Hi Vasi,
I think the OER challenge for 2011 is to cross the chasm from sharing to LEARN ==> LEARNING to share :-)
Let's make OER futures happen.
Cheers
Wayne Mackintosh
Posts made by Wayne Mackintosh
Hi Nellie,
Good question.
<Nellie said>
Students are free to learn from OERs hosted on the open web -- irrespective of the project, community or initiative which produces and distributes these OERs. So for example, learners working through course materials at MIT OpenCourseWare do not necessarily get a degree from MIT. Learners studying courses at the University of the People currently have no pathway to gaining formal academic credit.
The "OER university" concept is a collaboration among formal education institutions to find solutions that will provide pathways for learners studying OERs to gain credible qualifications. It doesn't matter where these OERs are hosted --- what's more important is to figure out how we can widen access to credible qualifications using OER learning materials.
Cheers
Wayne
Good question.
<Nellie said>
I am a bit confused about the term OER University after listening to Wayne's conversation with Steve. Is the idea to have an environment for free OERs since the OER Veristy will not be giving degrees. So, how is it different from WikiEducator or Wikiversity?
Students are free to learn from OERs hosted on the open web -- irrespective of the project, community or initiative which produces and distributes these OERs. So for example, learners working through course materials at MIT OpenCourseWare do not necessarily get a degree from MIT. Learners studying courses at the University of the People currently have no pathway to gaining formal academic credit.
The "OER university" concept is a collaboration among formal education institutions to find solutions that will provide pathways for learners studying OERs to gain credible qualifications. It doesn't matter where these OERs are hosted --- what's more important is to figure out how we can widen access to credible qualifications using OER learning materials.
Cheers
Wayne
Hi Nasr,
Excellent questions -- the purpose of the pre-meeting seminar as well as the open planning meeting scheduled for 23 February 2011 is to identify the range of questions we should be asking and to start finding the answers. The kinds of questions you are asking are exactly what we are looking for - Thanks for starting the process :-).
On the OER university page there are two graphics we're using to help structure our thinking -- I'm sure these will change and improve as we move forward, especially after input from the SCoPE seminar and the meeting itself.
However I should clearly communicate that the anchor partners (i.e. Athabasca University, the University of Southern Queensland, Otago Polytechnic, BCcampus and the OER Foundation) working on the "OER university concept" see quality assurance and institutional accreditation as the cornerstone or foundation of the project. OER learners must be able to attain credible qualifications which are trusted and respected.
I should also point out that any formal education institution, who cares about the educational value of sharing knowledge, who wants to join the "OER university" concept free to do so - -we're not a closed shop.
A closing comment -- there are exemplary projects working in the sphere of peer-based open and networked learning on the net, for example the P2PU project. The "OER university" concept does not discount or intend to compete with the value of informal networked learning or the DIY University. I think we need to think about the OER landscape as an evolving ecosystem. The "OER university" does not want to replicate the amazing work being done international to support informal learners - rather, we want to see how the formal education sector can add value to realising free learning for all students worldwide.
Great questions!
Cheers
Wayne
Excellent questions -- the purpose of the pre-meeting seminar as well as the open planning meeting scheduled for 23 February 2011 is to identify the range of questions we should be asking and to start finding the answers. The kinds of questions you are asking are exactly what we are looking for - Thanks for starting the process :-).
On the OER university page there are two graphics we're using to help structure our thinking -- I'm sure these will change and improve as we move forward, especially after input from the SCoPE seminar and the meeting itself.
However I should clearly communicate that the anchor partners (i.e. Athabasca University, the University of Southern Queensland, Otago Polytechnic, BCcampus and the OER Foundation) working on the "OER university concept" see quality assurance and institutional accreditation as the cornerstone or foundation of the project. OER learners must be able to attain credible qualifications which are trusted and respected.
I should also point out that any formal education institution, who cares about the educational value of sharing knowledge, who wants to join the "OER university" concept free to do so - -we're not a closed shop.
A closing comment -- there are exemplary projects working in the sphere of peer-based open and networked learning on the net, for example the P2PU project. The "OER university" concept does not discount or intend to compete with the value of informal networked learning or the DIY University. I think we need to think about the OER landscape as an evolving ecosystem. The "OER university" does not want to replicate the amazing work being done international to support informal learners - rather, we want to see how the formal education sector can add value to realising free learning for all students worldwide.
Great questions!
Cheers
Wayne
Hi Paul,
That's an excellent summary of OER. Good links and references.
In addition, the OER Foundation has been working on a collaborative project with the volunteers from WikiEducator, the OpenCourseWare Consortium and Creative Commons to develop an online course on OER, copyright and open content licensing for educators. UNESCO will sponsor a free online workshop which is scheduled for 21 - 25 March.
If you know of anyone who wants to learn more about OER, copyright and creative commons licenses -- please feel free to spread the news about the Open Content Licensing for Educator's Course.
Registrations are open for the free workshop sponsored by UNESCO. Spread the word :-)
Cheers
Wayne
That's an excellent summary of OER. Good links and references.
In addition, the OER Foundation has been working on a collaborative project with the volunteers from WikiEducator, the OpenCourseWare Consortium and Creative Commons to develop an online course on OER, copyright and open content licensing for educators. UNESCO will sponsor a free online workshop which is scheduled for 21 - 25 March.
If you know of anyone who wants to learn more about OER, copyright and creative commons licenses -- please feel free to spread the news about the Open Content Licensing for Educator's Course.
Registrations are open for the free workshop sponsored by UNESCO. Spread the word :-)
Cheers
Wayne
Hi Paul, First a word of thanks from to you and BCcampus from the OER Foundation on behalf of the 100s of educators who have registered for the open planning meeting and millions of learners the OER university concept will serve for the foresight and initiative to host a pre-meeting Seminar. BIG thank you BCcampus.
So here is my response to your dare to take up the OER challenge :-)
Step 1: Learning objectives
My specific objectives with this seminar is through a process of sharing and networking to find out what we need to do realise free learning for all students of the world, ie what are the barriers and opportunities to creating an "OER university", and what are the steps we need to take to achieve this objective.
I'm hoping that the seminar will provide substantive inputs for the meeting agenda of 23 February 2011 so we can start collaborative work on the development of a logic model for the OER university concept -- i.e. inputs, initiatives, activities, outputs and ultimate outcomes.
Step 2: FInd OER that can help.
Good question -- I've not conducted any detailed search for OER on how to plan an OER university -- perhaps there are open content materials available in the Higher Education Management disciplines that focus on this kind of strategic planning. However, that said all the planning documentation that will be developed by this collaboration will be OER. The OER Foundation subscribed to open philanthropy -- which means all the strategic planning documents will be carry open content licenses and therefore be OER. It's rather COOL -- out collaborative planning for an OER university will be OER :-) We've started listing resources which we think will be valuable in helping us plan for the OER university -- please feel free to add to the list. For example, Paul's blog post on the University of Open is an OER (thanks Paul for releasing this under an open content license) and provides a high-level big picture of what is possible. Fortunately there is no copyright on ideas - -so we can used closed resources to plan the OER university
.
Step 3 -- Who would you like to have as your OER credentialising agent.
The OER university concept must plan for credible credentials -- this mission critical to the success of the concept. I don't see the OER university as a separate entity that confers degress - -rather, it is a virtual collaboration which works in partnership with existing institutions in the formal education sector. I would like to see OER learners earning credentials from the same institutions which confer degrees in the formal system. Think of the OER university concept as creating what Prof Jim Taylor from USQ has called a "parallel learning universe" which augments and adds value to existing post-secondary provision.
Paul -- great challenge to get the ball rolling. I enjoyed that :-D.
So here is my response to your dare to take up the OER challenge :-)
Step 1: Learning objectives
My specific objectives with this seminar is through a process of sharing and networking to find out what we need to do realise free learning for all students of the world, ie what are the barriers and opportunities to creating an "OER university", and what are the steps we need to take to achieve this objective.
I'm hoping that the seminar will provide substantive inputs for the meeting agenda of 23 February 2011 so we can start collaborative work on the development of a logic model for the OER university concept -- i.e. inputs, initiatives, activities, outputs and ultimate outcomes.
Step 2: FInd OER that can help.
Good question -- I've not conducted any detailed search for OER on how to plan an OER university -- perhaps there are open content materials available in the Higher Education Management disciplines that focus on this kind of strategic planning. However, that said all the planning documentation that will be developed by this collaboration will be OER. The OER Foundation subscribed to open philanthropy -- which means all the strategic planning documents will be carry open content licenses and therefore be OER. It's rather COOL -- out collaborative planning for an OER university will be OER :-) We've started listing resources which we think will be valuable in helping us plan for the OER university -- please feel free to add to the list. For example, Paul's blog post on the University of Open is an OER (thanks Paul for releasing this under an open content license) and provides a high-level big picture of what is possible. Fortunately there is no copyright on ideas - -so we can used closed resources to plan the OER university
.Step 3 -- Who would you like to have as your OER credentialising agent.
The OER university concept must plan for credible credentials -- this mission critical to the success of the concept. I don't see the OER university as a separate entity that confers degress - -rather, it is a virtual collaboration which works in partnership with existing institutions in the formal education sector. I would like to see OER learners earning credentials from the same institutions which confer degrees in the formal system. Think of the OER university concept as creating what Prof Jim Taylor from USQ has called a "parallel learning universe" which augments and adds value to existing post-secondary provision.
Paul -- great challenge to get the ball rolling. I enjoyed that :-D.