This document introduces OER Africa and AgShare, an initiative that promotes open educational resources (OER) in Africa. It discusses that OER has the potential to increase access to high-quality materials, reduce costs, and facilitate collaboration. AgShare specifically focuses on agricultural resources and uses a participatory action research approach involving students and stakeholders to co-create OER. Resources are hosted on the OER Africa website and focus on key agricultural institutions and value chains in several African countries. The next phase will strengthen critical value chains and involve dissemination of the AgShare methodology.

1. An Introduction to OER Africa and
AgShare
Dr Alice Barlow-Zambodla
RUFORUM Biennial Conference
26th September 2012

2. Who we are and what we do
• An initiative established by the South African Institute
for Distance Education (Saide) that seeks to promote
OER use in Africa.
• We play a leading role in supporting Higher Education
institutions across Africa in the development and use
of Open Educational Resources (OER)
• OER are educational resources that are freely
available for use

3. Key Assumptions
OER has the potential to:
1. Increase availability of high quality, need-targeted
and contextually relevant learning materials;
2. Reduce the cost of accessing educational materials;
3. Allow adaptation of materials and contextualisation
to various extents
4. Facilitate collaborative partnership of people
working in communities of practice, preferably
across/within institutions.

4. What is AgShare?
What is Ag?
•All aspects of African animal, plant, forestry, and
fisheries production and value networks.
What is Share?
•Action
•Collaboration
•Intentionally creating and sharing African teaching,
learning and research resources that are free, openly-
licensed and effective. (Geith, 2010)

5. Introducing AgShare
• The AgShare core strategy is a student centred participatory
action research-based approach for the co-creation and
publication of purposeful agricultural knowledge within and
across agricultural stakeholder groups.
• Pilot phase funded by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation.
• Objectives were to:
– Bridge gaps identified in curriculum for African MSc in Agriculture
– Enrich the resulting resources through outreach with the community
and through student intervention

6. What makes it special?
• Student-centred
• Participatory action research that involves all
stakeholders in identifying problems and decision
making
• Students and other stakeholders active participants
in research and co-creators of knowledge
• Faster dissemination of relevant information
• Two-way communication between university and
farming stakeholders
• Enhances quality of academic programmes

7. Which partner institutions?
• Haramaya University (AICM and CMMAE) –
Extension and Coffee
• Moi University (CMMAE) - Maize
• Makerere University (COVAB) – Dairy Value
Chain
• USIU – Agribusiness for farmers

8. Types of OER outputs
In a variety of digital formats (online/offline use):
•Research articles, Case studies, Learning and
teaching Modules, Pamphlets and Leaflets for
Communities, Video etc
•AgShare Resource Guide

9. Advocacy and awareness

10. Where can the OER be found?
• OER developed through AgShare and other
associated project documents are available on
the OER Africa website (in multiple formats)
and can be accessed and downloaded at:
http://www.oerafrica.org/agshare/AgShareHome/
or http://tinyurl.com/agshare

11. What next?
• Next phase: Strengthening critical value
chains with AgShare Open Knowledge
• Value chain focus (CARPs)
• Country focus: Uganda, Ethiopia, Tanzania
• Partners involved:

12. Project Objectives
1. Creation of an enabling environment to
facilitate institutional uptake and
integration of AgShare methodology and
OER development and use
2. Development of institutional capacity with
regards to OER development etc
3. Widespread dissemination of AgShare
methodology and OER

13. For more information contact
Dr Alice Barlow-Zambodla Dr Karen Vignare Ms Nodumo Dhlamini
Saide MSU Global RUFORUM
alicebz@saide.org.za vignare@msu.edu n.dhlamini@ruforum.org
URL: www.oerafrica.org
THANK YOU
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