This document discusses open educational resources (OER) and innovation in three parts. First, it provides context on how OER were an innovation in response to copyright. Second, it examines theories of innovation and how OER diffusion and adoption relates to these theories. Finally, it outlines several OER research projects and how they explored and supported innovation with and through OER in areas like textbooks, MOOCs, and policy development.
A introduction and overview of Open Educational Resources (OER): what they are; how open licences work; how OER are used; and how they support innovation
Scoping: The GO-GN Guide to Conceptual Frameworks Robert Farrow
Slides from a webinar on the forthcoming GO-GN Guide to Conceptual Frameworks. This presentation discusses the rationale for a Handbook to guide doctoral students and reviews some literature on theories, theoretical frameworks, conceptual frameworks, models, and other constructs. This webinar is part of the scoping process for a forthcoming publication.
The Global OER Graduate Network (GO-GN): Engaging Doctoral Research with Open...Robert Farrow
This workshop was led by the Global OER Graduate Network (GO-GN) team (http://go-gn.net/). GO-GN is a network of PhD candidates around the world whose research projects include a focus on open education. These doctoral researchers are at the core of the network while around them, experts, supervisors, mentors and interested parties connect to form a community of practice. Considering the growth of open research and the commitment of research funders to follow this approach, there is a need to understand what open research practices imply. This involves understanding the benefits and challenges of making research more visible to increase impact and opportunities for collaboration with other researchers when doing a PhD and when pursuing a career in academia.
The workshop will focus on introducing the network possibilities for PhD students, including worldwide support to those researching in the different areas of open education. We will expose the values of the network promoting equity and inclusion in the field of open education research and introduce the different types of events we host such as an annual face-to-face workshop and online events. As well, we will discuss the support for alumni and members with a funded fellowship scheme and the acknowledgement of our members’ achievements through our annual awards. At the second part of the workshop, we will have a practical exercise with the audience to promote the co-authoring of research publications with our members. Two examples of those which will be disclosed are the research methods handbook, awarded with the 2020 Open Education Award for Excellence Winner, and the Research Review Summer 2020.
Open Education Research: Methodology Insights from the Global OER Graduate Ne...Robert Farrow
This session will present an overview of the Global OER Graduate Network research methods handbook. The handbook, published in 2020, was developed by members of the network who are doctoral and post-doctoral researchers in open education, and serves as a useful starting point for anyone wishing to do research in education with a focus on OER, MOOCs or OEP.
An accessible and brief description of the types of methods typically used in research into education and educational technology will be provided. Some of the contrasting philosophical, epistemological and ontological commitments of different research paradigms will be used to differentiate alternative methodologies. Theoretical perspectives will be outlined (but not fully explored).
State-of-the-art approaches will be explored and their relevance for open education explained. The presentation will use examples of current doctoral research to highlight the use of different methods, and will convey insights into using different methods as shared by the researchers. This includes reflections on using different methods, and advice for conducting similar work.
Finally, the presentation will offer up for discussion a provisional model of open scholarship including open practices (agile project management; directly influencing practice; radical transparency; sharing research instruments; social media presence; networks); open science (open access; open data; open licensing); digital innovation (HCI; data science; open source technologies); and normative elements (challenging dominant narratives; promoting social justice; and reducing barriers to educational access).
Reference:
Farrow, R., Iniesto, F., Weller, M. & Pitt., R. (2020). The GO-GN Research Methods Handbook. Open Education Research Hub. The Open University, UK. CC-BY 4.0. http://go-gn.net/gogn_outputs/research-methods-handbook/
Building the 21st Century OER EcosystemRobert Farrow
This presentation offers insights into realizing a European-wide OER Ecosystem. ENCORE+ (European Network for Catalysing Open Resources in Education, www.encoreproject.eu) is building a regional Ecosystem for OER, focused along four engaging circle communities on the following four topics: OER Technology, Policies & Practice, Quality and Innovation & Business Models. The initiative is open to anyone interested in furthering the implementation of the OER Recommendation.
The presentation will highlight results from a pan-European stakeholder survey on OER to give a state of play for the sector. The survey, due completed in September 2021, will be mapping the perceived value of using open educational resources, including its potential and current implementation. At the time of the conference, the project will have hosted two events, specifically events for the circle communities on Policies & Practice and Innovation & Business Models. Results and discussions from these two events will be shared with the Open Education Conference audience, giving an opportunity to continue the discussions after the presentation.
The collaborative community model, described as circle communities, is the ENCORE+ approach to engaging a wide range of stakeholders in and outside Europe. The community will be coming together to solve issues and catalyse change through identifying innovation potential, collaboration opportunities and in general increasing the awareness, implementation and potential of OER.
The presentation focuses on findings from research and circle community events on community needs, collaboration and innovation potential within OER. This will give the participants unique insights into real experiences of building a cross-sectoral, multistakeholder community for OER. The presentation will be split into shorter segments, giving broad insights into the ongoing work with the Ecosystem. Engagement with the audience, through available channels, during and after the presentation will give an opportunity for the participants to elaborate and discuss points of the presentation, including findings, and the ecosystem model overall.
https://opened21.sched.com/event/moQZ/building-the-21st-century-oer-ecosystem
Innovating Open Education: Critical Pathways and Communities of PracticeRobert Farrow
This presentation from Open Education Global 2021 provides an overview of the ENCORE+ project (https://encoreproject.eu/) and discusses the relationship between open educational resources (OER) and innovation, identifying strategies for knowledge exchange.
A introduction and overview of Open Educational Resources (OER): what they are; how open licences work; how OER are used; and how they support innovation
Scoping: The GO-GN Guide to Conceptual Frameworks Robert Farrow
Slides from a webinar on the forthcoming GO-GN Guide to Conceptual Frameworks. This presentation discusses the rationale for a Handbook to guide doctoral students and reviews some literature on theories, theoretical frameworks, conceptual frameworks, models, and other constructs. This webinar is part of the scoping process for a forthcoming publication.
The Global OER Graduate Network (GO-GN): Engaging Doctoral Research with Open...Robert Farrow
This workshop was led by the Global OER Graduate Network (GO-GN) team (http://go-gn.net/). GO-GN is a network of PhD candidates around the world whose research projects include a focus on open education. These doctoral researchers are at the core of the network while around them, experts, supervisors, mentors and interested parties connect to form a community of practice. Considering the growth of open research and the commitment of research funders to follow this approach, there is a need to understand what open research practices imply. This involves understanding the benefits and challenges of making research more visible to increase impact and opportunities for collaboration with other researchers when doing a PhD and when pursuing a career in academia.
The workshop will focus on introducing the network possibilities for PhD students, including worldwide support to those researching in the different areas of open education. We will expose the values of the network promoting equity and inclusion in the field of open education research and introduce the different types of events we host such as an annual face-to-face workshop and online events. As well, we will discuss the support for alumni and members with a funded fellowship scheme and the acknowledgement of our members’ achievements through our annual awards. At the second part of the workshop, we will have a practical exercise with the audience to promote the co-authoring of research publications with our members. Two examples of those which will be disclosed are the research methods handbook, awarded with the 2020 Open Education Award for Excellence Winner, and the Research Review Summer 2020.
Open Education Research: Methodology Insights from the Global OER Graduate Ne...Robert Farrow
This session will present an overview of the Global OER Graduate Network research methods handbook. The handbook, published in 2020, was developed by members of the network who are doctoral and post-doctoral researchers in open education, and serves as a useful starting point for anyone wishing to do research in education with a focus on OER, MOOCs or OEP.
An accessible and brief description of the types of methods typically used in research into education and educational technology will be provided. Some of the contrasting philosophical, epistemological and ontological commitments of different research paradigms will be used to differentiate alternative methodologies. Theoretical perspectives will be outlined (but not fully explored).
State-of-the-art approaches will be explored and their relevance for open education explained. The presentation will use examples of current doctoral research to highlight the use of different methods, and will convey insights into using different methods as shared by the researchers. This includes reflections on using different methods, and advice for conducting similar work.
Finally, the presentation will offer up for discussion a provisional model of open scholarship including open practices (agile project management; directly influencing practice; radical transparency; sharing research instruments; social media presence; networks); open science (open access; open data; open licensing); digital innovation (HCI; data science; open source technologies); and normative elements (challenging dominant narratives; promoting social justice; and reducing barriers to educational access).
Reference:
Farrow, R., Iniesto, F., Weller, M. & Pitt., R. (2020). The GO-GN Research Methods Handbook. Open Education Research Hub. The Open University, UK. CC-BY 4.0. http://go-gn.net/gogn_outputs/research-methods-handbook/
Building the 21st Century OER EcosystemRobert Farrow
This presentation offers insights into realizing a European-wide OER Ecosystem. ENCORE+ (European Network for Catalysing Open Resources in Education, www.encoreproject.eu) is building a regional Ecosystem for OER, focused along four engaging circle communities on the following four topics: OER Technology, Policies & Practice, Quality and Innovation & Business Models. The initiative is open to anyone interested in furthering the implementation of the OER Recommendation.
The presentation will highlight results from a pan-European stakeholder survey on OER to give a state of play for the sector. The survey, due completed in September 2021, will be mapping the perceived value of using open educational resources, including its potential and current implementation. At the time of the conference, the project will have hosted two events, specifically events for the circle communities on Policies & Practice and Innovation & Business Models. Results and discussions from these two events will be shared with the Open Education Conference audience, giving an opportunity to continue the discussions after the presentation.
The collaborative community model, described as circle communities, is the ENCORE+ approach to engaging a wide range of stakeholders in and outside Europe. The community will be coming together to solve issues and catalyse change through identifying innovation potential, collaboration opportunities and in general increasing the awareness, implementation and potential of OER.
The presentation focuses on findings from research and circle community events on community needs, collaboration and innovation potential within OER. This will give the participants unique insights into real experiences of building a cross-sectoral, multistakeholder community for OER. The presentation will be split into shorter segments, giving broad insights into the ongoing work with the Ecosystem. Engagement with the audience, through available channels, during and after the presentation will give an opportunity for the participants to elaborate and discuss points of the presentation, including findings, and the ecosystem model overall.
https://opened21.sched.com/event/moQZ/building-the-21st-century-oer-ecosystem
Innovating Open Education: Critical Pathways and Communities of PracticeRobert Farrow
This presentation from Open Education Global 2021 provides an overview of the ENCORE+ project (https://encoreproject.eu/) and discusses the relationship between open educational resources (OER) and innovation, identifying strategies for knowledge exchange.
Research methods in open education: insights from the Global OER Graduate Ne...Robert Farrow
Presentation from the ALT Summer Summit 2020 describes the GO-GN Research Methods Handbook which supports researchers working in the field of open education
Computers and Learning Research Group: Research methods in open education: I...Robert Farrow
This session will present an overview of the Global OER Graduate Network research methods handbook. The handbook is being developed by members of the network who are researchers in open education, and will serve as a useful starting point for anyone wishing to do research in education with a focus on OER, MOOCs or OEP.
To contextualise this approach, an accessible and brief description of the types of methods typically used in research into education and educational technology will be provided. Some of the contrasting philosophical, epistemological and ontological commitments of different research paradigms will be used to differentiate alternative methodologies. Theoretical perspectives will be outlined but not fully explored.
State-of-the-art approaches will be explored and their relevance for open education explained. The presentation will use examples of current doctoral research to highlight the use of different methods, and will convey insights into using different methods as shared by the researchers. This includes reflections on using different methods, and advice for conducting similar work.
Finally, the presentation will offer up for discussion a provisional model of open scholarship including open practices (agile project management; directly influencing practice; radical transparency; sharing research instruments; social media presence; networks); open science (open access; open data; open licensing); digital innovation (HCI; data science; open source technologies); and normative elements (challenging dominant narratives; promoting social justice; and reducing barriers to educational access).
Pathways to Learning: Open Collaboration to Support the Online Pivot Robert Farrow
This presentation reports results of a recent open education research collaboration between The African Council for Distance Education and The Open University (UK). Pathways to Learning: new approaches in higher education (OpenLearn, 2020a) hosted two free professional development programmes for university lecturers, instructional designers, professional staff, and managers who share responsibility for providing quality distance and online learning.
• A Teacher Educator programme, Skills for 21st Century Learning and Teaching (OpenLearn, 2020b)
• A Tertiary Educator programme, Take Your Teaching Online (OpenLearn, 2020c)
The courses ran over six weeks between 13th July and 20th August, 2020, and was contextualized by a rapid rollout of online learning during the Coronavirus pandemic. The programmes combined a course of study using OER materials with supplementary activities including a total of 12 webinars and interactive events alongside use of new platforms created by The Open University’s Institute of Educational Technology: nQuire (Herodotou et al., 2018) and Our Journey (Coughlan et al., 2019).
Key findings:
• The pandemic led to a substantial shift in teaching across Africa and a requirement to better understand and gain experience of online learning. Change is likely to persist post-pandemic, although infrastructure and cultural barriers are reported.
• The project surveys, interviews and the data generated through interactions that occurred in the programmes explores challenges and opportunities for online and blended learning across the African continent and globally.
• The evaluation data provides evidence that the programmes led to important understanding of course design and confidence in online facilitation for a large majority of those who took part in them.
• There is evidence that the programmes built confidence, particularly through the experiences of these educators themselves learning online with well-designed materials, and engaging with platforms and experts.
• There is evidence that each of the elements and activities were appreciated by some learners. The open courses were seen as most useful alongside some webinars. Community events and forums added substantial value to these.
• The flexibility offered in the programmes led to different behaviours. Many aimed to complete all the available activities despite time pressures and other barriers. Some were unable to attend live events so recordings were appreciated.
• Given the courses were free to join and many educators faced barriers and pressures, retention figures were very positive with around 66% of those who took part in the first week completing the rest of these programmes.
• Assessment, Open Educational Resources (OER), and understanding of technologies that can be used for online learning and learning design were areas that learners reported as being particularly valuable.
Pathways to Learning: International Collaboration Under Covid-19Robert Farrow
The Recommendation on Open Educational Resources (OER) (UNESCO) emphasizes in its key aims the importance of (i) “developing the capacity of all key education stakeholders to create, access, re-use, re-purpose, adapt, and redistribute OER, as well as to use and apply open licenses in a manner consistent with national copyright legislation and international obligations” and (ii) “fostering and facilitating international cooperation [by] supporting international cooperation between stakeholders”.
Both these aspects were present in a recent open education research collaboration between The African Council for Distance Education and The Open University (UK). Pathways to Learning: new approaches in higher education (OpenLearn) hosted two free professional development programmes for university lecturers, instructional designers, technical and professional staff, managers, and heads of department who share responsibility for providing quality distance and online learning.
The evaluation of the Pathways to Learning project provides a great touchstone for reflecting on the kinds of agile, open collaboration that can build international capacity for OER projects and the communities that sustain them.
This presentation summarises several theories of innovation; explaining their relevance and potential for open education in Europe. These frameworks are likely to be of interest to practitioners wishing to have a stronger theoretical and practical understanding of how OER can support innovative practice.
Ramirez-Montoya (2020) recently presented a review of literature pertaining OER and educational innovation, noting that although definitions of openness vary across sectoral spaces, the crossover between openness and innovation is an area of increasing interest. A core part of the story of open educational resources is that they can be used to create spaces for innovation in teaching and learning (Orr et al., 2015; Pitt & Smyth, 2017; Weller et al., 2015). As Coughlan et al. (2018) argue, there has been a lack of detailed analysis of the specific function of OER as a driver of innovation, and a single model has not yet captured the multi-faceted relationship between openness and innovation.
Several theories of innovation - including the Task-Artefact Cycle (Carroll, Kellog & Rosson, 1991); the "diffusion of innovations" (Rogers, 2010); the SAMR framework (Puentedura, 2006; Orr et al., 2015); the Cyclic Innovation Model (Berkhout, 2007); and the Forms of innovation in OER (Coughlan, Pitt & Farrow, 2018) - will be outlined and contextualised. These will be used to describe ways to think about innovation in the context of open education.
This presentation contributes to the European Network for Catalysing Open Resources in Education (ENCORE+, 2021), a pan-European Knowledge Alliance funded under the Erasmus+ programme. The project is running from 2021 to 2023 to support the modernisation of education in the European area through OER.
https://i-he2021.exordo.com/programme/presentation/28
The function of microcredentials for the Open UniversityRobert Farrow
This presentation explores the reasons for adopting and developing microcredentials, and whether they currently satisfy those intentions. This draws on the development of microcedentials at the UK Open University and the experience of the European Microcredential Consortium project.
As with many educational technology developments, the hype and rhetoric sometimes outstrips the reality of implementation. MOOCs, learning analytics, artificial intelligence and blockchain have all seen intense periods of projected possible benefits, before settling into a narrower range of actual usage and recognised benefits. Microcredentials are perhaps still in the initial phase of being a development without an evidence base of practical use to support their claims, but some clear intentions from institutions are emerging and initial evidence regarding their take up by learners suggests avenues for their continued deployment.
It should be noted that development of microcredentials is not a zero cost game. They are costly to develop, often requiring different sets of expertise and tools. There is also an associated opportunity cost in developing them, for the time and resource they demand is effort that could be used on other initiatives. So in adopting them, institutions need to be asking two fundamental questions: “Are microcredentials worth this cost?” and “Do microcredentials represent the best way to realise these aims?”
This presentation will explore the answers to these questions, drawing on the experience of the OU in developing a range of microcredentials for the FutureLearn platform and the Erasmus+ EMC project which is examining the adoption of microcredentials for work based learning.
https://i-he2021.exordo.com/programme/presentation/254
Innovation with Open Educational Resources: The State of the ArtRobert Farrow
Keynote presentation at the OpenLang Network Multiplier Event, 10th December 2021. This presentation reflects on more than a decade of innovation in open education.
The Student-Inquirer Identity During the Master Thesis in an Online UniversityAngelos Konstantinidis
When students are conducting their research project as part of their studies, they can be better prepared for the societal and professional challenges of the future. This study contributes to the research of the inquirer identity by elaborating a model for the assessment of student-inquirer identity skills in light of the development of a master thesis in an education-related field in an online university. The model presents student-inquirer identity as a dynamic multiplicity of ten skills related to the five phases of the practice of inquiry (search and focus, understand and explore, design and implement, interpret/evaluate and reflect, write and present). Based on the model, a questionnaire that measures students’ inquiry skills during the development of the master thesis was constructed. The questionnaire is comprised of ten sub-scales with 42 Likert-type items in total. 154 students of the Universitat Oberta de Catalunya responded to the questionnaire. Findings revealed that, overall, online students develop inquiry skills to a moderate extent while conducting their master thesis.
Show & TEL Ethics & Technology-Enhanced Learning Robert Farrow
This presentation reviews the state of the art with respect to the use of artificial intelligence in education, reflecting on the ethical aspects and implications with particular reference to distance education.
The iterative engagement between curation and evaluation in an open research ...SarahG_SS
Presentation at the African Virtual University (AVU) in Nairobi, Kenya in July 2015. This practice-based presentation outlines the iterative engagement between ROER4D’s curation strategy and evaluation of this project objective, and analyses how this facilitates development of the evaluation plan. Opportunities and challenges of developing and evaluating a curation strategy for such a large-scale open research project are also highlighted.
Enhancing Research Communities Through Open Collaboration: The GO-GN Guide to...Robert Farrow
Research plays a key role in our understanding of open education, and is highlighted in the Recommendation on Open Educational Resources (OER) (UNESCO, 2019) as essential for describing the impact of open education; building awareness among key stakeholders; enhancing quality; and forming connections and communities.
The Global OER Graduate Network (GO-GN) is a network of PhD candidates and experts around the world whose research projects include a focus on open education. The Network has more than 300 global members who form a community of practice and support. GO-GN is currently funded through the OER programme of The William and Flora Hewlett Foundation and administered by the Open Education Research Hub from the Institute of Educational Technology at The Open University, UK.
One central aim for the Network is supporting research in the emergent area of open education, and our researchers are encouraged to explore openness as a research vector. The resources produced by the Network reflect this. Last year, GO-GN produced a well-received guide to Research Methods in Open Education (Farrow et al., 2020) which was recognised as a winner in the Open Education Awards for Excellence.
In 2021 GO-GN publishes a companion volume. The GO-GN Guide to Conceptual Frameworks (Farrow et al., 2021) again combines an accessible narrative and visual style with real-life insights gleaned from practising researchers who are using these theories, concepts and models in cutting edge work.
This presentation provides an overview of the new guide and the open, collaborative production process, emphasizing practical strategies for completing research projects. It will be of interest to anyone who conducts research and/or forms policy in the open education space, but particularly for doctoral level researchers.
Developing an online course on telecollaboration for teachers: A reflection o...Angelos Konstantinidis
Telecollaboration is flourishing yet there are still few courses in higher education that offer to in-service teachers the fundamental theoretical and practical knowledge necessary to organise and conduct a telecollaborative project in their own educational settings. This paper aims to provide a resource to teacher educators and course designers who seek to design a course on telecollaboration in higher or post-secondary education. Through reflective practice (Bolton, 2018) and adhering to the principles of educational design research (McKenney & Reeves, 2012), the process of design and development of an online master’s course for language teachers is described. The article begins by describing the context and discussing the underlying rationale and overall course aims and learning outcomes, while the syllabus and assessment tasks are reviewed next. Course evaluation throughout the years is briefly reported as well as other outcomes. The study concludes by pondering on the challenges faced.
Slides presented at Open Education 2016. The Open Research Agenda is an international consultation exercise on research priorities in open education which combines online surveys and focus group interactions. This presentation summarises thematic analysis of the data set and indicates future directions for research in the field of open education.
Global Open Education Graduate Network Research Presentation - Cape Town, Sou...Michael Paskevicius
A brief overview of research journey into open educational practices so far. I am exploring how open educational practices (OEP) are evolving and being actualized in formal higher education. As an educational developer, I am interested in how to support faculty in moving to OEP, understanding the experience of faculty currently innovating with OEP, as well as the student experience of being engaged with OEP.
Reflections on developing an evaluation and communications strategy for the ...ROER4D
Reflections on developing an evaluation and communications strategy for the ROER4D project
Sukaina Walji and Sarah Goodier
ROER4D Communications and Evaluation Advisors
Presentation for DECI-2 workshop
Cape Town, 4 May 2016
State of the art analysis of MOOC provisions for the EU labour marketRobert Farrow
Presentation given at the Huis van de Nederlandse Provincies (HNP) in Brussels for the European MOOC Consortium: Labour Markets project. The slides summarise the outcome of a rapid assessment of evidence about the provision of Massive Open Online Courses in the European area.
The Potential Contribution of Open Educational Resources to e-Learning and Di...ROER4D
The Potential Contribution of Open Educational Resources
to e-Learning and Distance Education.
A/Prof Patricia B. Arinto
3rd e-Learning and Distance Education Conference
Lahore, Pakistan, 14-15 March 2016
ENCORE+: The Open Educational Resources (OER) Innovation EcosystemRobert Farrow
Slides to accomany a workshop at the I-HE2022 Conference in Athens, Greece (Oct 2022). The slides provide an overview of the ENCORE+ project logic and theoretical perspectives on innovation through open education.
https://i-he2022.exordo.com/programme/presentation/75
Research methods in open education: insights from the Global OER Graduate Ne...Robert Farrow
Presentation from the ALT Summer Summit 2020 describes the GO-GN Research Methods Handbook which supports researchers working in the field of open education
Computers and Learning Research Group: Research methods in open education: I...Robert Farrow
This session will present an overview of the Global OER Graduate Network research methods handbook. The handbook is being developed by members of the network who are researchers in open education, and will serve as a useful starting point for anyone wishing to do research in education with a focus on OER, MOOCs or OEP.
To contextualise this approach, an accessible and brief description of the types of methods typically used in research into education and educational technology will be provided. Some of the contrasting philosophical, epistemological and ontological commitments of different research paradigms will be used to differentiate alternative methodologies. Theoretical perspectives will be outlined but not fully explored.
State-of-the-art approaches will be explored and their relevance for open education explained. The presentation will use examples of current doctoral research to highlight the use of different methods, and will convey insights into using different methods as shared by the researchers. This includes reflections on using different methods, and advice for conducting similar work.
Finally, the presentation will offer up for discussion a provisional model of open scholarship including open practices (agile project management; directly influencing practice; radical transparency; sharing research instruments; social media presence; networks); open science (open access; open data; open licensing); digital innovation (HCI; data science; open source technologies); and normative elements (challenging dominant narratives; promoting social justice; and reducing barriers to educational access).
Pathways to Learning: Open Collaboration to Support the Online Pivot Robert Farrow
This presentation reports results of a recent open education research collaboration between The African Council for Distance Education and The Open University (UK). Pathways to Learning: new approaches in higher education (OpenLearn, 2020a) hosted two free professional development programmes for university lecturers, instructional designers, professional staff, and managers who share responsibility for providing quality distance and online learning.
• A Teacher Educator programme, Skills for 21st Century Learning and Teaching (OpenLearn, 2020b)
• A Tertiary Educator programme, Take Your Teaching Online (OpenLearn, 2020c)
The courses ran over six weeks between 13th July and 20th August, 2020, and was contextualized by a rapid rollout of online learning during the Coronavirus pandemic. The programmes combined a course of study using OER materials with supplementary activities including a total of 12 webinars and interactive events alongside use of new platforms created by The Open University’s Institute of Educational Technology: nQuire (Herodotou et al., 2018) and Our Journey (Coughlan et al., 2019).
Key findings:
• The pandemic led to a substantial shift in teaching across Africa and a requirement to better understand and gain experience of online learning. Change is likely to persist post-pandemic, although infrastructure and cultural barriers are reported.
• The project surveys, interviews and the data generated through interactions that occurred in the programmes explores challenges and opportunities for online and blended learning across the African continent and globally.
• The evaluation data provides evidence that the programmes led to important understanding of course design and confidence in online facilitation for a large majority of those who took part in them.
• There is evidence that the programmes built confidence, particularly through the experiences of these educators themselves learning online with well-designed materials, and engaging with platforms and experts.
• There is evidence that each of the elements and activities were appreciated by some learners. The open courses were seen as most useful alongside some webinars. Community events and forums added substantial value to these.
• The flexibility offered in the programmes led to different behaviours. Many aimed to complete all the available activities despite time pressures and other barriers. Some were unable to attend live events so recordings were appreciated.
• Given the courses were free to join and many educators faced barriers and pressures, retention figures were very positive with around 66% of those who took part in the first week completing the rest of these programmes.
• Assessment, Open Educational Resources (OER), and understanding of technologies that can be used for online learning and learning design were areas that learners reported as being particularly valuable.
Pathways to Learning: International Collaboration Under Covid-19Robert Farrow
The Recommendation on Open Educational Resources (OER) (UNESCO) emphasizes in its key aims the importance of (i) “developing the capacity of all key education stakeholders to create, access, re-use, re-purpose, adapt, and redistribute OER, as well as to use and apply open licenses in a manner consistent with national copyright legislation and international obligations” and (ii) “fostering and facilitating international cooperation [by] supporting international cooperation between stakeholders”.
Both these aspects were present in a recent open education research collaboration between The African Council for Distance Education and The Open University (UK). Pathways to Learning: new approaches in higher education (OpenLearn) hosted two free professional development programmes for university lecturers, instructional designers, technical and professional staff, managers, and heads of department who share responsibility for providing quality distance and online learning.
The evaluation of the Pathways to Learning project provides a great touchstone for reflecting on the kinds of agile, open collaboration that can build international capacity for OER projects and the communities that sustain them.
This presentation summarises several theories of innovation; explaining their relevance and potential for open education in Europe. These frameworks are likely to be of interest to practitioners wishing to have a stronger theoretical and practical understanding of how OER can support innovative practice.
Ramirez-Montoya (2020) recently presented a review of literature pertaining OER and educational innovation, noting that although definitions of openness vary across sectoral spaces, the crossover between openness and innovation is an area of increasing interest. A core part of the story of open educational resources is that they can be used to create spaces for innovation in teaching and learning (Orr et al., 2015; Pitt & Smyth, 2017; Weller et al., 2015). As Coughlan et al. (2018) argue, there has been a lack of detailed analysis of the specific function of OER as a driver of innovation, and a single model has not yet captured the multi-faceted relationship between openness and innovation.
Several theories of innovation - including the Task-Artefact Cycle (Carroll, Kellog & Rosson, 1991); the "diffusion of innovations" (Rogers, 2010); the SAMR framework (Puentedura, 2006; Orr et al., 2015); the Cyclic Innovation Model (Berkhout, 2007); and the Forms of innovation in OER (Coughlan, Pitt & Farrow, 2018) - will be outlined and contextualised. These will be used to describe ways to think about innovation in the context of open education.
This presentation contributes to the European Network for Catalysing Open Resources in Education (ENCORE+, 2021), a pan-European Knowledge Alliance funded under the Erasmus+ programme. The project is running from 2021 to 2023 to support the modernisation of education in the European area through OER.
https://i-he2021.exordo.com/programme/presentation/28
The function of microcredentials for the Open UniversityRobert Farrow
This presentation explores the reasons for adopting and developing microcredentials, and whether they currently satisfy those intentions. This draws on the development of microcedentials at the UK Open University and the experience of the European Microcredential Consortium project.
As with many educational technology developments, the hype and rhetoric sometimes outstrips the reality of implementation. MOOCs, learning analytics, artificial intelligence and blockchain have all seen intense periods of projected possible benefits, before settling into a narrower range of actual usage and recognised benefits. Microcredentials are perhaps still in the initial phase of being a development without an evidence base of practical use to support their claims, but some clear intentions from institutions are emerging and initial evidence regarding their take up by learners suggests avenues for their continued deployment.
It should be noted that development of microcredentials is not a zero cost game. They are costly to develop, often requiring different sets of expertise and tools. There is also an associated opportunity cost in developing them, for the time and resource they demand is effort that could be used on other initiatives. So in adopting them, institutions need to be asking two fundamental questions: “Are microcredentials worth this cost?” and “Do microcredentials represent the best way to realise these aims?”
This presentation will explore the answers to these questions, drawing on the experience of the OU in developing a range of microcredentials for the FutureLearn platform and the Erasmus+ EMC project which is examining the adoption of microcredentials for work based learning.
https://i-he2021.exordo.com/programme/presentation/254
Innovation with Open Educational Resources: The State of the ArtRobert Farrow
Keynote presentation at the OpenLang Network Multiplier Event, 10th December 2021. This presentation reflects on more than a decade of innovation in open education.
The Student-Inquirer Identity During the Master Thesis in an Online UniversityAngelos Konstantinidis
When students are conducting their research project as part of their studies, they can be better prepared for the societal and professional challenges of the future. This study contributes to the research of the inquirer identity by elaborating a model for the assessment of student-inquirer identity skills in light of the development of a master thesis in an education-related field in an online university. The model presents student-inquirer identity as a dynamic multiplicity of ten skills related to the five phases of the practice of inquiry (search and focus, understand and explore, design and implement, interpret/evaluate and reflect, write and present). Based on the model, a questionnaire that measures students’ inquiry skills during the development of the master thesis was constructed. The questionnaire is comprised of ten sub-scales with 42 Likert-type items in total. 154 students of the Universitat Oberta de Catalunya responded to the questionnaire. Findings revealed that, overall, online students develop inquiry skills to a moderate extent while conducting their master thesis.
Show & TEL Ethics & Technology-Enhanced Learning Robert Farrow
This presentation reviews the state of the art with respect to the use of artificial intelligence in education, reflecting on the ethical aspects and implications with particular reference to distance education.
The iterative engagement between curation and evaluation in an open research ...SarahG_SS
Presentation at the African Virtual University (AVU) in Nairobi, Kenya in July 2015. This practice-based presentation outlines the iterative engagement between ROER4D’s curation strategy and evaluation of this project objective, and analyses how this facilitates development of the evaluation plan. Opportunities and challenges of developing and evaluating a curation strategy for such a large-scale open research project are also highlighted.
Enhancing Research Communities Through Open Collaboration: The GO-GN Guide to...Robert Farrow
Research plays a key role in our understanding of open education, and is highlighted in the Recommendation on Open Educational Resources (OER) (UNESCO, 2019) as essential for describing the impact of open education; building awareness among key stakeholders; enhancing quality; and forming connections and communities.
The Global OER Graduate Network (GO-GN) is a network of PhD candidates and experts around the world whose research projects include a focus on open education. The Network has more than 300 global members who form a community of practice and support. GO-GN is currently funded through the OER programme of The William and Flora Hewlett Foundation and administered by the Open Education Research Hub from the Institute of Educational Technology at The Open University, UK.
One central aim for the Network is supporting research in the emergent area of open education, and our researchers are encouraged to explore openness as a research vector. The resources produced by the Network reflect this. Last year, GO-GN produced a well-received guide to Research Methods in Open Education (Farrow et al., 2020) which was recognised as a winner in the Open Education Awards for Excellence.
In 2021 GO-GN publishes a companion volume. The GO-GN Guide to Conceptual Frameworks (Farrow et al., 2021) again combines an accessible narrative and visual style with real-life insights gleaned from practising researchers who are using these theories, concepts and models in cutting edge work.
This presentation provides an overview of the new guide and the open, collaborative production process, emphasizing practical strategies for completing research projects. It will be of interest to anyone who conducts research and/or forms policy in the open education space, but particularly for doctoral level researchers.
Developing an online course on telecollaboration for teachers: A reflection o...Angelos Konstantinidis
Telecollaboration is flourishing yet there are still few courses in higher education that offer to in-service teachers the fundamental theoretical and practical knowledge necessary to organise and conduct a telecollaborative project in their own educational settings. This paper aims to provide a resource to teacher educators and course designers who seek to design a course on telecollaboration in higher or post-secondary education. Through reflective practice (Bolton, 2018) and adhering to the principles of educational design research (McKenney & Reeves, 2012), the process of design and development of an online master’s course for language teachers is described. The article begins by describing the context and discussing the underlying rationale and overall course aims and learning outcomes, while the syllabus and assessment tasks are reviewed next. Course evaluation throughout the years is briefly reported as well as other outcomes. The study concludes by pondering on the challenges faced.
Slides presented at Open Education 2016. The Open Research Agenda is an international consultation exercise on research priorities in open education which combines online surveys and focus group interactions. This presentation summarises thematic analysis of the data set and indicates future directions for research in the field of open education.
Global Open Education Graduate Network Research Presentation - Cape Town, Sou...Michael Paskevicius
A brief overview of research journey into open educational practices so far. I am exploring how open educational practices (OEP) are evolving and being actualized in formal higher education. As an educational developer, I am interested in how to support faculty in moving to OEP, understanding the experience of faculty currently innovating with OEP, as well as the student experience of being engaged with OEP.
Reflections on developing an evaluation and communications strategy for the ...ROER4D
Reflections on developing an evaluation and communications strategy for the ROER4D project
Sukaina Walji and Sarah Goodier
ROER4D Communications and Evaluation Advisors
Presentation for DECI-2 workshop
Cape Town, 4 May 2016
State of the art analysis of MOOC provisions for the EU labour marketRobert Farrow
Presentation given at the Huis van de Nederlandse Provincies (HNP) in Brussels for the European MOOC Consortium: Labour Markets project. The slides summarise the outcome of a rapid assessment of evidence about the provision of Massive Open Online Courses in the European area.
The Potential Contribution of Open Educational Resources to e-Learning and Di...ROER4D
The Potential Contribution of Open Educational Resources
to e-Learning and Distance Education.
A/Prof Patricia B. Arinto
3rd e-Learning and Distance Education Conference
Lahore, Pakistan, 14-15 March 2016
ENCORE+: The Open Educational Resources (OER) Innovation EcosystemRobert Farrow
Slides to accomany a workshop at the I-HE2022 Conference in Athens, Greece (Oct 2022). The slides provide an overview of the ENCORE+ project logic and theoretical perspectives on innovation through open education.
https://i-he2022.exordo.com/programme/presentation/75
ENCORE+ Innovation and Business Models Circle 2Robert Farrow
Slides used in the delivery on an online discussion workshop for the ENCORE+ project including a brief introduction to the project and links to the outputs from group discussions
Sharing innovation practices around OER: theory, practice, examples and debatesRobert Farrow
This ENCORE+ Network Event focuses on Innovation & Business Models - preliminary results for the ENCORE+ OER Innovation Evaluation Framework and associated case studies are presented.
We will be taking a look at the results of more than two years of research and networking activity, including outcomes from the OER Innovation Survey; and desk research into the essential factors relating to OER innovation.
An expert panel provided responses and reflections, and looked ahead to a packed final year of ENCORE+ including our integration events and final conference.
The European Network for Catalysing Open Resources in Education (ENCORE+) project (2021-2023) is an Erasmus+ funded initiative which aims to raise awareness of open education, co-ordinate stakeholder and support new strategies for the proliferation of OER (https://encoreproject.eu/). The UNESCO OER Recommendation (https://en.unesco.org/themes/building-knowledge-societies/oer/recommendation) sets out five areas for action:
Building the capacity of stakeholders to create, access, re-use, adapt and redistribute OER;
Developing supportive policy for OER;
Encouraging inclusive and equitable quality OER;
Nurturing the creation of sustainability models for OER; and
Promoting and reinforcing international cooperation in OER.
Although the Coronavirus pandemic and the resulting online ‘pivot’ increased opportunities for integrating OER into education and training, general awareness of open alternatives remains low. Many educators and learners have been in crisis mode, using whatever resources they can to fulfil their needs. While this can include OER, the demands put upon practitioners makes it hard to strategise and move systematically towards meeting the five action areas of the UNESCO OER resolution.
ENCORE+ proposes that we understand the strategizing of OER at the level of the ‘ecosystem’, emphasizing that while there are viable, established strategies for OER there is no integrated European OER university-business ecosystem able to identify, catalyse and share best practices. How can collaboration be encouraged? How can confidence in operational models which use OER be encouraged beyond the usual advocacy networks in higher education?
Following a short general introduction, this workshop is organised around the following 4 x 10 minute discussion areas, each of which reflects an activity area of ENCORE+.
Focus area 1: Bleeding edge technologies for OER integration
Focus area 2: New paradigms for OER quality
Focus area 3: Strategies and policies for OER uptake and integration
Focus area 4: Innovation, Business Models & Sustainability
In each focus area relevant results from the ENCORE+ project were briefly presented to support an inclusive plenary discussion.
Dialogue was facilitated and moderated by relevant experts from ENCORE+. Feedback and reflection was gathered through a 'World Cafe' approach designed around stakeholder interactions and perspective sharing.
This presentation accompanied a face-to-face workshop at the OER22 conference where delegates were encouraged to brainstorm and interact around key themes and suggestions from the ENCORE+ project (https://encoreproject.eu/) regarding OER implementation, strategisation and improvement.
ENCORE+: Your Place in the Open EcosystemRobert Farrow
The objective of this workshop is to give the participants an opportunity to imagine and recreate their work and business as Open. The workshop is focused on Open Educational Resources (OER), and on its applicability and benefit to business, innovation and technology in lifelong learning.
This workshop is designed to take the participants through a simulation experience, where each participant will imagine the business potential, innovation potential and technological changes available and possible for their work to be open (more open).
The workshop is facilitated by the European Network for Catalysing Open Resources in Education (ENCORE+). ENCORE+ is a European Commission funded project, aimed at establishing a European OER Ecosystem, for both academia and business.
The participants will be presented with research and findings from the project, directly linked to enabling their work to be open, profitable and innovative. Representatives from ENCORE+ business partners will showcase real-life examples of how OER is integral to their work and business as part of the introduction to the workshop.
The workshop is suited to all participants who are interested in OER, regardless of knowledge and experience with OER. The workshop is interactive, with practical simulation tasks guided by ENCORE+ facilitators and ENCORE+ OER research.
The Ecology of Sharing: Synthesizing OER ResearchOER Hub
Arguably, Open Educational Resources (OER) are starting to enter the mainstream, though some fundamental questions about their value and impact remain to be answered or supported with appropriate evidence. Much early OER activity was driven by ideals and interest in finding new ways to release content, with less direct research and reflection on the process. Furthermore, the majority of OER studies are localised, making extrapolation problematic. At the same time there are considerable practical experiences and ideas that it would be valuable to share. This presentation introduces the 'hub' as metaphor for the kind of networked research that is needed by the OER movement. The Open University's OER Research Hub project (2012-2014) works across eight primary research collaborations augmented with additional fellowships and connections with organisation to collate and synthesize research into OER across a range of sectors and stakeholders (K12, College Entry, Higher Education, Informal). The guiding research hypotheses are grounded in preparatory work in discourse analysis and collective intelligence as part of the OLnet project (McAndrew et al., 2012). We then describe the research methodology for OER Research Hub, showing how claims about 'openness' may be validated in different contexts. The argument presented is that through (1) integrating and co-ordinating research methods and (2) developing open data policies it is possible to build an evidence base for the kinds of claims that the OER movement wants to make. Thus, through an 'ecology of sharing' researchers can build and participate in a research network that is greater than the sum of its parts. We will also show how this is working in practice by highlighting some of the activities that are taking place within some collaborations, showing how harmonizing the questions we ask in surveys and interviews across the different collaborations enhances our ability to make normative claims which apply in the broadest range of educational contexts.
The Future OER Ecosystem - On Building a Community for OER in EuropeRobert Farrow
Group presentation/workshop from Open Education Global 2022
The European Network for Catalysing Open Resources in Education (ENCORE+) project (2021-2023) is an Erasmus+ funded initiative which aims to raise awareness of open education, coordinate stakeholder and support new strategies for the proliferation of OER (https://encoreproject.eu/).
Although the Coronavirus pandemic and the resulting online ‘pivot’ increased opportunities for integrating OER into education and training, general awareness of open alternatives remains low. Many educators and learners have been in crisis mode, using whatever resources they can to fulfil their needs. While this can include OER, the demands put upon practitioners makes it hard to strategise and move systematically towards meeting the five action areas of the UNESCO OER resolution.
ENCORE+ is a coordinated European approach to strengthening the value of OER as a catalyst and multiplier. The goal is to move from a series of individual OER initiatives into a European OER Ecosystem. This will be done through addressing and contributing to European and International policy priorities, stimulating innovation in businesses through learning and training, supporting the modernization and digitalization of higher education in Europe, as well as bridging non-formal & formal education by advancing recognition of open learning.
ENCORE+ has established 4 thematic circle communities for OER in Europe on the thematic focus areas of OER Technology, Quality, Innovation & Business Models and Policies. The circle communities convenes and collaborate on issues related to the circle theme. The four communities will convene for its second round of circle events in the first week of May.
This workshop aims to take the content and discussions held within the 4 thematic circle communities in ENCORE+ to the global stage. This workshop marks halfway through the project, and the ENCORE+ team will share and discuss experiences, issues and solutions found with the delegates at the conference. The stakeholders of ENCORE+ is truly global, connecting international stakeholders from academia and business together into a collaborative OER Ecosystem solving challenges of education through OER.
The document is a guideline intended at policymakers, outlining a list of measures required for Open Educational Practices to reach their full potential in education systems.
Original available at www.efquel.org
It was released as part of Open Education Week, based on work done in the OPAL (www.oer-quality.org) project.
Guest lecture delivered to the Master of Leadership in Open Education programme at the University of Nova Gorica, Slovenia. An overiew of more than 10 years working on open education research projects is reviewed and the relation between research and policy explored. Responses are made to questions raised by students.
This presentation is licensed CC BY - any logos or other images are included under fair use or assumed public domain.
The future OER Ecosystem - On building a community for OER in EuropeRobert Farrow
The European Network for Catalysing Open Resources in Education (ENCORE+) project (2021-2023) is an Erasmus+ funded initiative which aims to raise awareness of open education, coordinate stakeholder and support new strategies for the proliferation of OER (https://encoreproject.eu/).
Although the Coronavirus pandemic and the resulting online ‘pivot’ increased opportunities for integrating OER into education and training, general awareness of open alternatives remains low. Many educators and learners have been in crisis mode, using whatever resources they can to fulfil their needs. While this can include OER, the demands put upon practitioners makes it hard to strategise and move systematically towards meeting the five action areas of the UNESCO OER resolution.
ENCORE+ is a coordinated European approach to strengthening the value of OER as a catalyst and multiplier. The goal is to move from a series of individual OER initiatives into a European OER Ecosystem. This will be done through addressing and contributing to European and International policy priorities, stimulating innovation in businesses through learning and training, supporting the modernization and digitalization of higher education in Europe, as well as bridging non-formal & formal education by advancing recognition of open learning.
ENCORE+ has established 4 thematic circle communities for OER in Europe on the thematic focus areas of OER Technology, Quality, Innovation & Business Models and Policies. The circle communities convenes and collaborate on issues related to the circle theme. The four communities will convene for its second round of circle events in the first week of May.
This workshop aims to take the content and discussions held within the 4 thematic circle communities in ENCORE+ to the global stage. This workshop marks halfway through the project, and the ENCORE+ team will share and discuss experiences, issues and solutions found with the delegates at the conference. The stakeholders of ENCORE+ is truly global, connecting international stakeholders from academia and business together into a collaborative OER Ecosystem solving challenges of education through OER.
Open learning in higher education an institutional approachBrian Murphy
The vaue of open learning can be a conflict within higher education instituions. This presentation is the result of an instituional review and research on the open education movement in higher education, given greater impetus by the advent of the MOOC. The journey of exploring MOOCs resulted, ironically, in an enhanced apreciation of OERs and revised strategic thinking of their impact for teaching and research, especially when viewed as a vehicle of co-creation between staff and students. Once value is attached, the principle becimes embedded and accepted rarher than an additional burden of academic endeavour; and the door is opened to the business case for systems, investment and development as well as academic development, support, reward and recognition.
Understanding OER, Innovation & Business ModelsRobert Farrow
The European Network for Catalysing Open Resources in Education (ENCORE+, n.d.) is a pan-European Knowledge Alliance funded under the Erasmus+ programme. The project is running from 2021 to 2023 to support the modernisation of education in the European area through open educational resources (OER). Participants will be presented with research and findings from the project, directly linked to enabling their work to be open, sustainable and innovative.
One project focus is understanding (and sharing) business models that use or integrate OER. The ENCORE+ Innovation Case Study Collection and Business Model Typology represent important advances in the self-understanding of open educators and collaboration partners (potential and existing).
Another ENCORE+ activity strand has audited innovation related behaviours for a range of organisations that use OER. OER is of course an innovation in teaching and learning practice, but the practices associated with using OER can themselves be a foundation for further innovation. This potential is often overlooked for being highly contextual or marginal to the key focus of OER initiatives, yet the culture of innovation that exists alongside many OER projects and in the practice of open educators is a key attraction for many working in the field.
More than OER innovation 40 case studies have been prepared and a selection of these will be presented with a critical commentary. Alongside this, the related evaluation framework is being shared on an open licence for others to use and better understand the role of innovation in their own OER practice.
These achievements build on various aspects of theoretical work conducted in the last two years (Farrow & Granly, 2021; Farrow, 2022) as well as a series of face-to-face and online stakeholder events conducted within the ENCORE+ network. Delegates will be in a position to benefit from what has been shared by the wider European OER community in locating and reflecting on their own practice.
Coughlan, T., Pitt, R. & Farrow, R. (2019). Forms of innovation inspired by open educational resources: a post-project analysis. Open Learning: The Journal of Open, Distance and e-Learning, 34:2, 156-175. https://doi.org/10.1080/02680513.2018.1552579
ENCORE+ (n.d.). European Network for Catalysing Open Resources in Education. https://encoreproject.eu/
Farrow, R. (2022). A Framework for Understanding Innovation with OER. Open Education Global 2022. Université de Nantes, France. https://pretalx.com/oeglobal2022/talk/QYVRCM/
Farrow, R. & Granly, J. (2021). Building the 21st Century OER Ecosystem. Open E
From Openness to Opportunity? Strategical Approaches to OERs Uptake and Use f...Robert Farrow
Presentation from Open Education Global 2023, held in Edmonton, Canada. This piece of research aimed to provide an up-to-date overview of the opportunities of OERs in business by conducting a set of interviews with relevant stakeholders during the course of the ENCORE+ Project (European Network for Catalysing Open Resources in Education). OERs-related value propositions and sustainability in business seem to be innovative oriented in light of the results. OERs clearly have a place in this space, though they are not adopting a central role in business processes.
https://oeglobal2023.sched.com/event/1S7iV/from-openess-to-opportunity-strategical-approaches-to-oers-uptake-and-use-from-business
This paper provides an update on activity in the innovation and business models strand of the ENCORE+ project. A range of business models that support or draw on open educational resources (OER) have been proposed. This paper reviews models that have been proposed (Tlili et al., 2020; Padilla Rodriguez et al., 2018; Belleflamme & Jacqmin, 2015; Ubachs & Konings, 2016; and Farrow, 2019) and suggests a synthesis into one typology of OER business models. The ENCORE+ OER Business Model Typology has been developed as part of a wider effort to understand and evaluate economically sustainable approaches to OER as well as to formulate OER value propositions for different stakeholders. In related work, a range of OER innovation case studies (N=48) are being prepared for publication. These illustrate different instances of innovation with OER and show how OER actors understand their value proposition to different audiences.
Open Education Research: Past, Present, FutureRobert Farrow
The Global OER Graduate Network (GO-GN, n.d.) supports doctoral research in open education around the world and currently has several hundred members who are doctoral/post-doctoral researchers and interested expert practitioners. In this presentation we offer some analysis of trends in research into open education, drawing on the data generated by GO-GN as well as other expert research. We provide an analysis of network activity and identify core areas for contemporary open education research, including open practice, OER as a discipline area, making connections between research clusters and the application of OER in non-traditional learning contexts. We also offer some reflections on the evolving nature of discourse around open education and the relation between research and practice, particularly around the themes of social justice and equity, diversity and inclusion.
Keynote presentation from the Association of Learning Technologists Annual Conference 2022. The ALT Framework for Learning Technology reflects the authentic need for ethical perspectives in an increasingly uncertain world. This presentation explores contemporary relationships between ethics and educational technology. There is an increasing ethical import associated with the rapid deployment of new and powerful and transformative digital technologies across society. Cutting edge technologies offer new possibilities for pedagogy, inclusion and access to learning, but are often implemented without their effects being fully understood. Learning technologists operate at the intersection of competing demands and interests along with their ethical complexities, often with little more guidance than a risk management checklist. Drawing on the history of online learning, philosophical ethics, critical theory and educational research, key examples of ethical issues will be explored and related to the FELT framework. It will be argued that the increasing need for ethical reflection requires dialogic and inclusive approaches which retain critical perspectives.
Presentation (with Eamon Costello) from the Global Smart Education Conference (The 6th International Conference on Smart Learning Environments), Beijing National University, China.
The presentation explores issues in AI driven learning systems and implications of machine learning approaches for inclusion and access to education.
Explicable Artifical Intelligence for Education (XAIED)Robert Farrow
The application of artificial intelligence in AI is increasing, but there is a growing awareness of the profound ethical implications which are presently undertheorised. The emerging consensus is that there needs to be adequate transparency and explicability for the use of algorithms in education. This presentation provides an overview of AI in education (AIED) and characterises the requirement for explicability as a response to the ‘black box’ of machine learning. It is argued that explicability should be understood as part of a wider socio-technical turn in AI, and that there is a strong case for implementing full transparency in AIED as a default position. Such transparency threatens to disrupt traditional pedagogical processes, and mediation strategies will be needed. There are also instances where non-transparency may be justifiable and in these examples processes for auditing and governance.
A Framework for Understanding Innovation with OERRobert Farrow
Presentation on the ENCORE+ Project from Open Education Global 2022. The European Network for Catalysing Open Resources in Education (ENCORE+, n.d.) is a pan-European Knowledge Alliance funded under the Erasmus+ programme. The project is running from 2021 to 2023 to support the modernisation of education in the European area through open educational resources (OER).
OER are one of the great recent innovations in education and learning. OER leverage the benefits of digitalisation to extend equitable access to learning; provide new avenues for the distribution, adaptation and iteration of resources; and support innovation in pedagogy and collaboration. Innovating is a key part of how OERs are used, as resources are transformed for use in a new context. But because of the siloed way that reuse typically happens it can be hard for others to take advantage of the effective practice of others.
Developing general awareness of the potential of OER remains a challenge, and one route to this is to highlight cases of exceptional interest (along with identifying the enabling software and services; understanding drivers and enablers; and capturing the meaningful interactions between relevant stakeholders).
In line with its role supporting the OER ecosystem and acting as a hub for OER innovation, ENCORE+ has developed an OER Innovation Evaluation Framework. This toolkit draws on several predominant theories of innovation (Carroll, Kellog & Rosson, 1991; Puentedura, 2006; Rogers, 2003) as well as research into effective OER initiatives (e.g. Coughlan et al., 2019; Darwish, 2019) to present simple categories which can be used to consistently describe cases of interest.
This presentation will describe the background, inspiration and process for developing the Evaluation Framework (Farrow, 2021). Information will also be provided on ways participants can share their examples of innovation through the ENCORE+ network using the OER Innovation Evaluation Framework.
A presentation to accompany the launch of a guide to conceptual frameworks for researchers; especially those working in an open education context. Download the Guide from https://go-gn.net/gogn_outputs/conceptual-frameworks/
Research Integrity: Philosophical Perspectives Robert Farrow
A short presentation exploring the concept of research integrity from a philosophical perspective and discussing some of the advice and frameworks that support research integrity.
2024.06.01 Introducing a competency framework for languag learning materials ...Sandy Millin
http://sandymillin.wordpress.com/iateflwebinar2024
Published classroom materials form the basis of syllabuses, drive teacher professional development, and have a potentially huge influence on learners, teachers and education systems. All teachers also create their own materials, whether a few sentences on a blackboard, a highly-structured fully-realised online course, or anything in between. Despite this, the knowledge and skills needed to create effective language learning materials are rarely part of teacher training, and are mostly learnt by trial and error.
Knowledge and skills frameworks, generally called competency frameworks, for ELT teachers, trainers and managers have existed for a few years now. However, until I created one for my MA dissertation, there wasn’t one drawing together what we need to know and do to be able to effectively produce language learning materials.
This webinar will introduce you to my framework, highlighting the key competencies I identified from my research. It will also show how anybody involved in language teaching (any language, not just English!), teacher training, managing schools or developing language learning materials can benefit from using the framework.
Unit 8 - Information and Communication Technology (Paper I).pdfThiyagu K
This slides describes the basic concepts of ICT, basics of Email, Emerging Technology and Digital Initiatives in Education. This presentations aligns with the UGC Paper I syllabus.
Students, digital devices and success - Andreas Schleicher - 27 May 2024..pptxEduSkills OECD
Andreas Schleicher presents at the OECD webinar ‘Digital devices in schools: detrimental distraction or secret to success?’ on 27 May 2024. The presentation was based on findings from PISA 2022 results and the webinar helped launch the PISA in Focus ‘Managing screen time: How to protect and equip students against distraction’ https://www.oecd-ilibrary.org/education/managing-screen-time_7c225af4-en and the OECD Education Policy Perspective ‘Students, digital devices and success’ can be found here - https://oe.cd/il/5yV
Read| The latest issue of The Challenger is here! We are thrilled to announce that our school paper has qualified for the NATIONAL SCHOOLS PRESS CONFERENCE (NSPC) 2024. Thank you for your unwavering support and trust. Dive into the stories that made us stand out!
The Indian economy is classified into different sectors to simplify the analysis and understanding of economic activities. For Class 10, it's essential to grasp the sectors of the Indian economy, understand their characteristics, and recognize their importance. This guide will provide detailed notes on the Sectors of the Indian Economy Class 10, using specific long-tail keywords to enhance comprehension.
For more information, visit-www.vavaclasses.com
How to Split Bills in the Odoo 17 POS ModuleCeline George
Bills have a main role in point of sale procedure. It will help to track sales, handling payments and giving receipts to customers. Bill splitting also has an important role in POS. For example, If some friends come together for dinner and if they want to divide the bill then it is possible by POS bill splitting. This slide will show how to split bills in odoo 17 POS.
The Art Pastor's Guide to Sabbath | Steve ThomasonSteve Thomason
What is the purpose of the Sabbath Law in the Torah. It is interesting to compare how the context of the law shifts from Exodus to Deuteronomy. Who gets to rest, and why?
Palestine last event orientationfvgnh .pptxRaedMohamed3
An EFL lesson about the current events in Palestine. It is intended to be for intermediate students who wish to increase their listening skills through a short lesson in power point.
How to Make a Field invisible in Odoo 17Celine George
It is possible to hide or invisible some fields in odoo. Commonly using “invisible” attribute in the field definition to invisible the fields. This slide will show how to make a field invisible in odoo 17.
We all have good and bad thoughts from time to time and situation to situation. We are bombarded daily with spiraling thoughts(both negative and positive) creating all-consuming feel , making us difficult to manage with associated suffering. Good thoughts are like our Mob Signal (Positive thought) amidst noise(negative thought) in the atmosphere. Negative thoughts like noise outweigh positive thoughts. These thoughts often create unwanted confusion, trouble, stress and frustration in our mind as well as chaos in our physical world. Negative thoughts are also known as “distorted thinking”.
Model Attribute Check Company Auto PropertyCeline George
In Odoo, the multi-company feature allows you to manage multiple companies within a single Odoo database instance. Each company can have its own configurations while still sharing common resources such as products, customers, and suppliers.
1. Understanding OER
and Innovation
OERxDomains, 22nd April 2021
Dr. Robert Farrow
Open Education Research Hub
Institute of Educational Technology
The Open University, UK
rob.farrow@open.ac.uk
@philosopher1978
2. 2
SUMMARY
WP7: QUALITY
• What is WP7? Aims, activities and deliverables
• D7.1 Quality Management System
• Proposed Next Steps
3. How can we understand
innovation in open
education?
5. Copyright was introduced
to regulate IP in the age of
mechanical reproduction:
Incentivising creative production
Preserving the integrity of creative
works
Establishing rules for the economic
exploitation of works
7. [O]ne impediment is traditional thinking that educational innovation exists
within formal educational institutions (e.g., schools, institutes, universities)
and not in other formal or informal environments. Moving beyond this
thinking presents a niche of opportunity to generate lines of research and
publications related to the processes of formal and informal learning
within networks, considering multiple relationships with educational
institutions and other sectors.
Another challenge of great incidence is “openness,” the capacity to bring
together diverse sectors (educational, social, enterprise, cultural) for
collaboration and dissemination. In this landscape, the field of open
education is fertile, both for training in educational innovation and for
promoting innovations within the framework of the open educational
movement with practices of production, use, dissemination, and
mobilization.
Here, the open education movement is visualized as a dynamic
phenomenon, in constant evolution, that starts from the simplest idea of
taking advantage of resources to share a common good, namely,
knowledge. However, open education can also mean something more
complex: developing educational practices that contribute to the
necessary improvements in education, management, and research
required by external changes.
Sustainability 2020, 12, 7053; doi:10.3390/su12177053
8. 8
Weller (2014) suggests that motivations for moving towards openness are difficult to
be categorical about since they are so heavily influenced by context.
Costa (2014). Digital scholarship practices. Compiled and adapted from Weller (2011)
OER21xDomains
UNDERSTANDING OER AND INNOVATION
11. Keyword Hypothesis
Performance OER improve student performance/satisfaction
Openness People use OER differently from other online materials
Access OER widen participation in education
Retention OER can help at-risk learners to finish their studies
Reflection OER use leads educators to reflect on their practice
Finance OER adoption brings financial benefits for students/institutions
Indicators Informal learners use a variety of indicators when selecting
OER
Support Informal learners develop their own forms of study support
Transition OER support informal learners in moving to formal study
Policy OER use encourages institutions to change their policies
Assessment Informal assessments motivate learners using OER
http://oerhub.net/reports/
12. 12
PROJECT INNOVATION ASPECT
OER Research Hub (2012-2016)
http://oerhub.net/research-outputs/reports/
First global investigation of key claims made
about OER
UK Open Textbooks (2017-2018)
http://ukopentextbooks.org/
Replacing textbooks with openly licensed
equivalents, supporting pedagogical innovation
BizMOOC (2016-2019)
https://moocbook.pressbooks.com/
Leverage MOOCs for business training and
development
OER World Map (2014-)
https://oerworldmap.org/
Facilitate exchange of data, experiences and
ideas between different people and Open
Education communities
European MOOC Consortium: Labour Markets
(2019-2022)
https://emc.eadtu.eu/emc-lm/
Leverage MOOCs for labour markets: upskilling,
(re-training), responsiveness, scalability
Global OER Graduate Network (2016-2021)
http://go-gn.net/
Supporting doctoral research into open
education; exploring openness as a research
vector
OER21xDomains
UNDERSTANDING OER AND INNOVATION
16. 16
Diffusion of Innovations (Rogers, 2003)
• Focused on spread of new technology & practices
• Adoption is required for innovations to sustain
• Relative advantage; compatibility
OER21xDomains
UNDERSTANDING OER AND INNOVATION
17. 17
Diffusion of Innovations (Rogers, 2003)
• Focused on spread of new technology & practices
• Adoption is required for innovations to sustain
• Relative advantage; compatibility
OER has 5% K12
market share in USA
https://www.onlinelearni
ngsurvey.com/reports/k-
12_whatweteach.pdf
OER21xDomains
UNDERSTANDING OER AND INNOVATION
19. 19
SUBSTITUTION AUGMENTATION MODIFICATION REDEFINITION
Open Textbooks Use Open
Textbooks in
place of
proprietary
versions
(More than $1
billion saved in the
USA)
https://sparcopen.
org/news/2018/1-
billion-in-savings-
through-open-
educational-
resources/
Freely shared and
accessible online
Enhances access,
reduced
dependency on
grants and loans
Producing
revised/remixed
versions of
lessons, textbooks
and
supplementary
resources
Collaboration
across institutions
Rethinking the
textbook as the
standard
organisation of
curricula
OER21xDomains
UNDERSTANDING OER AND INNOVATION
20. 20
European Network for Catalysing Open Resources in Education
ENCORE+
https://files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/EJ1036281.pdf
21. 21
Coughlan, T., Pitt, R. & Farrow, R. (2019) Forms of innovation inspired by open educational resources: a
post-project analysis, Open Learning: The Journal of Open, Distance and e-Learning, 34:2, 156-
175, DOI: 10.1080/02680513.2018.1552579
OER21xDomains
UNDERSTANDING OER AND INNOVATION
22. How do we support innovation
with and through OER?
Raise awareness of open alternatives
Empower individuals in ways that enable them to
exercise their autonomy
Encourage experimentation in pedagogy and
practice
Develop constructive, critical learning cultures
Think and act at the level of the ecosystem
Leverage the power of networks
23. Farrow, R. (2017). Open education and critical
pedagogy. Learning, Media and Technology 42 (2): 130-
146. https://doi.org/10.1080/17439884.2016.1113991
Deimann, M. & Farrow, R. (2013). Rethinking OER and
their use: Open Education as Bildung. International
Review of Online and Distance Learning 14(3).
http://www.irrodl.org/index.php/irrodl/article/view/1370/25
42
Farrow, R. (2016). A Framework for the Ethics of Open
Education. Open Praxis, 8(2).
http://dx.doi.org/10.5944/openpraxis.8.2.291
25. 25
European Network for Catalysing Open Resources in Education
ENCORE+
The European Network for Catalysing Open Resources in Education
(ENCORE) is an innovation initiative to respond to European policy priorities of
opening up and modernising the European Higher Education sector through
the creation of a coordinated European OER area for innovation.
ENCORE will support uptake of OER through business and academia by
taking a leading role in sharpening existing value propositions and
implementation strategies for OER in academia and, for the first time,
transferring them to the world of work - thus bringing both sectors together
into a Knowledge Alliance leading to a European OER area.
26. 26
European Network for Catalysing Open Resources in Education
ENCORE+
Needs which ENCORE addresses Outcomes
Need 1: European multi-stakeholder
engagement platform for OER linking
business and academia.
European catalyst network to strengthen an
integrated and community-based European
vision of the future European OER area.
(WP2)
Need 2: Analytical consolidation of
approaches and solutions of OER
Repository Technologies.
Integrated future architecture of a European
OER-RT infrastructure. (WP3)
Need 3: Validated policy
recommendations which are based on
broad consensus and experiences.
European guidelines for effective OER
policies for business and academia. (WP4)
Need 4: Community-based broad
consensus for open education quality.
European Open & Community-based Quality
Review Framework for OER. (WP 5)
Need 5: Validated innovation and
business models for OER.
European OER business and start-up
community including business models.
(WP 6)
27. Core aspects Defender-like approach Prospector- like approach
Products and services We deliver and/or support core institutional
provision
We offer something different, complementary or
alternative to the main provision
Target group We target an existing market We are targeting a new (or non-traditional) market
Communication channels We interact with learners through traditional
channels
We interact with learners through new or
innovative relationship channels (physical or
virtual)
Legacy or new value
chain
We develop, produce and deliver the provision
by making the most of legacy knowledge
We develop, produce and maintain our offering
through exploration of new approaches and
innovation
Competitive advantage Our competitive advantage comes from
traditional competences (e.g., market
knowledge, expertise, improvement of existing
technology)
Our competitive advantage comes from new,
unfamiliar, competences (e.g., new or emerging
technologies, innovation in working practices)
Networks We operate primarily within traditional
institutional or cultural parameters
We operate primarily in non-traditional or
(dynamic) networks (e.g., alliance, joint-venture)
Profitability and
sustainability
We maintain profitability through incremental
cost cutting and efficiencies
We maintain profitability through new processes to
generate revenues, or cost-cutting in existing
processes
OOFAT BUSINESS MODEL STRATEGY
Orr, D., Weller, M., & Farrow, R. (2018). Models for online, open, flexible and technology-enhanced higher education
across the globe – a comparative analysis. International Council for Open and Distance Education (ICDE). Oslo, Norway.
Available from https://oofat.oerhub.net/OOFAT/. CC-BY-SA.
UNDERSTANDING OER AND INNOVATION
28. Defender-like strategies
• The fixed core model – maintaining core, innovating on the edges
• The outreach model – maintaining core, but focus on new
relationships with their target group
• The service-provider model – focus on target group, innovating on
the edges
Prospector-like strategies
• The entrepreneurial model – innovating in all areas
• The entrepreneurial model with fixed core – innovating in all areas
apart from the core
OOFAT BUSINESS MODEL EMERGENT PROFILES
UNDERSTANDING OER AND INNOVATION
29. 49 cases that provided full data
INCLUSIVITY AND EXCLUSIVITY OF CORE PROCESS
UNDERSTANDING OER AND INNOVATION
30. 30
European Network for Catalysing Open Resources in Education
ENCORE+
WP6 will act as an innovation pivot for the project and the OER community as a whole.
Creation of an OER innovation evaluation framework
• Develop theory/model of innovation
• Piloting and refinement of framework/tool
Working with the WP3 and WP4 teams to highlight and amplify innovation cases
• Establishing key criteria for cases of interest
• Benchmarking technical innovation
• Connecting with external stakeholders
• Developing OER repository value proposition
Desk research to identify drivers, enablers, barriers and challenges for innovation
through OER and provide evaluation criteria for identifying outstanding examples of
OER innovation.
• Literature review
• Validation
Publishing a series of ENCORE OER Innovation Briefings on a six-monthly basis.
These will summarise relevant examples of innovation while sharing outcomes from the
comprising tasks.
31. 31
European Network for Catalysing Open Resources in Education
ENCORE+
M6
OER
Innovation
Briefing 1
M9
OER
Innovation
Briefing 2
M10
OER
Innovation
Circle 1
M12
Innovation
Evaluation
Toolkit
M15
OER
Innovation
Briefing 3
M16
OER
Innovation
Circle 2
M18
OER
Innovation
Report
M21
OER
Innovation
Briefing 4
M22
OER
Innovation
Circle 3
M27
OER
Innovation
Briefing 5
M28
OER
Innovation
Circle 4
OER
Innovation
Showcase
M36
OER
Innovation
Briefing 6