGPT. Mousaion: South African Journal of Information Studies 42(1): 21 pages. https://doi.org/10.25159/2663-659X/15331.
Cox, G., Willmers, M. & Masuku B (2022a). Sustainable Open Textbook Models for Social Justice. Frontiers in Education. 7:881998. https://10.3389/feduc.2022.881998
Cox, G., Willmers, M. & Masuku, B. (2022b). Open Textbook Author Journeys: Internal Conversations and Cycles of Time. The International Review of Research in Open and Distributed Learning, 23(3), 134-152. https://10.19173/irrodl.v23i3.6136
Cox, G., Masuku, B., & Willmers, M. (2022c). Open Textbooks, Intuitive Pedagogy and Social Justice. In C.J. Ivory & A. Pashia (Eds.), Using Open Educational Resources to Promote Social Justice. ACRL Press. https://bit.ly/3ejESFm
Cox, G., Masuku, B. & Willmers, M. (2020). Open Textbooks and Social Justice: Open Educational Practices to Address Economic, Cultural and Political Injustice at the University of Cape Town. Journal of Interactive Media in Education, 2020(1): 2, pp. 1–10. Available at: https://jime.open.ac.uk/articles/10.5334/jime.556/
'Journeys' case studies series
Masuku, B., Willmers, M., Trotter, H. & Cox, G. (2021). UCT Open Textbook Journeys. Digital Open Textbooks for Development and UCT Libraries.
Masuku, B., Willmers, M., Trotter, H. & Cox, G. (2021). Abimbola Windapo’s Open Textbook Journey. UCT Open Textbook Journeys Series: No. 1.
Masuku, B., Willmers, M., Trotter, H. & Cox, G. (2021). Cesarina Edmonds-Smith and Chris Barnetts’ Open Textbook Journey. UCT Open Textbook Journeys Series: No. 2.
Masuku, B., Willmers, M., Trotter, H. & Cox, G. (2021). Claire Blackman’s Open Textbook Journey. UCT Open Textbook Journeys Series: No. 3.
Masuku, B., Willmers, M., Trotter, H. & Cox, G. (2021). James Lappeman’s Open Textbook Journey. UCT Open Textbook Journeys Series: No. 4.
Masuku, B., Willmers, M., Trotter, H. & Cox, G. (2021). Jonathan Shock’s Open Textbook Journey. UCT Open Textbook Journeys Series: No. 5.
Masuku, B., Willmers, M., Trotter, H. & Cox, G. (2021). Juan Klopper’s Open Textbook Journey. UCT Open Textbook Journeys Series: No. 6.
Masuku, B., Willmers, M., Cox, G. & Trotter, H. (2021). Kensleyrao Apajee’s Open Textbook Journey. UCT Open Textbook Journeys Series: No. 7.
Masuku, B., Willmers, M., Trotter, H. & Cox, G. (2021). Maria Keet’s Open Textbook Journey. UCT Open Textbook Journeys Series: No. 8.
Masuku, B., Willmers, M., Trotter, H. & Cox, G. (2021). Michael Held's Open Textbook Journey. UCT Open Textbook Journeys Series: No. 9.
Masuku, B., Willmers, M., Trotter, H. & Cox, G. (2021). Stella Papanicolaou’s Open Textbook Journey. UCT Open Textbook Journeys Series: No. 10.
Masuku, B., Willmers, M., Trotter, H. & Cox, G. (2021). Tim Low’s Open Textbook Journey. UCT Open Textbook Journeys Series: No. 11.
Reports and briefs
Grootboom, L., Masuku, B., Pampier, N. & Geluk, L. (2025). Student Reflections on the Role of Open Education in Addressing Social Injustice in South African Higher Education: Advocacy Brief. Digital Open Textbooks for Development, University of Cape Town.
Willmers, M. (2025). Student Symposium on Open Education for Social Justice: Report on May 2025 Proceedings. Digital Open Textbooks for Development, University of Cape Town.
Digital Open Textbooks for Development. (2024). The future of Open Education for Social Justice in South African Higher Education: Report on the June 2024 UNESCO Chairs symposium. Digital Open Textbooks for Development, University of Cape Town.
Masuku, B. (2021). Open Textbook Landscape Survey: University of Cape Town. Cape Town: Digital Open Textbooks for Development.
Willmers, M., Cox, G. & Masuku, B. (2021). Open Textbooks in South African Higher Education: Call to Action 2021. Cape Town: Digital Open Textbooks for Development.
Research instruments
Cox, G., Masuku, B. & Willmers, M. (2025). Student Symposium on Open Education for Social Justice: Student Reflections Template. Digital Open Textbooks for Development, University of Cape Town.
Cox, G., Masuku, B. & Willmers, M. (2025). Student Symposium on Open Education for Social Justice: DOT4D Student Fellows Reflections Template. Digital Open Textbooks for Development, University of Cape Town.
Cox, G., Masuku, B. & Willmers, M. (2024). Future of Open Education in South African Higher Education Symposium: DOT4D Student Partner Reflections Template. Digital Open Textbooks for Development, University of Cape Town.
Cox, G., Masuku, B. & Willmers, M. (2023). Student Co-Creation in Open Textbook Development: Framework Articulation Guide. Digital Open Textbooks for Development, University of Cape Town.
Cox, G., Masuku, B. & Willmers, M. (2021). Digital Open Textbooks for Development Background, Technology Fluency and Personal Reflection Survey. Cape Town: Digital Open Textbooks for Development.
Cox, G., Masuku, B. & Willmers, M. (2021). Digital Open Textbooks for Development Case Study Interview Schedule: Interview 1 of 2. Cape Town: Digital Open Textbooks for Development.
Cox, G., Masuku, B. & Willmers, M. (2021). Digital Open Textbooks for Development Case Study Interview Schedule: Interview 2 of 2. Cape Town: Digital Open Textbooks for Development.
Presentations
2025
- North-West University: Empowering students: Student roles in the co-creation of open education and harnessing the potential of AI to create open textbook chapters (November 2025)
- OERCamp South Africa: Open education in South Africa: Challenges and opportunities (November 2025)
- Centre for Comparative and International Research in Education, Bristol: Open education and open science (November 2025)
- UCT Emerging Researchers Programme Webinar: Publishing an academic book (November 2024)
- Designing for Social Justice Partnerships Roundtable: The DOT4D Student Fellowship programme: Exploring partnership and promoting student voice (October 2025)
- Kenya Open Education and Knowledge Equity Hub: Open education in Africa: Challenges and opportunities (October 2025)
- Bristol University Digital Education Office: The role of open education in higher education (October 2025)
- Bristol University Digital Education Office: Students as Partners: Open education and students as partners (October 2025)
- DOT4D Introduction to Open Education Webinar: Making an open textbook: The basics on scoping, authorship, student co-creation, production, quality assurance and publishing (October 2024)
- Bristol Conversations in Education: Open education and social justice: Steps towards transforming higher education (July 2025)
- Open University, Sri Lanka: Generative artificial intelligence and open education (June 2025)
- Student Symposium on Open Education for Social Justice: Student reflections on the role of open education in addressing social injustice in South African higher education (May 2025)
- Regina Bootcamp: Then. Now. The future: Directions for open education in the changing world of Higher Education (May 2025)
- SESAM Annual Virtual Meeting Workshop: Open educational resources in simulation (March 2025)
- Manchester Metropolitan University: Students partnerships in open education: Addressing power dynamics and belonging in teaching (January 2025)
2024
- Open Education Global, Brisbane, Australia: The future of open education in higher education in South Africa (November 2024)
- UCT Teaching and Learning Conference: Open textbooks and the empowerment of students as partners in curriculum change (November 2024)
- UCT Emerging Researchers Programme: Publishing an academic book (November 2024)
- OpenEd Conference, virtual: Student partnerships in open education addressing power dynamics and belonging in STEM teaching (October 2024)
- UCT Higher Education Studies course: Open textbooks as educational technology (February 2024)
- CILT Brown Bag: Use of ChatGPT for student co-creation of open textbooks (February 2024)
2023
- Worcester Polytechnic Institution: Open education and social justice: Collaboration and student co-creation at the University of Cape Town (January 2023)
- Open Education Week 2023: Digital open textbooks for social justice: Collaboration and student co-creation (March 2023)
- Siyaphumelela UCT: Siyaphumelela Open Education Resources Workstream 2023 (March 2023)
- African Digital University Network: The role of Open Education: Addressing social justice through collaboration and student co-creation (April 2023)
- Yusuf Maitama Sule University, Kano: Open educational resource development at UCT: lessons to carry forward (May 2023)
- Future of Open Education: Open education and social justice: Future imperatives (May 2023)
- Open/Technology in Education, Society, and Scholarship Association Conference (OTESSA): Student co-creation of open textbooks for social justice and belonging (May 2023)
- Masters in Educational Technology: Why Open Education Matters in Higher Education? (May 2023)
- Association of Commonwealth Universities Summer School: Global Learning and Social Justice (July 2023)
2022
- European Network of Open Education Librarians: Open Textbook Journeys: Lessons learnt at the University of Cape Town (November 2022)
- UNITWIN/UNESCO Chairs Programme: Open education for social justice: Students as partners in transdisciplinary research (November 2022)
- UCT Teaching and Learning Conference: Collaborative open textbook creation: Perspectives on student involvement (November 2022)
- Open Ed Conference 2022: Decolonising learning in the Global South: Opportunities and challenges in higher education (October 2022)
- Open Ed Conference 2022: Collaborative open textbook creation: Perspectives on student involvement (October 2022)
- South Africa Sweden University Forum Goes Digital: Sustainable, collaborative models of open textbook production for social justice and student co-creation: Open textbooks at the University of Cape Town (September 2022)
- Siyaphumelela Workshop 1: Open Textbooks for Curriculum Change and Student Co-Creation: Introduction to open textbooks for social justice (August 2022)
- Siyaphumelela Workshop 2: Open Textbooks for Curriculum Change and Student Co-Creation: Collaborative models of open textbook production and student co-creation (September 2022)
- Centre for Higher Education in Development Seminar Series: Open textbook authorship, quality assurance and publishing: Social justice models of participatory design, engagement, co-creation and partnership (June 2022) >>> Watch the recording
- Siyaphumelela Conference 2022: Digital Open Textbooks for Development: Collaborative, sustainable models for transformation and student involvement (June 2022)
- OE Global 2022: Open textbook authorship, quality assurance and publishing: Social justice models of participatory design, engagement, co-creation and partnership (May 2022) >>> Watch the recording
- Nelson Mandela University ‘Open Textbook Fellowship’ Community Conversation: ‘Roadmap’ for open textbook development (May 2022)
- Open Education Week 2022: Inclusivity, collaboration and student co-creation: Open textbook production models for social justice" (2022)
2021
- OTSAHE Roundtable Event: “Open Textbooks in South African Higher Education” (2021)
- CILT Brown Bag presentation: “Open Textbooks, Intuitive Pedagogy and Social Justice” (2021)
- UCT Emerging Research Programme: “Publishing an Academic Book” (2021)
2020
- “UCT Open Textbook Conversation event: Part 2” (2020)
- Nelson Mandela University OpenEdColloquium20: “Open textbooks: Towards a Sustainable Model for South African Universities” (2020)
- OE Global 2020: “Participatory Pedagogy and Open Textbook Publishing Journeys: Emerging Models at the University of Cape Town” (2020)
- Open Ed 2019: "Open textbook case studies: Social justice, agency, and intersectionality"
- OER19: "Digital Open Textbooks for Development" (2019)
- “UCT Open Textbook Conversation event: Part 1” (2019)
- Apereo Africa: “Digital Open Textbooks for Development” (2019)
- Open Ed 2018: “A proposed social justice and intersectionality model for open education research: The ROER4D and DOT4D initiatives” (2018)
- UCT Teaching and Learning Conference: “Digital Open Textbooks for Development: Broadening access and supporting curriculum transformation at UCT” (2018)