Summary of the main themes raised during the Open Scotland presentations and discussions, with notes of potential futures actions.

1. Open Scotland Summit
Summary
27 June 2013

2. Framing Statement and
Hope for the day (Lorna)
Open Policies can develop Scotland’s
unique education offering, support social
inclusion and inter-institutional
collaboration and sharing and enhance
quality and sustainability
There would be:
Shared Strategic interest and
commitment to open policies and
practices in Scotland

3. The Case for Open Education
From Cable Green/ Flash Presentations:-
The ethical arguments and business cases for Open
Education for Government and Funding Bodies and
institutions are a no-brainer. Key constructs are
 Publically funded resources should be openly
accessible.
 cost of distribution
 affordability for the learner
 widening access to education
 improving quality and access to data (Open Data)
 providing flexibility and ability to respond to
innovation and change (Open Source)

4. The Old into the New
Compelling arguments that the old models for
publishing research and content are outdated
New models needed and again the arguments
for these are compelling, but require changes in
attitude and practice.
 University Business Models don’t necessarily
need to be built on sale of content. Business
models need to be built on access to great
faculty, support, facilities, maximising efficiency
through collaboration etc.
 The UKOER programme evidences interest and
change in practices (Scotland has missed out on
this)

5. The Old into the New
 Some recent innovations (e.g. MOOCs, Open Badges)
will they be disruptive to HE as we know it?
 Some steps towards OER but licensing under the most
restrictive levels of Open licensing. Therefore limiting
(re-use, revise, re-mix, re-distribute the new thing).
 QA can be a barrier to OER. There needs to be a shift
in attitude/culture to: ‘Not invented here to proudly
borrowed from there’. Colleagues can invoke a non-
endorsement clause in situations where original work is
re-purposed but original authors don’t approve of the
rep-purposed work.

6. What can we learn from other
Countries?
 Work done in England/Wales through
the HEFCE funded OER Programme.
 Parallels between Scotland and the
Nordic Countries ( Tore Hoel
Presentation) – Norwegian White paper
on Open Education/ Welsh Government:
OER/MOOC Work.
 What can be learnt? Can we use this to
springboard ahead? What scope is
there for working collaboratively with
other countries to do this?

7. Key feedback Points from discussions –
challenges/issues
Not just ‘open’ artefacts/resources but Open Practice and Open
Mindset
 What do we need to do to change culture & practice?
Open Policies
 What sort of open policies do we need (e.g. Funding publishing
research, tools). Challenge is to make them palatable and
operational.
Conflicting Business Models for Research
 New models for publishing research.
New models for HE:
 Big Ticket Govt agendas: Post 16/Widening Access/CfE /Knoweldge
Transfer– driving changes in curriculum models,/ 2-way knowledge
exchange models need to work collaboratively between education
sectors and with industry.
 Capitalise on change – provides opportunities for new things

8. Key feedback Points from discussions –
challenges/issues
New models for HE:
 Learners as the co-creators of
knowledge ( how do we engage them)

9. Key feedback Points from discussions – Priorities
 The learner needs to be central ( not institutions)
 Open Practice and cultural issues are a priority

10. Key feedback Points from discussions – Open
Declaration for Scotland
 Paris declaration needs reviewed and broadened for our purposes.
 Paris declaration focuses on ‘States” we need to define our own
stakeholders and we need to work to a common topology to enable
effective communication and use of vocabulary (e.g. Open
education/open Learning) and set actions that move us forward
 Use the fact that the Paris Declaration is action focussed.
 Defining our own declaration statements e.g.
◦ Devise a topology/conceptual framework for open
learning/education in Scotland.
◦ Scope the different stakeholders and sectors contributing to
open learning/education in Scotland
◦ Use knowledge/resource transfer to establish a two-way
process between the education sectors and other sectors to
inform economic development and learning.

11. What happens Next?
 Establish a working group (like Wales/ Norway) that researches into
the area of open education and informs future Government white
papers? Think about the membership here – invite contributions
from the nations further ahead of us. Ensure we have learner input./
focus on Key Government Priorities and Agendas.
 Key Deliverable: Report/Position Paper: Evidence of benefits of
Openness/Examples of need and impact on Government Priorities
(widening access (e.g. articulation, WBL, knowledge transfer).
 Key Deliverable: our own Scottish Open Learning declaration
(topologies, grids, action focussed statements, clarity about who
contributes – wider than the education sectors). Join up with other
UK Devolved Countries.
 Key Deliverable: Government Policy (that need needs stakeholder
group to state how they will engage and contribute to the
implementation of the policy. Secure Funding. – follow the
money!
 Underpinned by different sector action plans