The document discusses the Health and Life Science Open Educational Resource (HALSOER) project which aims to develop open educational resources for STEM subjects through external partnerships. It describes HALSOER's approach of identifying potential partner organizations, agreeing on deliverables and copyright, and producing a wide range of OER materials. Initial observations suggest partnerships can be easily established and are mutually beneficial, providing opportunities for student learning as well as wider collaborations around teaching and research. The next steps involve continuing to research the impacts of OER on students and outcomes of new collaborations.

1. Building External
Partnerships to Enhance
STEM Education Opportunities
Dr Mark Fowler & Dr Viv Rolfe
CC BY-SA 2.0 (with the exception of the JISC and DMU logo)

2. Building External
Partnerships to Enhance
STEM Education Opportunities
Presentation for STEM Annual Conference 2012
‘Aiming for excellence in STEM learning and teaching’
Imperial College London, 12-13 April 2012

3. Background
• The Health and Life Science Open
Educational Resource (HALSOER) project
is releasing OER for STEM subjects
including Forensic, Biomedical and
Medical Science.
• Funded by UKOER Phase 3.

4. Other DMU STEM projects
• 2009 Virtual Analytical Laboratory (VAL)
(UKOER Pilot) – content supplied
internally.
• 2010 Sickle Cell Open (SCOOTER)
(UKOER Phase 2) – some content from
external organisations.
• 2011 SCORE Fellowship – on-line lab
skills module.

5. Why work with external partners?
• National public sector changes suggest
organisations should work more closely
(BIS 2011, DOH 2010).
• Graduate employability is high on the
agenda (Brown 2010).

6. Our aim and approach
• To investigate how partnerships can be
identified and grown from potential
commercial and non-commercial partner
organisations.
• To evaluate our experience by recording
our observations, and interviewing
collaborators to identify best practice.

7. HALS team approach
• Faculty of Health and Life Science, DMU.
• ~20 academics are identifying existing and
new partners within their subjects.
• Initial scoping meeting.
• Agree deliverables and process.
• Set sensible time frames for producing
OER.
• Contractual agreements / copyright.

8. Who are our partners?
MEDICAL / BIOMEDICAL FORENSIC
Oxford University Press Leicestershire Constabulary
National Health Service Forensic Focus
•Nurse counselling service
•Pathology Department LRI / NG The Fingerprint Society
•Gastroenterology Unit LRI
•Nutrition Service LRI Leicester schools and colleges
LRI = Leicester Royal Infirmary
NG = Northampton General

9. OER pipeline (2011)

10. Example scoping exercise

11. Level of participation
External Partner Participation Approval Decision
Leicestershire Producers, end-users Organisational
Constabulary
National Health Service Producers, end-users Individual / teams
Oxford University Press End-users Organisational
Forensic Focus Producers Organisational
The Fingerprint Society Quality control Organisational

12. Level of approval
• Organisational i.e. board approval, senior
management sign off, senior management
approval of time and commitment.
• Individual basis / small teams were happy to
collaborate.
• No partnership agreements / contracts required.
• Licensing permissions to release materials using
Creative Commons gained at a departmental
leadership level (form 4).

13. Attitude
• All discussions with external collaborators
regarding the concept of OER positively
received.
• Staff at all levels are all supportive.
• Partners always comply with the Creative
Commons license required by the project
(BY SA).

14. Types of OER
Case studies
Lecture notes

15. Types of OER
Instructional podcasts
Animated image galleries

16. OER summary
• Wide range of materials in terms of:
– File formats (PDF, SWF, MP4, MP3, JPG…..)
– Granularities (images, lecture notes, on-line training
packages with content and assessment)
• Interoperable, accessible, OPEN!

17. Motivation for involvement
External Partner Business Model
Leicestershire Constabulary Graduate employability
National Health Service Graduate employability / staff continual
professional development (CPD)
Oxford University Press Business development / quality
supplementary information
Forensic Focus Business development
The Fingerprint Society Maintaining quality of professional
materials

18. Mutual benefits?
• OER for science undergraduates are used by
junior staff professional development.
– Histology OER for final year Biomedical Science
students are relevant for NHS biomedical scientists
requiring Health Professions Council registration.
– OER used for junior histopathologists seeking
registration with the Royal College of Pathologists.
– Constabulary and the Fingerprint Society ensure the
forensic science resources are of high quality to meet
professional body requirements.

19. Unexpected benefits?
• Discussions about OER has led to wider
collaborations:
– New opportunities for final year research project
students.
– MSc / PhD post-graduate opportunities for university
students and NHS staff.
– Visiting professorships support undergraduate
teaching.
– Ideas for further funding applications.

20. Summary
• HALS is exploring processes and attitudes to
external partnerships working on OER.
• Initial observations suggest partnerships are
easily established and are more often mutually
beneficial.
• OER pipeline facilitiates OER flow but takes time
to manage.
• OER is mutually beneficial and catalyses
dialogue around a whole range of collaborative
opportunities.

21. Next steps
• Continue research as part of HALS project.
• Explore student benefits:
– Short-term – use and impact of new high quality OER.
– Longer-term – outcomes of new teaching and
research collaborations.

22. Resources
• BIS (2011). Students at the Heart of the System: Consulting on the future of
Higher Education. Available: http://discuss.bis.gov.uk/hereform/white-paper/
• Browne, J. (2010). Securing a sustainable future for higher education.
Available:
http://www.delni.gov.uk/index/publications/pubs-higher-education/browne-report-st
• DOH (2010). Equity and Excellence: Liberating the NHS. Available:
http://www.dh.gov.uk/en/Publicationsandstatistics/Publications/PublicationsPolicyA
• HALS Project Website: http://www.biologycourses.co.uk
• OER Pipeline (2011).
http://www.sicklecellanaemia.org/open-education-resources/training/producing-ope

23. Find out more!
vrolfe@dmu.ac.uk
Twitter @DMUViv
CC BY SA Jacob Escott, HALS Project, DMU.