1. Template Sections for completion:
Case Study Title:
Open Learning Environment for Low Countries Early Modern History, University
College London
Case Study Country:
UK
Type of organisation described by the case study, address of organisation,
hyperlink to organisation, hyperlink to case study source:
HE
http://www.ucl.ac.uk/dutch/OER/
http://www.dutch.ac.uk/
Case Study Contributed by:
Andreia Inamorato dos Santos
Sections 1-10
1. Mandatory - A brief summary of the institution to be used as a case study
About 500 words please on a description of the institution, its OER history
and approach.
This project is funded by JISC and the Higher Education Academy, and aims to
turn a comprehensive survey course in Early Modern Low Countries history,
from the late Middle Ages to the end of the 18th century, into a multimedia
and Web 2.0 enriched Open Educational Resource (OER).
It makes available existing teaching materials from the proposer’s survey
course in early Low Countries history - DUTC1011 ‘Aspects of the history of
the Low Countries’, which is currently taught as a web-enhanced face-to-face
course to undergraduate students at UCL.
Type of initiative: subject specific
Funding runs from the 30th April 2009- 30th April 2010
2. Quality – OER/OEP
How does the institution approach quality in OER? Is there any current
indication of a quality concept or process? Does the institution perceive
quality from the perspective of the quality of open educational resources or
the quality of open educational practice? How does the institution show
quality through OEP versus quality of OEP? What methods, concepts and
practices are used to enhance the quality of OEP?

2. The quality of OER seems to rely on the academics’ judgment of the content
available.
3. Innovation
How can OER/OEP innovate educational practices? What current innovative
practices are there in the institution? Please do not regard innovation from
just a technology perspective!
To transform an existing technology enhanced face to face course into an
OER.
4. Policy
What are the current OER/OEP policy arrangements at institutional and
national level across Europe/the World?
In the case University College London, the work is possible due to the OER UK
national initiative funded by JISC.
5. Actors
What actors are involved in OER/OEP? Is there any evidence to show that
OER actors do not always promote OEP but “only” access to OER?
• Academics
• learners
6. Initiatives
What OER/OEP initiatives can be evidenced? Is there any evidence to show
that OER initiatives do not always promote OEP but “only” access to OER?
7. Open Educational Practices
Can you identify some case studies/ descriptions which form the illustrative
base for a more general model of OEP?
The transformation of existing material designed for face to face study into
OER. Ex. University College London and their ‘subject specific’ OER course.
However, although some of the materials are free for studying, they cannot
be repurposed as they have ‘all rights reserved’.
8. Tools and Repositories
What tools and repositories are being used to deliver OER/OEP? For example
GLOW, Connexions
In this case their own website : http://www.dutch.ac.uk/
9. Strategies
Can you identify any strategies for organisations to use OER/OEP? Can you
identify any business models that promote OER/OEP?
In this case the taster courses seem to work as ‘shopping windows’ for their
mainstream paid for courses.

3. 10. Current barriers and enablers
What are the barriers to the use of OER/OEP? Is there any evidence to how
these barriers have been overcome? What are the enablers to the use of OER/
OEP?
Barriers not identified in desk research.