The University of Leeds developed an open educational resources (OER) policy to encourage staff and students to use, create, and publish OERs. The policy was informed by workshops with faculty and staff about OER awareness and case studies of practitioners' experiences using OERs. The policy recommends using OERs to enhance teaching, producing OERs for sharing, and provides guidance on copyright and licensing. It aims to promote OERs through workshops, online resources, and recognizing OER creation in promotion criteria. The library supports the policy through participating in development and implementation, and advising on copyright and resources.

1. Open Educational Resources
Policy at the University of Leeds
Helen Howard
Adapted from a presentation by Morris, N.P.,
Lewis, D.I. (2013) © University of Leeds 2013.
Reused under the terms of the Creative
Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-
ShareAlike 3.0 Unported License

2. Session overview
• Development of an institutional OER Policy
• Policy outline and implementation
• Implications for IL practitioners / Library roles
–Supporting others
–Creating / using OER

3. Developing an institutional policy
JISC/HEA phase 3 OER project at Leeds to:
>Increase knowledge & engagement
• Workshops
• Case studies
>Develop & implement an institutional policy

4. Workshops with academic and teaching staff
Aiming to:
• Raise institutional awareness
• Showcase OER within
discipline
• Facilitate finding/use of
appropriate OER

5. Case Studies: practitioners’ experiences of using OER for
the first time

6. Feedback from academic and support staff
Key points which informed the policy. Staff asked for:
• A web portal to / for resources
• Advice on producing OER
• Information on any validation /authorisation process for
publishing OER
• Advice on proper attribution and how OER can be used
• Clear advice on copyright / IPR issues surrounding OER
• Recognition and reward for using / creating OER

7. Developing an institutional policy
OER steering group (academics, OER champions, staff
development unit, Library, copyright expert, student rep)
Draft policy circulated widely for comments
Produced set of recommendations to accompany
policy
Final policy agreed by Senior Management team and
Taught Student Education Board in Autumn 2012
Disseminated to Faculties for implementation

8. Leeds Institutional OER Policy
“the University encourages
staff and students to use,
create and publish OERs
to enhance the quality of
the student experience,
provided that resources
used are fit-for-purpose
and relevant”

9. Policy outline
1.Staff are encouraged to make use of OER in student
education.
2.Staff are encouraged to produce and release OER into the
community.
3. Policy recommends use of Creative Commons licences.
4.Staff are reminded to ensure all materials are copyright
compliant.
5. Policy recommends use of JORUM.
6.Students can be consumers and producers of OER.

10. Implementation and roll-out: staff engagement
Spotlight on “for staff”
website, showcasing
video interviews with
OER practitioners
Workshops / events
Institutional front-
page / window
(probably a Leeds-
JORUM page)
Use / production of
OER named as an
example in
promotions criteria

11. Implications for the Library
• 3 staff on OER steering group
–E-learning officer
–VLE team leader
–Copyright officer
• Attendance at workshops / events
• Rep on policy implementation roll-out group
• Ready to contribute learning objects to repository

12. Library roles in supporting OER creation / use
Copyright and IPR
advice
Staff training /
events
Assist with
developing
institutional
repository
Contribution of
teaching resources
to a repository
Advice for students
on producing /
sharing / using
OER

13. Benefits of an institutional policy
• Formalises the “under the radar” sharing of resources
• Removes barriers to OER use:
–Lack of knowledge / understanding
–Lack of support / guidance
• Promotes continued advocacy, support, training and
development activities

14. References / Links
• Leeds OER project final report:
http://www.heacademy.ac.uk/projects/detail/oer/OER_COM2_Le
eds
• Leeds workshop on embedding OER institutionally:
http://www.heacademy.ac.uk/assets/documents/seminars/Theme
s_2012-2013/WSST03/HEA_OER_Jan13_nm.pdf
Howard, H.E. (2013) © University of Leeds 2013.
This work (excluding logos) is made available for
reuse under the terms of the Creative Commons
Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 3.0
Unported License.