OER and associated practices – opportunities and challenges

Gráinne Conole, The Open University, UKg.c.conole@open.ac.uk

OER Panel, EDEN Research WorkshopBudapest, 26th October 2010

Open Educational Resources (OER)Basic definition

The open provision of educational resources, enabled by information and communication technologies, for consultation, use and adaptation by a community of users for non-commercial purposes (UNESCO 2002)

Broader definitionLearning resourcesCourseware, content modules, learning objects, learner support & assessment tools, online learning communitiesResources to support teachersTools for teachers and support materials to enable them to create, adapt and use OER; training materials for teachersResources to assure the quality of education and educational practices (UNESCO 2004)

• Level of granularity– ‘Atomistic’: based around learning objects (Merlot)– ‘Holistic: aligned to course structures (MIT)

• Format– Simple, primarily text-based– Rich multi-faceted multimedia

• Pedagogy– Relatively neutral– Embedded

OER models

OER - a vision of transformationBeyond content – focus on activity and use

Learners as self-directed and autonomous

More of a focus on sharing, refinement, iteration, critical reflection

OER as a potential catalyst to transforming educational practice

Improvements in social inclusion, quality and innovation

From resources to practices

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The OPAL vision

Open Educational Resource PracticeOEP constitute the range of practices around the

creation, use and management of OER with the intent to improve quality and innovate education.

Focus on the practice around OER rather than the resources

Better understanding will lead to improvements in the quality of OER and more innovation

Abstracting dimensions of PracticeOpen Educational Practices

(OEP)Practices around the creation, use and

management of Open Educational Resources

Approach60+ case studies of OER collected

Dimensions of OEP derivedOnline consultation process

http://cloudworks.ac.uk/cloudscape/view/2105

Open Educational Resources

Open Learning Initiative

Pedagogically diverse

Conole, McAndrew & Dimitriadis, forthcoming

Open Educational Practice DimensionsStrategies and policiesQuality Assurance modelsPartnership modelsBusiness models/sustainability strategiesBarriers and success factorsTools and tool practicesSkills development and supportInnovations

Strategies and policesBarriers and success factorsTools and tool practicesSkills development and support

Strategies and policiesQuality Assurance modelsPartnership modelsBusiness models/sustainability strategies

Barriers and success factorsTools and tool practicesSkills development and supportInnovations

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The OEP cube model• THE DIMENSION: What?

– Strategies and Policies– Barriers and Success Factors– Tools and Tool Practices– Skills Development and Support

• THE CONTEXT: Where?– Macro level (society)– Meso level (organisation)– Micro level (individuals)

• MATURITY: How well is it established?– Initial (not yet started)– Managed– Defined– Optimizing (embedded / advanced)

DIMENSION

CON

TEXT

MATURITY

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Refining the dimension

Strategies & Policies

Barriers and Success Factors

Tools & tool practices

Skills Development & Support

QA models

Partnership Models

Business Models

Sustainability Strategies

Barriers

Success Factors

Tools

Tool Practices

Digital Literacy

Support structures and processes

12 skills of evolving digital literacyHenry Jenkins

CYBERLEARNING REPORT

DIMENSION

CON

TEXT

MATURITY

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Maturity View

• INITIAL (not yet started): Process unpredictable, poorly controlled and reactive

• MANAGED: Process characterized for projects and is often reactive.

• DEFINED: Process characterized for the organisation and is proactive (Projects tailor their process from the organisation’s standard)

• OPTIMIZING (embedded / advanced): Process is measured and controlled, the focus on process improvement

DIMENSION

CON

TEXT

MATURITY

Maturity model

3AX 3BX

2AX 2BX

1AX 1BX

3AX 3BX

2AX 2BX

1AX 1BX

3AY 3BY1AX 1BX

2AY 2BY2AX 2BX

1AY 1BY3AX 3BX

3BX

2BX

1BX

3BX

2BX

1BX

3BY1CX

2BY2CX

1BY3CX

3BX

2BX

1BX

3BX

2BX

1BX

3BY1DX

2BY2DX

1BY3DX

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Macro-level: Societal

Meso-level: Organisation

Micro-level: Individual

Levels

Stra

tegi

es &

po

licie

s

Barr

iers

&

succ

ess f

acto

rs

Tool

s & to

ol

prac

tices

Skill

s Dev

&Su

ppor

t

Dimensions

Level of maturity

OER embedded in strategy

Institutional OER repository

Adapted from diagram by T. Koskinen

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Uses and benefits• Three uses– Benchmarking– Guidance– Reflection and comparison

• Benefits– Guides users in understanding how to think about

the key issues.– Flexible enough to cover the multiple stakeholders– Sub-cubes provide practical illustrative examples– Useful as a mechanism for institutions to self-

benchmark

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Mapping the case studiesMicro Meso Macro

Strategies and policies

Personal motivations and goals

Institutional strategies and policies in place

Embedded in national policy and funding

Barriers and success factors

Tension between research and teaching

Lack of appropriate structure

Lack of funding or rewards

Tools and tool practices

Use of web 2.0 tools to discuss OER

Institutional OER repository

National repository available

Skills development and support

Peer review and discussion

Institutional workshops on OER

Hewett OER projects and OCW

Questions for debate

• Learning and the context of learning have changed• We need new approaches to learning and teaching• How can we harness increasingly sophisticated tools and

OERs?• How can we support innovation in the use and reuse of

OER?• Will openness enable or restrict social inclusion?• What are the quality implications in an increasingly open

context?• Will a focus on OER practices lead to improvements in

quality and innovation?

A vision of OEP for inclusion, innovation & quality