Koalicja Otwartej Edukacji OER conference Warsaw, 23 April 2009 Open Educational Resources: Building a Culture of Sharing Susan D’Antoni UNESCO

I Open Educational Resources: Building a culture of sharing

Open Educational Resources:

Building a culture of sharing

Challenges… Challenges facing societies Globalization Rise of knowledge-intensive societies Demand for increasingly skilled population Challenges to education systems Extend reach of education Improve quality and flexibility Could technology offer the solution?

Challenges facing societies

Globalization

Rise of knowledge-intensive societies

Demand for increasingly skilled population

Challenges to education systems

Extend reach of education

Improve quality and flexibility

Could technology offer the solution?

New developments… An important convergence Increasing connectivity Growing numbers of low-cost devices Expanding body of open digital content Together they facilitate the sharing of knowledge

An important convergence

Increasing connectivity

Growing numbers of low-cost devices

Expanding body of open digital content

Together they facilitate the sharing of knowledge

Open Educational Resources What are they? Digitized educational materials offered freely and openly for use and re-use in teaching, learning and research Why are they important? Contribute to building a culture of sharing

What are they?

Digitized educational materials offered freely and openly for use and re-use in teaching, learning and research

Why are they important?

Contribute to building a culture of sharing

II The growing OER movement: Evidence of a culture of sharing

The growing OER movement:

Evidence of a culture of sharing

MIT OpenCourseWare 1999: faculty response to challenge of online education 2000: OCW initiated Goal: make accessible all primary course material on the web 2002: launched 50-course pilot 2009: almost 1,900 courses available

1999: faculty response to challenge of online education

2000: OCW initiated

Goal: make accessible all primary course material on the web

2002: launched 50-course pilot

2009: almost 1,900 courses available

2002 UNESCO meeting Academics convened to assess potential of open courseware for developing countries Positive response Participants coined the term Open Educational Resources for this “universal resource for the whole of humanity”

Academics convened to assess potential of open courseware for developing countries

Positive response

Participants coined the term Open Educational Resources for this “universal resource for the whole of humanity”

Growth of a movement… OpenCourseWare Consortium 2005: consortium established to assist the OCW movement Goal: support collaboration among 200+ member institutions worldwide mid-2008: 6,200 courses available

2005: consortium established to assist the OCW movement

Goal: support collaboration among 200+ member institutions worldwide

mid-2008: 6,200 courses available

OpenER… responding to national objectives Goal: 50% participation in higher education by 2010 2006: Open University of the Netherlands launches OpenER Objectives Bridge gap between informal and formal learning Reduce barriers to higher education 2008: Minister of Education launches national OER infrastructure

Goal: 50% participation in higher education by 2010

2006: Open University of the Netherlands launches OpenER

Objectives

Bridge gap between informal and formal learning

Reduce barriers to higher education

2008: Minister of Education launches national OER infrastructure

III UNESCO action: Promoting awareness of OER

UNESCO action:

Promoting awareness of OER

The need for awareness raising Potential of OER to contribute to building knowledge societies – especially knowledge-sharing societies But… No awareness of availability  resources not utilized and potential not realized

Potential of OER to contribute to building knowledge societies – especially knowledge-sharing societies

But…

No awareness of availability  resources not utilized and potential not realized

Building the OER Community Objectives Increase awareness Support capacity building and decision making Activities 2005: first forum 500 participants from 90 countries 2005-2007: regular topic-specific discussions 2007: Way Forward consultation

Objectives

Increase awareness

Support capacity building and decision making

Activities

2005: first forum 500 participants from 90 countries

2005-2007: regular topic-specific discussions

2007: Way Forward consultation

Characteristics of the community 600+ members 98 countries 67 developing countries

600+ members

98 countries

67 developing countries

Community members… organizations represented Over 50% from higher education institutions Over 20% from international organizations and NGOs

Over 50% from higher education institutions

Over 20% from international organizations and NGOs

Community members… positions held Almost 40% held high-level positions Almost 20% teaching professionals

Almost 40% held high-level positions

Almost 20% teaching professionals

2007 consultation: 14 issues Advancing the movement Awareness raising Communities and networking Research Enabling creation and re-use Policies Standards Technology tools Quality assurance Capacity development Enabling learning with OER Learning support services Assessment of learning Removing barriers to OER Accessibility Copyright and licensing Financing Sustainability

Advancing the movement

Awareness raising

Communities and networking

Research

Enabling creation and re-use

Policies

Standards

Technology tools

Quality assurance

Capacity development

Enabling learning with OER

Learning support services

Assessment of learning

Removing barriers to OER

Accessibility

Copyright and licensing

Financing

Sustainability

What are the priorities?

6 priorities Awareness raising and promotion Communities and networking Capacity development Sustainability Quality assurance Copyright

Awareness raising and promotion

Communities and networking

Capacity development

Sustainability

Quality assurance

Copyright

Who should take action? Academics Higher education institutions International organizations National government

Academics

Higher education institutions

International organizations

National government

IV Strengthening a culture of sharing at the national level

Strengthening a culture of sharing at the national level

The need for stimulus funding Need for new funding models Examples from Europe Funding for OpenER from Dutch ministries UK funding call: £4.7m for pilot OER programmes Educational materials developed through public funding should be available to all

Need for new funding models

Examples from Europe

Funding for OpenER from Dutch ministries

UK funding call: £4.7m for pilot OER programmes

Educational materials developed through public funding should be available to all

The importance of accessibility Investment needed in infrastructure and technology Challenge to public archives: respond to increasing demand for storage and access Reach new audiences and enable new use through collaboration with online platforms (Flickr, Wikimedia Commons…)

Investment needed in infrastructure and technology

Challenge to public archives: respond to increasing demand for storage and access

Reach new audiences and enable new use through collaboration with online platforms (Flickr, Wikimedia Commons…)

The need for enabling policy A national culture of sharing must be enabled by policy Output of government-supported work should be open Degree of openness could be used to determine awarding of grants and contracts

A national culture of sharing must be enabled by policy

Output of government-supported work should be open

Degree of openness could be used to determine awarding of grants and contracts

The need for champions A key stakeholder role: OER champion! A role taken up with energy and commitment in Poland: Modern Poland Foundation Open Education Coalition

A key stakeholder role:

OER champion!

A role taken up with energy and commitment in Poland:

Modern Poland Foundation

Open Education Coalition

Thank you for your attention Join the Community Email [email_address] Consult the resources Wiki http://oerwiki.iiep-unesco.org

Join the Community

Email

[email_address]

Consult the resources

Wiki

http://oerwiki.iiep-unesco.org