Open educational resources for all? Comparing user motivations and characteristics across The Open University’s iTunes U channel and OpenLearn platform
With the rise in access to mobile multimedia devices, educational institutions have exploited the iTunes U platform as an additional channel to provide free educational resources with the aim of profile-raising and breaking down barriers to education. For those prepared to invest in content preparation, it is possible to produce interactive, portable material that can be made available globally. Commentators have questioned both the financial implications for platform-specific content production, and the availability of devices for learners to access it (Osborne, 2012).
The Open University (OU) makes its free educational resources available on iTunes U and via its web-based open educational resources (OER) platform, OpenLearn. The OU’s OER on iTunes U reached the 60 million download mark in 2013; its OpenLearn platform boasts 27 million unique visitors since 2006. This paper reports the results of a large-scale study of users of the OU’s iTunes U channel and OpenLearn platform. A survey of several thousand users revealed key differences in demographics between those accessing OER via the web and via iTunes U. In addition, the data allowed comparison between three groups: formal learners, informal learners and educators.
The presentation raises questions about whether university-provided OER meet the needs of users and makes recommendations for how content can be modified to suit their needs. As the publishing of OER becomes core to business, we reflect on reasons why understanding users’ motivations and demographics is vital, allowing for needs-led resource provision and content that is adapted to best achieve learner satisfaction, and to deliver institutions’ social mission.
Open educational resources for all? Comparing user motivations and characteristics across The Open University’s iTunes U channel and OpenLearn platform
1. Open educational resources for all?
Comparing user motivations and
characteristics across The Open
University’s iTunes U channel and
OpenLearn platform
Patrina Law, Open Media Unit, The Open University
Leigh-Anne Perryman, OER Research Hub, The Open University
Andrew Law, Open Media Unit, The Open University
3. The hypothesis:
Open education models lead to
more equitable access to
education, serving a broader base
of learners than traditional
education.
4.
5. Online survey (n=1067)
Disabled: 19%
English first language: 81%
UK resident: 66%
Online survey (n=2,208)
Disabled: 13%
English first language: 53%
UK resident: 14%
0.00%
5.00%
10.00%
15.00%
20.00%
25.00%
30.00%
Under 15
years
15 – 18 years 19 – 24 years 25 – 34 years 35 – 44 years 45 – 54 years 55 – 64 years 65 - 74 years Over 74
years
Prefer not to
say
iTunes U
OpenLearn
6. Online survey (n=1067)
Formal students (14%)
Informal learners (87%)
Educators (16%)
0%
5%
10%
15%
20%
25%
30%
35%
School leaving Vocational qual College dip/cert UG degree PG degree None
iTunes U
OpenLearn
Online survey (n=2,208)
Formal students (38%)
Informal learners (42%)
Educators (18%)
7. The green figures highlight where disabled or unwaged users are above the overall
percentage for that qualification category, the red figures show where they are below
the overall percentage.
8. Non native English speakers residing in
English speaking countries
iTunes U OpenLearn
% of respondents
in English-
speaking countries
English not first
language
% of respondents
in English-
speaking countries
English not first
language
49.39% 11.18% 66.45% 27.00%
9. Comparison of UK national data and survey data
UK national
data
iTunes U OpenLearn
Percentage of working
age adults living in the
UK who are disabled
16%* 15% in UK sample 18% in UK sample
Percentage living in the
UK with English not as
first language
8%** 9% in UK sample 10% in UK sample
*Department for Work and Pensions, Disability Facts and Figures, 2013
**Office for National Statistics, 2013
10. 0.00%
10.00%
20.00%
30.00%
40.00%
50.00%
60.00%
70.00%
80.00%
90.00%
All -- less likely to
take a paid-for
course
Informal learners
-- more likely to
take paid-for
course
Formal students -
- more likely to
take a paid-for
course
All -- more likely
to take a free
course in the
subject area
All -- strongly
agree -- use OU
materials with
confidence for
factual accuracy
iTunes U
OpenLearn
“I have tended to use
these free modules from
OU and elsewhere as
tasters to help me
decide on more formal
distance learning
courses.”
“…I would be prepared
to pay for whole courses
if I could afford them
but I can't…”
“As a pensioner I
cannot afford to pay for
education, never the
less I still feel the need
to learn and achieve.”
11. Open education models lead to more equitable access
to education, serving a broader base of learners than
traditional education
?
12. How are we responding to this data?
Key
differences
between
platforms
Short,
medium +
long term
action
1. Extend syndication
2. Build badging infrastructure
3. Improve ‘course’ experience (OpenLearn)
4. Explore mobile optimisation
5. Commissioning fine tuned to underserved groups e.g.
disabled/unwaged
0.00%
5.00%
10.00%
15.00%
20.00%
25.00%
30.00%
iTunes U
OpenLearn
13. Ensure analytics give insight into
underserved groups e.g. disabled, unwaged.
Ensure accessibility of online content.
Provide multiple formats.
Provide mobile optimisation.
Develop entry-level content to build
learners’ confidence.
Consider non-native English speakers.
Recommendations
Editor's Notes
Informal learning is part of our royal charter (this is a quote from it)
We had it there from the beginning in the form of opening up access through broadcast with the BBC
But in the last few years we have broadened the channels and platforms – which has allowed our learner greater flexibility and hlpe developed new approaches
Andrew introduces hypothesis
This study focuses on two of the platforms that host our free content, which have the largest audiences: OL and iTunes U. We examine the hypothesis: Open education models lead to more equitable access to education, serving a broader base of learners than traditional education.
Informal learning often starts with broadcast
[Click ON the video on the TV - The video on the TV will play while you talk – turn the volume down if too much ]
We make about 25 SERIES with the BBC each year
About 250 million ‘views’ of our programmes in the UK (people watch more than one)
Academic involved in programme making
[Click away form the TV graphic to get next step in animation]
All programmes have a call to action – points at open learn – more than 10K hours of content and about 5.5m visitors each year – OpenLearn is THE home of our informal learning
It contains light items, perhaps onbly requiring 5 or ten minutes study – including videos games, interactives (click ON this item to be taken through the page on OpenLearn if you are online)
It contains examples of units (whole) from our courses (nearly all are covered at all levels) [‘Try’ – click ON this item to be taken to the unit related to the previous light interactive]
And every page contains a link to the opportunities to study formally with the OU - about 10% of those visiting OpenLearn make this journey to enquiry about formal study
And where possible we syndicate our content onto other channels like YouTube and iTunesU .. And now some of our courses on FutureLearn
Although much of this comes from TV - inccreasingly traffic comes form natural search – because we have so much content in the open.
Leigh-Anne – our study
Key demographics 2: learner type; qualification.
Leigh-Anne
Key findings for the WP agenda: disabled and unwaged. How they compare with national averages.
For OpenLearn, a higher proportion of informal learners using the content are disabled (19%) than the proportion of fee-paying students at the OU (12%). This is of particular interest to the OU for OpenLearn where over 19% declared they had a disability compared to 13% for iTunes U. To put this into perspective, based on 2012 data, we should expect the following numbers of disabled visitors to our platforms each year:
570,000 to OpenLearn (19% of visitors)
337,000 to iTunes U (13% of visitors)
Leigh-Anne
Non native English speakers – describe how figures were reached. Percentages significant though we note that they are still a relatively well educated group. (include Figs 6 and 7 from main report?)
Patrina – comparisons with national averages
For UK, higher numbers in two of the WP groups than national average.
From report “whilst there is much to be done in taking free educational content to those who need it most (not least because face-to-face delivery is more costly than simply making it available online), this study reveals a comparable sample of working age adults who are disabled living the UK using OU free content compared to UK statistics. For those who do not have English as a first language, both platforms show a higher percentage than the national UK figures (Table 9). Hence, these data suggest a higher representation in two of the widening participation groups using free content via iTunes U and OpenLearn.”
Patrina – learner intentions
Comments were revealing: a) OpenLearn is serving those who cannot afford to pay to learn and b) that signing up to be an OU student can be preclusively expensive. It may show that just because the majority of OpenLearn users are employed (55%), this is not an indication of having disposable income to spend on learning.
Patrina – implications / review the hypothesis
Are we always serving a predominantly English-speaking educated elite with free educational content?
Different platforms serve different groups
Different formats suit different learning styles and lifestyles