1. Removing
‘unfreedoms’ through
OER use in India’s
teacher education
system
Teacher Education
through School-based
Support in India
Presented by
Leigh-Anne Perryman, OER Research Hub Fellow
Additional researchers
Alison Hemmings-Buckler, Open University
Tim Seal, TESS-India Technical Director
#OpenEd14 #OER4D @OER_Hub @laperryman @TESSIndia

2. The power of OER to remove
‘unfreedoms’
• Amartya Sen: ‘Unfreedoms’: e.g.
poverty, limited economic opportunity,
inadequate education and access to
knowledge, deficient health care, and
oppression;
• ‘Increasing the freedoms that men
and women enjoy is a definition of
development, and greater freedom
empowers people to be more effective
agents of development.’ (CoL 3 yr
Plan);
• OER: more teachers; better teachers;
more engaged learners; improved
learner retention; better access to
Photo: Leigh-Anne Perryman CC-BY

3. The need for OER localisation
Photos: Leigh-Anne Perryman CC-BY
“What is the future of open
education? Where is it going?
I think there is only one
answer: localisation.” (David Wiley,
2005)
“Localization unlocks the
power of OER.” (Tiffany Ivins, 2012)

4. Research questions
• What are the challenges
to localising OER for use
in development
education?
• What is the impact of
context and localiser
perceptions?
• How can OER localisers
best be supported?
• What is the relationship
between institutional
control, localiser
freedom, and the spirit
Photo: Leigh-Anne Perryman CC-BY

5. Background
● India: needs 1.33 million
teachers;
● Bihar: 75% of teacher ed.
colleges did no training
between 2007-2010;
● India - Bihar: 45% of teachers
don’t have minimum
qualification;
● India: some states, only 1%
pass Teacher Eligibility Test;
● India – ASER: “A ritual
exercise bringing the same
disturbing but worsening news”
(Deccan Herald, 2013).
Photo: Eric Parker CC-BY-NC

6. Focus States
Assam, Bihar, Karnataka,
Madhya Pradesh, Odisha, Uttar
Pradesh, West Bengal
Subject areas
English, Math Science,
Leadership, Language & Literacy
Content
• 125 Pan Indian study units;
• Developed collaboratively;
• Standalone, self-directed;
• Support teachers in changing
their practice;
• Suggest and inspire, not
prescriptive;
• Promote reflection.
Photo: TESS-India CC-BY-SA

7. Photos: TESS-India CC-BY-SA
The TESS-India OER

8. Research methods
Interviews with localisers
and localisation facilitators
Research
Methods
Document analysis
of adapted OER
Participant observation
at localisation workshops
Conducted in
Hindi and English
Photo: Leigh-Anne Perryman CC-BY

9. TESS-India localisation process
 State based workshops led by third party NGO;
 State Localisation Managers (SLM) – QA;
 Subject Localisation Experts (SLE);
 No direct control of adaptation;
 Materials translated into Hindi before
localisation.
Photo: TESS-India CC-BY-SA

10. Challenges: Translation
● Localisers don’t have
translation skills +
translation agency doesn’t
have context/educational
knowledge;
● Possible distortion of
meaning;
● Localisers have to correct
this, but have to look at
English version to do so;
● Little use of Hindi keyboard
so annotated hard copies
Photo: Leigh-Anne Perryman CC-BY-SA used - time consuming.

11. Impact of context
• Navigating localiser
preferences, perceptions and
experiences;
• Hierarchical view of
knowledge ownership and
expertise;
• Little understanding of OER
or online learning.
Photo: TESS-India CC-BY-SA
“Localization must
involve locals; [...]
effective localization is
directly proportional to
understanding local
contexts.” (Tiffany Ivins, 2012)
Photos: TESS-India CC-BY-SA

12. Navigating perceptions
and experience
• SLEs’ background
as textbook writers
• Focus on subject
over method
• Preference for
formal, rather than
conversational
writing style
• Unfamiliarity with
activity-based
pedagogy
Photo: Leigh-Anne Perryman CC-BY

13. Improving localiser support
• More time on OER familiarisation;
• More development re. unfamiliar
pedagogies;
Photo: TESS-India CC-BY-SA
• Time for reflection after the workshops;
• Follow-up meetings allowing communities of

14. Empowerment,
development & OER
Neo-Colonialism Knowledge partnership
The OER Engagement Ladder © 2012 Joanna Wild, CC-BY

15. Creating a knowledge
partnership
Knowledge
partnership
Respect for
individual
perceptions &
experience
Institutional
(quality) control
& guidance Sensitivity to
context (e.g.
status of
knowledge
ownership)
Openness & ‘embedded’ engagement with OER

16. Control, freedom and openness

17. Thank you for listening.
www.TESS-India.edu.in
www.oerresearchhub.org
@TESSIndia @oer_hub @laperryman
@tim10101 @goldensyrupgirl