Open Educational Resources - a new creative space?

Dr Tom Browne

Matthew Newcombe

University of Exeter, UK

Mandy has been on a study trip to the Sistine chapel without going to Italy.

Tina, while working as a full-time carer, has been taking a free university course in psychology on another continent. And

Scott has recently secured a degree from an online university on the basis of

learning, largely acquired at work.

Guardian newspaper. 10/11/09 (http://www.guardian.co.uk/education/2009/nov/10/web-technology-degree-future-online)

Open Educational Resources – a new creative space?

Mandy has been on a study trip to the Sistine chapel without going to Italy. Tina, while working as a full-time carer, has been taking a free university course in psychology on another continent. And Scott has recently secured a degree from an online university on the basis of learning, largely acquired at work.

Exeter’s new iconic learning space

http://www.exeter.ac.uk/campusvision/forum/virtualexhibition/piazza.shtml

OER - new creative learning spaces

OER term first adopted in 2002 at a

UNESCO conference

Digitised materials offered freely and openly for educators, students and self-learners to use and reuse for teaching, learning, and research (OECD, 2007)

UK, Open Education Resources programmeUK Government

• Releasing 360 credits equivalent of materials• Creating a public repository (metadata, interoperability)• Exploring licensing issues, IP and copyright• Embedding cultural changes related to OER’s• Sustainability – life after the project

Altruism: Contributing to the public good

Why should academics contribute to this learning space?

Share your knowledge: Creating worldwide communities.

Career enhancement: Teaching research nexus

Raise your profile: Get you and your work known

Why should an institution invest?

Student satisfaction: Increasing the quality of learning materials.

Mission statement and strategies Predicated on active learning – affects staff as cost and asset.

University reputation:  Marketing institutional 'brands' across the world. Shop window.

The new space: impact on learning and teaching

Cultural change – holistic glue

Not just a repository – not just ‘stuff’ or ‘crown jewels’

Affecting design and delivery- rethinking pedagogy

Building online communities – sharing usage ideas

Challenges for the future

Reward and recognition

Copyright and IP issues

Staff awareness (sensitisation)

Staff resources (overheads)

Quality and reputation

Question

Does OER expand the definition of Learning Spaces?