alexdi savoia
TRANSCRIPT
University College Falmouth OER and institutional change:
Our Approach, and the way forward
Our OER story so far
• Phase 1 project – MA Professional Writing, launched March 2010
• Submitted proposal for Phase 2, Performance
43 Full members
Taster sessions
Taster sessions
Why ?
• One manageable subject – tasters and one 20 M‐credit unit
• Marketing, profile, upskilling, attracting new kinds of learners, research
• Small, flexible and autonomous – change more manageable
• Geography and creative ethos make us progressive
• Commitment to new modes of learning for new types of students
Lessons learned institutionally
• Cultural as much as organisational shift –knowledge gaps
• Ideal team (Project Manager, IT Partners, The Enforcer, subject specialists)
• Sustainability
• Site needs to be monitored post‐launch ‐ organic
• We are on our own – no subject precedents – chance to be pedagogically creative
Lessons learned: IPR
• The approach we took: Non‐commercial, Share Alike, No Derivatives
– Tutors are respected & active practitioners in their fields
– Protecting their intellectual property = protecting their non‐academic livelihood
– Supports tutors’ ability to negotiate favourable terms for future contracts
• Was it the right one?
• Will it be right for future project?
• Huge knowledge gap in this area
Lessons learned: users like itUser sent a message using the contact form at http://openspace.falmouth.ac.uk/contact.
Hello Openspace,
Many congratulations on this wonderful online initiative, it is a truly brilliant idea. I spend much of my time at work doing my organisation's "public" writing ‐ brochures, factsheets, website, Annual Report ‐ but am looking to improve my skills and these taster courses seem an ideal opportunity for me to "test the water" of one of your postgraduate courses.
I have just registered and was browsing around the site when I noticed that no‐one has yet posted any work for the first of the units (non‐fiction). I was wondering if the project is up and running, and if so, if there are a lot of people like me out there seeing no postings and feeling reluctant to take the plunge and pop something on themselves! I imagine one would need at least a few fellow learners to make sharing opinions and experiences worthwhile, and/or might the tutor be able/willing to provide feedback?
With many thanks indeed!
Other lessons learnt• Content creators – training needed
• Finding the right open source software to deliver what we need, with no ongoing cost
• Hosting and bandwidth
• Dealing with creative subjects – no straight right and wrong – no precedents – generally lo tech approach –steep learning curve
• Tight project management – �milestones and deadlines
Creating a process• Process of adapting campus‐delivered course units into online formats.
• Identity pre‐existing unit and guidance materials.
• Ask the question “what will encourage active OE learning?”
• Agree OERs’ file formats and train Performance tutors in how to create them.
• Identify open source and/or free software or browser‐based apps
• Write the lessons, assignments and supporting information (How this unit works, etc).
• Upload to platform and edit.
• Outline the peer review and quality control processes (alpha & beta testing).
• Evaluation by stakeholders
Internal Impact• New skills and roles for academics
• Expertise developed for one projects is transferable to other disciplines ‐flexible and scalable digital learning materials: portable products
• Transferring course dynamics into OE format (community and interactivity)
• Greater understanding of learner – and potential learner – behaviour
• Above leads to understanding of cost effective delivery
• Phase 2 – OER development established as part of core job
• OER materials can become part of core delivery – institutional motivation for doing more
External Impact• Raised profile of UCF – as innovator/cost effective
• Have a product that is flexible and scalable
• Community learning model ‐ Research potential – do we need tutors for day to day delivery at all?
• New relationships – Loughborough, JISC, subject centres, leaders in the field, other OER developers
Where Next?• Hopefully Phase 2
• Adapt to new platforms – mobile app
• Marketing, distribution and dissemination – shout alot
• Develop sustainable IPR policy
• Evaluation and research – users, cost‐benefit of learning approach, new types of learners, ROI
• Permanent academic‐led, in‐house development team – in tune with institutional imperatives and strategy
Contacts
Alex di Savoia, Lecturer
Christina Bunce, Programme Leader, MA ProfessionalWriting