The Potential for Open Policy

Timothy Vollmer, Creative CommonsNeth-ER Seminar: ‘Opening Up Education’1 October 2013

“the rights and obligations of users of educational materials under copyright should be more transparent across borders”

What about policy?

Current system = broken

Optimized system = possible!

PARIS OER DECLARATION

1. Foster awareness and use of OER.2. Facilitate enabling environments for use of Information and Communications Technologies

(ICT).3. Reinforce the development of strategies and policies on OER.4. Promote the understanding and use of open licensing frameworks.5. Support capacity building for the sustainable development of quality learning materials.6. Foster strategic alliances for OER.7. Encourage the development and adaptation of OER in a variety of languages and cultural

contexts.8. Encourage research on OER.9. Facilitate finding, retrieving and sharing of OER.

10. Encourage the open licensing of educational materials produced with public funds.

From the communication...Member states should: 1. Stimulate open access policies for publicly-

funded educational materials;

2. Encourage formal education and training institutions to include digital content, including OERs, among the recommended educational materials for learners at all educational levels and encourage the production, including through public procurement, of high-quality educational materials whose copyrights would belong to public authorities.

1

openpolicynetwork.org

OPEN POLICY:Publicly funded

resources are openly licensed resources

● Warsaw CC Summit 2011● OER on the radar of policymakers● affiliates requested support● current efforts decentralized and uncoordinated● need a network to share and discuss● need best data, toolkits, arguments● let’s not miss opportunities that arise!

IDEA

MISSION● Foster the creation, adoption, and

implementation of open policies that advance the public good.

● Do this by supporting advocates, organizations, policymakers, and connecting policy opportunities with those who can provide assistance.

PRINCIPLES● ‘Open Policy’ mantra: publicly funded

resources are openly licensed resources● Default aim for licensing: Open Definition ( with

preference for CC BY and CC0).● Do not recreate the wheel; leverage expertise● Work with existing policy recommendations: Paris

OER, BOAI, Panton Principles, Communia, etc.● Free for anyone to join. Contribute and abide by

mission and guiding principles.

WORK PLAN● Link to, catalog, and curate existing policy resources.● Build new resources and/or services only where

capacity or expertise does not currently exist.● Connect policy makers to experts. ● Provide baseline level of assistance for all

opportunities. ● Share information with openly with members and the

public, using open licenses (of course), multiple languages, transparent fashion.

2

● Strengthen implementation of OER policies across Europe● Ensure education policy incorporate “open” principles● How?

○ Push for all educational content (both textbooks and other educational materials) produced in Europe with public funding (both at European level and in member states) under a free license (CC BY or CC BY--SA)

● Focus on K-12 education policy● Raise awareness and demonstrate advantages of OER● Build a COMMUNITY of European OER policy advocates● Create CONTENT such as outreach materials on OER and

policy analyses● Establish CONTACTS with policymakers and key

stakeholders to educate and understand● Lead: Dr. Alek Tarkowski, Centrum Cyfrowe and CC Poland● http://wiki.creativecommons.org/European_OER_Policy_Project

tvol@creativecommons.org

Credits● Big idea Icon - from the Noun Project, Public Domain

● Blueprint Icon - by Dimitry Sokolov, from The Noun Project - CC BY

● Check List Icon - by fabrice dubuy, from The Noun Project - CC BY

● Hackathon - by Iconathon 2012 - CC0

● Question Icon - by Rémy Médard, from The Noun Project - CC BY

This work is dedicated to the public domain. https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/zero/1.0/.Attribution is optional, but if desired, please attribute to Creative Commons. Some content such as screenshots may appear here under exceptions and limitations to copyright and trademark law--such as fair use--and may not be covered by CC0