Short presentation at Open Education Week Webinar

1. A birds-eye view of the OERu: some
insights from the TOUCANS project
Gabi Witthaus, 06/03/2012
For “Open Ed Week webinars: Enabling universal access
to higher education via openness and collaboration?”

2. TOUCANS: Testing the OERu Concept
and Aspirations: A National Study
www.le.ac.uk/toucans
Image by
Tim Sträter

3. 100 million adults
eligible for university
who can’t afford it
(UNESCO)
Image by James Cridland

4. OERu partners
are all accredited
by national
accrediting
bodies
http://wikieducator.org/Oeru

6. What’s the business model?
Image by Gabi Witthaus cc-by

8. But will it work for the learners?
Help!!!!!
Photo by Erik Charlton

9. Volunteers to the rescue?
Photo by MisterJamie

11. Openness: the costs and risks?
Photo by Dallas Vegan

13. Many thanks to the following people for their
generous sharing of information:
•Prof. Terry Anderson (Professor and Canada Research Chair in Distance Education, Athabasca
University, Canada)
•Dr Elizabeth Archer (Specialist: Institutional Research at the University of South Africa)
•Kevin Bell (Innovation Team: Leader of Learning and Development, Southern New Hampshire
University, USA)
•David Bull (Director: University Preparatory Programs, University of Southern Queensland,
Australia)
•Irwin DeVries (Director, Instructional Design, Thompson Rivers University, Canada)
•Vasi Doncheva (Flexible Learning Manager, Northtec Polytechnic, New Zealand)
•Wayne Mackintosh (Director: International Centre for Open Education, Otago Polytechnic, New
Zealand, and Founding Director of the OER Foundation)
•Prof. Rory McGreal (Associate Vice-President, Athabasca University, Canada)
•Prof. Joyce McKnight (Associate Professor, State University of New York/ Empire State College,
USA. Speaking in her personal capacity as a scholar.)
•Terry Neal (Flexible Learning Manager, Open Polytechnic, New Zealand)
•Paul Stacey (Director, Curriculum Development, BC Campus, Canada)
•Herbert Thomas (Electronic Learning Media Team Leader , Canterbury University, New Zealand)
•Prof. Sandra Wills (Executive Director, Learning and Teaching, Wollongong University, Australia)
Thanks also to Patrick McAndrew at the Open University and colleagues at the University of
Leicester, especially Dr Ming Nie and Dr Alejandro Armellini, for their support in this research.

14. CONTACT:
E-mail: Gabi.Witthaus@le.ac.uk
Website: www.le.ac.uk/beyonddistance
Blog: toucansproject.wordpress.com
Twitter: @twitthaus
Please use the blog to continue the discussion