The OER university: from vision to reality

By Gabi Witthaus

For Cambridge 2012: Innovation and Impact – Openly Collaborating to Enhance Education 18/04/2012

TOUCANS: Testing the OERu Concept and Aspirations: A National Study

www.toucansproject.wordpress.com

Image by Tim Sträter

How do you teach 100 million people?

Image by James Cridland

http://wikieducator.org/Oeru

OERu Anchor Partners

Plus two accredited institutions… watch this space

Image by normanack on flickr

What is the OERu?

Local assessment

and credentialling

Friesen & Murray, 2011: http://tinyurl.com/openlearning2-0

This is… “Open Learning 2.0”: … Any student can study any content, supported in any number of instructional arrangements… The “local” institutional evaluation and accreditation… (remain) at the centre of the model… Even though learning is achieved through flexible arrangements, it can… still be rigorously assessed and credentialed. (Friesen and Murray, 2011)

http://tinyurl.com/openlearning2-0

http://wikieducator.org/File:OER-University-concept.png

Cost to learner:

Less than 25% of usual fees

Cost to institution:

OERu - less than 0.5% of their total offerings

Curriculum?

Image by Jayel Aheram

Assessment?

Image by flippinyank

Accreditation and credit transfer?

Image by IvanWalsh.com

But will it work for the learners?

Help!!!!!

Photo by Erik Charlton

Volunteers to the rescue?Photo by MisterJamie

What’s the business model?

Many thanks to the following people for their generous sharing of information:

•Prof. Terry Anderson (Professor and Canada Research Chair in Distance Education, Athabasca University, Canada)•Dr Elizabeth Archer (Specialist: Institutional Research at the University of South Africa)•Kevin Bell (Innovation Team: Leader of Learning and Development, Southern New Hampshire University, USA)•David Bull (Director: University Preparatory Programs, University of Southern Queensland, Australia)•Irwin DeVries (Director, Instructional Design, Thompson Rivers University, Canada)•Vasi Doncheva (Flexible Learning Manager, Northtec Polytechnic, New Zealand)•Wayne Mackintosh (Director: International Centre for Open Education, Otago Polytechnic, New Zealand, and Founding Director of the OER Foundation)•Prof. Rory McGreal (Associate Vice-President, Athabasca University, Canada)•Prof. Joyce McKnight (Associate Professor, State University of New York/ Empire State College, USA. Speaking in her personal capacity as a scholar.)•Terry Neal (Flexible Learning Manager, Open Polytechnic, New Zealand)•Paul Stacey (Director, Curriculum Development, BC Campus, Canada)•Herbert Thomas (Electronic Learning Media Team Leader, Canterbury University, New Zealand)•Prof. Sandra Wills (Executive Director, Learning and Teaching, Wollongong University, Australia) Thanks also to Dr Patrick McAndrew at the Open University and colleagues at the University of Leicester, especially Dr Ming Nie and Dr Alejandro Armellini, for their support in this research. 

Please continue the conversation on the blog…

www.toucansproject.wordpress.com

Image by Tim Sträter