MAN First Pan-African Forum on OER 28 May 2008 Accra, Ghana A Way Forward for Open Educational Resources Deliberations of an international community Catriona Savage UNESCO

Structure of the session OER: an overview and some examples UNESCO: its mission and action on OER An international community: the UNESCO IIEP initiative The community speaks: the Way Forward Conclusion: next steps

OER: an overview and some examples

UNESCO: its mission and action on OER

An international community: the UNESCO IIEP initiative

The community speaks: the Way Forward

Conclusion: next steps

OER: a definition Web-based materials offered freely and openly for use and reuse in teaching, learning and research (UNESCO, 2002) Only open if they are released under an open licence Includes any tool, material or technique used to support access to knowledge

Web-based materials offered freely and openly for use and reuse in teaching, learning and research

(UNESCO, 2002)

Only open if they are released under an open licence

Includes any tool, material or technique used to support access to knowledge

OER: milestones in the movement 1998: “open content” and the Open Publication License 2001: founding of Creative Commons 2001: MIT announces OpenCourseWare

1998: “open content” and the Open Publication License

2001: founding of Creative Commons

2001: MIT announces OpenCourseWare

The Cape Town Declaration “…a statement of principle, a statement of strategy and a statement of commitment … meant to spark dialogue, to inspire action and to help the open education movement grow.” (Cape Town Open Education Declaration, 2008)

“…a statement of principle, a statement of strategy and a statement of commitment … meant to spark dialogue, to inspire action and to help the open education movement grow.”

(Cape Town Open Education Declaration, 2008)

What approaches have providers taken to making content freely and openly available?

What approaches have providers taken to making content freely and openly available?

MIT OpenCourseWare Institutional, faculty response to challenge of online education 2002: launched 50-course pilot 2008: almost all course materials available for over 2,000 subjects An adventure! (Charles Vest)

Institutional, faculty response to challenge of online education

2002: launched 50-course pilot

2008: almost all course materials available for over 2,000 subjects

An adventure! (Charles Vest)

Rice University Connexions Individual response to limitations of traditional textbooks The vision: “textbooks adapted to many learning styles and translated into myriad languages… textbooks that are continually updated and corrected by a legion of contributors” (Rich Baraniuk) The result: an environment for developing, sharing and publishing academic content on the web

Individual response to limitations of traditional textbooks

The vision: “textbooks adapted to many learning styles and translated into myriad languages… textbooks that are continually updated and corrected by a legion of contributors” (Rich Baraniuk)

The result: an environment for developing, sharing and publishing academic content on the web

University of the Western Cape Free Courseware Project Promoting use of OER by UWC students and staff Creating and publishing free and open educational resources Raising awareness about free and open access to knowledge in wider community

Promoting use of OER by UWC students and staff

Creating and publishing free and open educational resources

Raising awareness about free and open access to knowledge in wider community

University of Cape Town OpeningScholarship – research into potential impact of OER and Open Access Health OER – partnership with University of Michigan and University of Ghana to create OER for medicine and health sciences

OpeningScholarship – research into potential impact of OER and Open Access

Health OER – partnership with University of Michigan and University of Ghana to create OER for medicine and health sciences

African Virtual University OER Architecture Aims to promote collaborative partnerships among African institutions for the four elements of the OER ‘evolutionary process’: Creation Organization Dissemination Utilization

Aims to promote collaborative partnerships among African institutions for the four elements of the OER ‘evolutionary process’:

Creation

Organization

Dissemination

Utilization

What action is UNESCO taking?

What action is UNESCO taking?

UNESCO: five strategic objectives Capacity builder in Member States Laboratory of ideas Catalyst for international cooperation Clearinghouse Standard setter

Capacity builder in Member States

Laboratory of ideas

Catalyst for international cooperation

Clearinghouse

Standard setter

OER: the need for awareness raising Potential of OER to contribute to: Education for All Building knowledge societies – especially ‘knowledge-sharing societies’ But… No awareness of availability  resources not utilized and potential of OER not realized

Potential of OER to contribute to:

Education for All

Building knowledge societies – especially ‘knowledge-sharing societies’

But…

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

A donor vision: the Hewlett change strategy Aim: to equalize access to knowledge through: Sponsoring high quality content Understanding and stimulating use Removing barriers

Aim: to equalize access to knowledge through:

Sponsoring high quality content

Understanding and stimulating use

Removing barriers

Aims of the IIEP OER initiative International dialogue and information exchange Linking people who might not otherwise meet Creating an international OER community

International dialogue and information exchange

Linking people who might not otherwise meet

Creating an international OER community

Steps in the creation of a community Forum 1: an introduction to OER Short discussions on key topics OER research agenda A ‘Do-It-Yourself/Do-It-Together’ resource for developing capacity FOSS for OER Forum 2: OECD study on OER Resources made available on website and wiki

Forum 1: an introduction to OER

Short discussions on key topics

OER research agenda

A ‘Do-It-Yourself/Do-It-Together’ resource for developing capacity

FOSS for OER

Forum 2: OECD study on OER

Resources made available on website and wiki

After two years of intense reflection and discussion, what did the community have to say about the priorities for advancing the OER movement?

After two years of intense reflection and discussion, what did the community have to say about the priorities for advancing the OER movement?

What are the characteristics of the community? 600+ members 98 countries 67 developing countries

600+ members

98 countries

67 developing countries

Who are the African community members? 27 countries 100+ members 60% from Southern and Eastern Africa Over 50% from 3 countries – South Africa, Nigeria and Kenya

27 countries

100+ members

60% from Southern and Eastern Africa

Over 50% from 3 countries – South Africa, Nigeria and Kenya

Community members… organizations represented Over 50% from higher education institutions Over 20% from international organizations and NGOs Africa mirrors overall community breakdown

Over 50% from higher education institutions

Over 20% from international organizations and NGOs

Africa mirrors overall community breakdown

Community members… positions held Almost 40% hold high-level positions Almost 20% are teaching professionals In Africa teachers largest group, then decision-makers

Almost 40% hold high-level positions

Almost 20% are teaching professionals

In Africa teachers largest group, then decision-makers

What are the 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?

What are the priorities for Africa?

Which stakeholders should take action? Higher education institutions International organizations National government Academics A key stakeholder role… …be an OER champion!

Higher education institutions

International organizations

National government

Academics

A key stakeholder role…

…be an OER champion!

The Way Forward: 6 priorities Advancing the movement Awareness raising at all levels Community building and network development Enabling creation and re-use Developing capacity through a DIY/DIT resource Quality assurance – develop guidelines Removing barriers Sustainability models to ensure viability of initiatives Copyright and licensing

Advancing the movement

Awareness raising at all levels

Community building and network development

Enabling creation and re-use

Developing capacity through a DIY/DIT resource

Quality assurance – develop guidelines

Removing barriers

Sustainability models to ensure viability of initiatives

Copyright and licensing

What is the way forward for UNESCO? Create network of nodes for local awareness raising and development Continue community as international forum for discussion Focus on awareness raising through international reach of UNESCO and the community itself

Create network of nodes for local awareness raising and development

Continue community as international forum for discussion

Focus on awareness raising through international reach of UNESCO and the community itself

Join the community Email [email_address] Consult the resources Wiki http://oerwiki.iiep-unesco.org

Email

[email_address]

Consult the resources

Wiki

http://oerwiki.iiep-unesco.org