Open Educational Resources: The Value of Use

The University of Oxford recently released their JISC funded OER Impact report the report illustrates the impact of resource use and reuse within learning and teaching (video extract). An Iceberg metaphor is used to illustrate this landscape; the top of the iceberg (ALTO and process.arts for example) is where the openly licensed modules, small pieces of OER are made officially available, visible reuse, institutionally endorsed and viewed as low risk. Below the water line we see the private/hidden spaces, websites, wiki and blogs and licenses are not seen as important, resources are created from a selection of the 'best' random google finds. Below the water line is the 'learning black market', staff and students copy, reuse and repurpose content as they find it, no process or practice governs this use, there's no other way.

This video gives an overview of the findings of the JISC OER Impact project which analysed the link between the value of use and its impact in teaching and learning. There is a full research report (Liz Masterman and Joanna Wild, LTG) and a shorter 'accessible' report (Dave White and Marion Manton, TALL) available for download from JISC: http://www.jisc.ac.uk/whatwedo/programmes/elearning/oer2/oerimpact.aspx . (attached below)

NOTES from the ~JISC OER programme meeting::

We know its good, but how is it good, whats the culture of reuse? (Being more qualitative)

Whats the benefits of being fully open, why keep it private (most is private use)

Trusted space a simple list of resources, if the tutor endorses it then that's better than google - validation (where students and staff can find quality materials)

Search for resources that can help you

Motivation - NOT about time saving, looking to make course richer, keep improving (upping the modes of engagement on the course)

The Common good: Goodwill towards the web (a new thing)

Self assembled framework: ~ Content and structure

Open content (sharing content) - Open practice (sharing structures)

Bench marking practice (scan the OEP landscape)

How to site non traditional resources: (This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 Unported License. Attribution: “White, D. Manton, M. JISC-funded OER Impact Study, University of Oxford, 2011”)

Public and Private - Top of the iceberg ( See image ) - Visible (formal / legalised etc) re-use is just the tip of the iceberg. Bottom of the iceberg - off the radar.

Curriculum design - OER design - current design and developing new methods

There is an assumption that there is good stuff out there, and it they (academics or students) can’t find it, they consider it to be a search failure