Open Educational Resources are widely discussed in higher education circles and open education practices are being upheld as the second generation of OERs that have the potential to make education freely available to all students. The OERu is a collaborative initiative between 12 institutions globally that is intending to offer courses free of charge to students using only OERs and open practices. This poster presents preliminary results from a research study conducted with 110 representatives of higher education institutions around the world, of which 12 were official; members of the OERu. The study was aimed at identifying the extent to which higher education institutions are currently implementing open policies and practices as well as explore the challenges faced by institutions when considering implementing open initiatives. Results from the study indicate that although higher education institutions are aware of and interested in open education resources and initiatives such as the OERu, there are a number of challenges that need to be overcome before these initiatives are sustainable and more widely adopted.

1. Benchmarking Open Educational Practices in Higher
Education
Angela Murphy, Australian Digital Futures Institute
University of Southern Queensland ● Toowoomba ● Queensland ● Australia
Identify the extent to which higher education institutions around the world are currently
Project Aim implementing open education policies and practices that support the successful implementation
of formal assessment and accreditation services for informal learning based solely on open
educational resources.
The Promise The Reality
The successful A number of studies (e.g.
implementation of open Ehlers, 2011; Bossu, Bull, &
education practices, which Brown, 2012) have pointed
includes OERs, has the out that the potential of 7
potential to make the OER movement to
education opportunities transform education
freely available to all practices has not been 19 44 15
students, particularly those realised, largely because of
previously excluded from a lack of focus on the
formal learning policies and practices
(Mackintosh, 2012). required to promote the 5
concept of openness within
higher education
institutions.
6 10
4
OER activities that are central to the institution: 110 higher education participated
including 12 OERu members
Less than a third of higher education institutions are engaged in OER publishing,
developing and using OERs and only 8% are providing courses based on OERs.
Develop OERs Use OERs
Provide courses
Publish OERs collaboratively with developed by
based on OERs
other institutions others Knowledge of
OERs prior to
study
78%
*5
4
Interest in the
mainstream 92%
29% 24% 23% 8% *5
adoption of OERs
4
* All responses = percentage who selected 4/5 on a scale of 1 to 5 The OERu is based on a conceptual framework that provides a
structure for enabling free learning opportunities for students
who lack the means to access traditional higher education.
Obstacles to participation in assessment of OER based courses:
Although the idea of courses offered using only OERs is a topic of interest and discussion in higher education, it is a concept that is still in its
infancy. There remain a number of challenges at an institutional level that will need to be overcome before wider adoption is possible.
Lack of
Lack of Lack of Lack of a Negative
Lack of Lack of support Lack of Concerns evidence for
alignment with integration Cost of supportive perceptions Perceived lack
availability of at the senior availability of about existing the
organisational with current redeveloping community towards OERs of demand for
committed leadership training and technologies or enhancement
strategy or workflows or courses within the or open course open courses
staff members level support infrastructure of student
policy processes institution delivery
learning
*69% 67% 67% 66% 61% 53% 51% 46% 46% 45% 40%
Project contact:
Dr Angela Murphy, Australian Digital Futures Institute, University of Southern Queensland, ,
Toowoomba, 4350, AUSTRALIA Ph: +61 7 4631 1638 | Email: angela.murphy@usq.edu.au