The changing landscape, a personal view for OER Wales

Editor's Notes

• #2: I work for Jisc, the organisation that provides digital solutions for UK education and research. For a few years, I and colleagues have been following the development of open educational resources and practice as it affects our customers in Wales. These are personal reflections on some recent developments in Wales – and the wider context - leading up to OER Wales and the creation of its champions network.
• #3: It was 2012/2013 and there was something in the air… Findings were emerging from HEFCE-funded #UKOER programme and the Open University’s SCORE programme. IPPR published “An avalanche is coming” and there was a burgeoning interest in developments such as MOOCs, iTunesU and so on, among some of our leaders. Welsh Government commissioned a working group on online digital learning chaired by Andrew Green, then National Librarian of Wales, involving Welsh institutions, Jisc and others. I wanted to understand better what was going on, and help others to make sense of the issues and debates, so at Jisc RSC Wales we ran a webinar series with experts in the field such as David Kernohan, Paul Bacsich and Lou McGill and we also ran sessions at places like Gregynog to see if we could draw out any existing OER work happening in Wales. At the start of the series we used this image to illustrate the start of a journey in an open landscape. Fair weather and a clearly marked highway (if rather lacking in features). We were keen to expand the debate to include ideas of open scholarly and academic practice that ranged beyond the manufacture of OERs and beyond a narrow focus on MOOCs and online lectures as marketing opportunities. For example social media to share and communicate around academic practice. It was clear that the impetus for OER could come from a number of sources: Need to encourage developing economies Reduce the digital divide, widening access Enhance reputation Altruism, professional culture Collaboration and collective knowledge Marketing
• #4: Towards the end of our webinar series in the summer of 2013 we were lucky enough to have a session with Lou McGill who had worked on UKOER programme and who shared this image of hers as a metaphor for an open educational practice journey. On reflection I had to agree it was more apt for the kind of path we were on! A variety of approaches and settlements, some fertile areas and some major barriers. A glimpse of a route ahead but not a straight path.
• #5: When we ran our Jisc RSC Wales online events in summer 2013 we invited people to think about where they stood on the path towards developing open educational practice. Many people were at the early stages and many felt their institution may not support them in open practice or the creation of OER.
• #6: So what has happened in the last 18 months? In early 2014 the Open and Online report was presented to Welsh Government, offering an important addition to the evidence base and making recommendations to institutions and to government.
• #7: Contrary to what some were predicting in 2013, no avalanche has yet happened. However, there have been other streams of activity by a number of bodies which have contributed to our understanding of OER and open practice through policy and research, or have encouraged the development of these practices, even if they are not specifically OER projects. HEFCW ELTT Strategy refresh Cadarn Learning Portal project in North Wales Open Scotland ALT Open SIG and webinars HEA research Importance of the role of librarians and CoPILOT
• #8: Wicipedia – there is a growing amount of material on Wicipedia. In 2013/2014 the Coleg Cymraeg Cenedlaethol hosted a Wikipedian in residence to encourage the growth of Wicipedia content for use in Welsh language education. FutureLearn platform – Cardiff University developed two MOOCs on a) Muslims in Britain and b) Community Journalism University of South Wales is part of iTunes U and has recently issued its first iBook on Research Methods.
• #9: OpenLearn Cymru is “the home of free learning from The Open University in Wales.” OpenLearn Cymru, launched at the 2014 Eisteddfod, provides a valuable range of free Welsh-medium learning resources.  Here you will find a collection of resources drawing on the best of the OU’s OpenLearn, as well as some brand new content. http://www.open.edu/openlearnworks/course/index.php?categoryid=27 The home page includes a short introductory video clip with Welsh audio and English subtitles. The OU in Wales would welcome discussions with any individuals or institutions interested in collaborating with them to co-create Welsh-medium content using the OpenLearn Cymru platform. Please contact Simon Horrocks (Assistant Director, Development, Learning and Teaching – OU in Wales) [email protected].
• #10: Jisc has kept updating some key resources. The infoKit remains a useful reference source to the wealth of knowledge gained from #UKOER programme and related work. A new Scaling up Online Learning working group has been convened to explore further in the area of online courses.
• #11: Jorum continues to evolve. A new website coming soon. New efforts underway to make Jorum useful for a new generation of users. E.g. greater aid navigation and searchability. Video clip: https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B0j6LciAUJhqYTg3RmNuamN2R1E/view?usp=sharing
• #12: I became interested in the idea of open practice because I could experience its benefits directly myself, being able to gain inspiration from the work of others, to gain positive feedback on my own work that comes from sharing it. Yet I can understand all too well the barriers and uncertainties that academics, librarians and others can face when attempting to work openly. I have been keen to see the sector support staff through change, so I was very pleased when HEW, now Universities Wales, were able to appoint a project manager to identify and coordinate some of the work going on in Wales relating to open practice.
• #13: These slides on Slideshare http://www.slideshare.net/lisparcell Diigo collection of links http://bit.ly/1onxqrQ