First International Conference of the CNIE 27-30 April 2008 Banff, Canada Open Educational Resources The Way Forward Susan D’Antoni UNESCO

Structure of the session OER: an overview and some examples A donor vision: the Hewlett change strategy Creating an international community: the UNESCO IIEP initiative The community speaks: the Way Forward Conclusion: next steps

OER: an overview and some examples

A donor vision: the Hewlett change strategy

Creating 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)

OpenCourseWare Consortium Established in 2005 to assist the OCW movement Supports collaboration among over 180 member institutions worldwide

Established in 2005 to assist the OCW movement

Supports collaboration among over 180 member institutions worldwide

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

Carnegie Mellon Open Learning Initiative Aim: to develop stand-alone, cognitively informed open courses Course design stresses interactivity, problem solving and feedback A research project: aim to better understand effective practices in online learning environments

Aim: to develop stand-alone, cognitively informed open courses

Course design stresses interactivity, problem solving and feedback

A research project: aim to better understand effective practices in online learning environments

Open University OpenLearn Course-publishing model (like MIT) BUT Materials designed for distance learning AND Site designed to support collaboration and group work  Challenges OU’s current business model

Course-publishing model (like MIT)

BUT

Materials designed for distance learning

AND

Site designed to support collaboration and group work



Challenges OU’s current business model

How have Canadian institutions responded to the challenge of OER?

How have Canadian institutions responded to the challenge of OER?

Capilano College OpenCourseWare Only Canadian member of the OCW Consortium 17 courses available in 10 subject areas

Only Canadian member of the OCW Consortium

17 courses available in 10 subject areas

BCcampus A province wide initiative Funded using public money ($6.25 million by mid-2007) An online service provider Sharable Online Learning Resources repository Developers can choose to share materials at local provincial level using custom BC Commons license

A province wide initiative

Funded using public money ($6.25 million by mid-2007)

An online service provider

Sharable Online Learning Resources repository

Developers can choose to share materials at local provincial level using custom BC Commons license

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

UNESCO: removing barriers through 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

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

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

Sharing the outputs Forum 1 background documents and report OER research questions DIY/DIT resource outline FOSS for OER and lessons from the FOSS movement Forum 2 background documents and report The Way Forward: priority issues for advancing the OER movement Resources made available on website and wiki

Forum 1 background documents and report

OER research questions

DIY/DIT resource outline

FOSS for OER and lessons from the FOSS movement

Forum 2 background documents and report

The Way Forward: priority issues for advancing the OER movement

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 Almost 40 from Canada 98 countries 67 developing countries

600+ members

Almost 40 from Canada

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% hold high-level positions Almost 20% are teaching professionals

Almost 40% hold high-level positions

Almost 20% are teaching professionals

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?

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

Higher education institutions

International organizations

National government

Academics

A key stakeholder role…

… 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 an OER Network of nodes for local awareness raising and development Continue supporting OER Community as international forum for discussion Focus on awareness raising through international reach of UNESCO and the community itself

Create an OER Network of nodes for local awareness raising and development

Continue supporting OER Community as international forum for discussion

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

How has the community responded? With passion! Creation of resources to support awareness raising and community building: OER stories Introductory brochure PowerPoint presentation Translation of the Way Forward into 11 languages

Creation of resources to support awareness raising and community building:

OER stories

Introductory brochure

PowerPoint presentation

Translation of the Way Forward into 11 languages

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