OER in The Netherlands Robert Schuwer 9 October 2009, Delft

Context 2006 start of OER in The Netherlands 2007 Initiative TU Delft 2008 expansion 2009 realisation of national initiative

2006 start of OER in The Netherlands

2007 Initiative TU Delft

2008 expansion

2009 realisation of national

initiative

Agenda Institutional initiatives OpenER @ OUNL and beyond Spinoza @ OUNL National initiative Wikiwijs

Institutional initiatives

OpenER @ OUNL and beyond

Spinoza @ OUNL

National initiative

Wikiwijs

Open Universiteit one of 14 universities in NL with a specific Profile : Lifelong, Open, and Flexible (LOF) learning one of 10 universities for LOF learning in Europe (e.g. UK OU, UOC, …) over 20.000 students celebrating 25th anniversary this year

one of 14 universities in NL

with a specific Profile :

Lifelong, Open, and Flexible (LOF) learning

one of 10 universities for LOF learning in Europe (e.g. UK OU, UOC, …)

over 20.000 students

celebrating 25th anniversary this year

Open Universiteit (2) Bachelor / Master / PhD programmes (fully accredited) from seven Schools: Cultural Sciences Informatics / Computing Law Management Sciences Natural Sciences Psychology Educational Sciences

Bachelor / Master / PhD programmes

(fully accredited) from seven Schools:

Cultural Sciences

Informatics / Computing

Law

Management Sciences

Natural Sciences

Psychology

Educational Sciences

Open Universiteit (3) Expertise centres: Learning Sciences and Technology ( CELSTEC , formerly OTEC) Professional development of teachers ( Ruud de Moor Centre ) Education for Sustainable Development ( RCE Rhine-Meuse ) Lifelong Learning (Netherlands Laboratory for Lifelong Learning - NELLL )

Expertise centres:

Learning Sciences and Technology ( CELSTEC , formerly OTEC)

Professional development of teachers ( Ruud de Moor Centre )

Education for Sustainable Development ( RCE Rhine-Meuse )

Lifelong Learning (Netherlands Laboratory for Lifelong Learning - NELLL )

Institutional: OpenER@OUNL Objectives: lowering thresholds for access to formal HE widening and increasing participation in HE

Objectives:

lowering thresholds for access to formal HE

widening and increasing participation in HE

Means large-scale offering of high-quality short open courses developed for self-study (1 EC each (about 25 hrs)) ‘ portal of temptation’ to HE bridging informal learning and formal education by official examination options (earning Bachelor credits)

large-scale offering of high-quality short open courses developed for self-study (1 EC each (about 25 hrs))

‘ portal of temptation’ to HE

bridging informal learning and formal education by official examination options

(earning Bachelor credits)

Fundings The Directorate Learning and Working, established by the Dutch Ministery of Education, Culture and Science and the Ministery of Social Affairs The William and Flora Hewlett Foundation To a total of approx. €660,000.

The Directorate Learning and Working, established by the Dutch Ministery of Education, Culture and Science and the Ministery of Social Affairs

The William and Flora Hewlett Foundation

To a total of approx. €660,000.

Measurements Main question: Did OpenER had any effect on participation in Higher Education? Photo by Xurble @ Flickr.com

Main question:

Did OpenER had any effect on participation in Higher Education?

Some figures Launch on December 5, 2006 generated a lot of publicity Close to 1.000.000 visitors 12% returning 25 courses online (4 – 45 hours / course) 5700 users registered voluntarily Costs for creation €3000 - €30,000 Formally ended June 2008

Launch on December 5, 2006 generated a lot of publicity

Close to 1.000.000 visitors

12% returning

25 courses online (4 – 45 hours / course)

5700 users registered voluntarily

Costs for creation €3000 - €30,000

Formally ended June 2008

Proof of the pudding Question on electronic order form for regular OUNL courses: Was taking a free OpenER course a cause to order this course? About 10% answered yes. Photo by kochtopf @ Flickr.com

Question on electronic order form for regular OUNL courses:

Was taking a free OpenER course a cause to order this course?

About 10% answered yes.

Three key best practices Rely on quality awareness of authors Authors are already used to making self study material Support of top management is crucial Producing open courses should be a regular task at faculties Higher delivery reliability Not dependant on few enthusiastic people

Rely on quality awareness of authors

Authors are already used to making self study material

Support of top management is crucial

Producing open courses should be a regular task at faculties

Higher delivery reliability

Not dependant on few enthusiastic people

Main question remaining Sustainability: business model for offering free courses Can it ever be without grants? Someone has to pay for it (the tax payer?) Photo by tj scenes @ Flickr.com

Sustainability: business model for offering free courses

Can it ever be without grants?

Someone has to pay for it (the tax payer?)

stOER (Dutch for tough) Another business model (service oriented) OERs and other free services play central role Each course an OER Experiments start this year Computer Science and Educational Technology Photo @ http://www.sixthman.net/blog/2008/12/

Another business model (service oriented)

OERs and other free services play central role

Each course an OER

Experiments start this year

Computer Science and Educational Technology

Extension: Spinoza series eminent Dutch researchers (winners of a Spinoza Premium) bring their body of thought and views to a broad public role model for all researchers in NL international exposure of NL top research?

eminent Dutch researchers (winners of a Spinoza Premium) bring their body of thought and views to a broad public

role model for all researchers in NL

international exposure of NL top research?

Means develop and offer OpenER courses with all its qualities self-study, activating, interactive, different media, etcetera work with Spinoza Premium laureates

develop and offer OpenER courses with all its qualities

self-study,

activating,

interactive,

different media,

etcetera

work with Spinoza Premium laureates

Spinoza Series, continued … Main outcomes: launch Nov. 2008 at Spinoza Ceremony collaboration OUNL - NWO (Netherlands Organisation for Scientific Research) ‘ Hall of Fame’ … two courses so far: - Frits van Oostrom: Mediaeval Literature - Johan van Benthem: Logic in Action (to be published also in English) much interest among Spinoza laureates …

Main outcomes:

launch Nov. 2008 at Spinoza Ceremony

collaboration OUNL - NWO (Netherlands Organisation for Scientific Research)

‘ Hall of Fame’ … two courses so far:

- Frits van Oostrom: Mediaeval Literature

- Johan van Benthem: Logic in Action

(to be published also in English)

much interest among Spinoza laureates …

National initiative: Wikiwijs Cause observed success of OER initiatives shown an increasing set of a variety of OER initiatives in all educational sectors recent policy of ‘schoolbooks for free’ Sept. 2008: Advice of the Education Council to the Parliament: ‘Make more use of OER f or innovation of education’

Cause

observed success of OER initiatives shown

an increasing set of a variety of OER initiatives in all educational sectors

recent policy of ‘schoolbooks for free’

Sept. 2008: Advice of the Education Council to the Parliament: ‘Make more use of OER f or innovation of education’

National initiative: Wikiwijs In Action … as of Dec. 2008 Minister of Education launches Wikiwijs as a national OER initiative: - initial focus on primary, secondary and community college education - but actually for all educational sectors April 2009: broad support in Parliament May 2009: OUNL & Kennisnet start preparing this programme July 2009: delivery Programme Plan 12th Aug. 2009: Minister’s final OK ; submission to Parliament

In Action … as of Dec. 2008

Minister of Education

launches Wikiwijs as a national OER initiative:

- initial focus on primary, secondary and community college education

- but actually for all educational sectors

April 2009: broad support in Parliament

May 2009: OUNL & Kennisnet start preparing this programme

July 2009: delivery Programme Plan

12th Aug. 2009: Minister’s final OK ; submission to Parliament

Wikiwijs: policy objectives … stimulate development and use of OER improve access to both open and ‘closed’ digital learning materials support teachers in arranging their own learning materials and professionalization increase teacher involvement in development and use of OER extend options for customized education increase quality of education through more flexible and up-to-date learning materials

stimulate development and use of OER

improve access to both open and ‘closed’ digital learning materials

support teachers in arranging their own learning materials and professionalization

increase teacher involvement in development and use of OER

extend options for customized education

increase quality of education through more flexible and up-to-date learning materials

Wikiwijs will offer … a Repository of open educational resources a Referatory to digital educational resources: open and closed free access and access to be paid for public and commercial easy to use arrangement and development tools for teachers / professors end-user support for teachers / professors when creating and using learning materials

a Repository of open educational resources

a Referatory to digital educational resources:

open and closed

free access and access to be paid for

public and commercial

easy to use arrangement and development tools for teachers / professors

end-user support for teachers / professors when creating and using learning materials

Wikiwijs: what’s in a name … Wikiwijs is referring to the philosophy of Wikipedia (using ‘the wisdom of the crowds’) Wikiwijs is not referring to the functionality or user interface of Wikipedia Photo by throwthedamnthing @ Flickr.com

Wikiwijs is referring to the philosophy of Wikipedia (using ‘the wisdom of the crowds’)

Wikiwijs is not referring to the functionality or user interface of Wikipedia

Wikiwijs: planning … Dec. 2009: launch of beta version with: three focus subjects secondary, primary, community college sector as of Sept. 2010: start of roll out to: other subjects and domains other educational sectors Jan. 2011: delivery of Implementation Plan for the years ahead … Photo@geekandpoke.typepad.com/geekandpoke/2008/07/

Dec. 2009: launch of beta version with:

three focus subjects

secondary, primary, community college sector

as of Sept. 2010: start of roll out to:

other subjects and domains

other educational sectors

Jan. 2011: delivery of Implementation Plan

for the years ahead …

Wikiwijs: basic principles … maximum (free!) use of existing components of OUNL, Kennisnet and other publicly funded educational organizations open standards and open source mandatory exception: MS Office all OER learning materials and materials for professionalization to be published under CC-BY professionalization of both teachers and management!

maximum (free!) use of existing components of OUNL, Kennisnet and other publicly funded educational organizations

open standards and open source mandatory

exception: MS Office

all OER learning materials and materials for professionalization to be published under CC-BY

professionalization of both

teachers and management!

Wikiwijs: on quality … Beyond ‘Wisdom of the crowds’: peer review (uploading only through a user profile) adoption organizations / groups (compare Connexions) competent participants (through professionalization) Photo by JoeBeone @ Flickr.com

Beyond ‘Wisdom of the crowds’:

peer review

(uploading only through a user profile)

adoption organizations / groups

(compare Connexions)

competent participants

(through professionalization)

Thanks for your attention! [email_address] www.opener.ou.nl www.spinoza.ou.nl www.wikiwijs.nl Thanks to Fred Mulder for his input

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