UK Higher Education Institutions and the OER university:

Snog, Marry, Avoid?

Gabi Witthaus and Alejandro Armellini. HEA Conference, 3-4 July 2012.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p00t952v

Introduction

Testing the OER

university

Concept: a

National Study

http://www.flickr.com/photos/wwarby/7188563020/

www.le.ac.uk/toucans

Overview

• Part 1: Background – the OER university;• Part 2: TOUCANS research;• Part 3: Findings: UK HEI views on the OERu

concept.

Part 1: Background – the OER university

A traditional university education

Image by ttarasiuk

OERs provide access to content…

But not to the sweet taste of success.

Image by Ralph Daily

100 million adults eligible for university

who can’t afford it (UNESCO)

Image by James Cridland

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

The OER university (OERu) concept

http://wikieducator.org/Oeru

OERu partners are all accredited by national accrediting bodies

Cost to learner:

Less than 25% of usual fees

Cost to institution:

OERu - less than 0.5% of their total offerings

Photo by Dallas Vegan

Can the OERu make this possible?

Part 2: TOUCANS research

Data Collection

• Interviews with OERu network partner members (14)

• Interviews with UK HEI thought leaders (11)• Survey among UK HEIs (42 respondents)

Interviews with thought leaders (11)

• Open University (UK)• University of Leicester• University of Salford• University of Edinburgh• University of Nottingham• University of Derby• JISC

The UK HEI interviewees• Leicester: Christine Fyfe (PVC), Dave Hall (Registrar),

Prof. Grainne Conole (Director, BDRA)• OU: Andrew Law (Dir, Open Media), Jonathan Darby

(Dir, HE Shared Solutions)• Salford: Prof. Martin Hall (VC)• Edinburgh: Prof. Jeff Haywood (CIO)• Nottingham: Prof. Wyn Morgan (Dir, Teaching &

Learning)• JISC (personal capacity): Amber Thomas and David

Kernohan• Derby: Julie Stone (Head, University of Derby Online)

The surveyBournemouth UniversityCoventry UniversityDe Montfort University Institute of EducationKing's College London Leeds Met University (2)Loughborough UniversityMiddlesex University Newcastle University Open University (4) Southampton Solent

University

University of Bath, University of Cambridge University of Huddersfield, University of Hull, University of Leeds, University of Leicester (5) University of ManchesterUniversity of Nottingham (2) University of OxfordUniversity of Southampton University of SurreyPlus eight others

The survey respondents (N=42)

Part 3: Findings.UK HEI views on the OER university

Is your institution in the OERu network?

Response theme (1)

Photo by rightee on flickr

Response theme (2)

Image by Jans Canon on Flickr

Key concerns

• Student support• Quality• Assessment & credibility• True cost• Credit transfer difficulty• Devaluation of qualifications

… volunteers are clearly NOT seen as the answer

Learner support?

Help!!!!!

Photo by Erik Charlton

Volunteers not seen as the answerPhoto by MisterJamie

Assessment and credibility?

Image by flippinyank

True cost?

Credit transfer

difficulty?

Perceived devaluation of qualifications

Image by IvanWalsh.com

Make up your mind!

• Many lukewarm (very English) responses, e.g.: – ‘sitting on the fence’; – ‘we should not ignore it’

… which do not suggest snogging, never mind marrying the OERu!

Institutional interests

What do we need to do to enhance our position if the OERu idea does take off? Join it, perhaps?

The verdict: snog, marry, avoid?

Photo by Pommekiwi1 on flickr

Snog, marry or avoid the OERu?

In June, 2012…•No evidence for ‘marry’•Limited evidence for ‘snog’, often skewed by respondents’ passion (rather than the institutions’ policy)•Some evidence for ‘flirt’ (at arm’s length)•Overwhelming evidence for ‘avoid’

With many thanks to…• Prof. Patrick McAndrew – Gabi’s SCORE mentor at the

Open University.• Dr Angela Murphy (USQ) - co-creator of the TOUCANS

survey instrument.• Colleagues who trialled early versions of the survey – Prof.

David Hawkridge, Dr Palitha Edirisingha, Dr Paul Rudman, Dr Ming Nie, Brenda Padilla, Ali Ewing.

• Dr Vivien Rolfe, Fred Garnet, Prof. Andy Lane, Prof. Graham Gibbs, Terese Bird and Stephen Walker, who responded to the survey (and agreed to be attributed for their contributions).

• Wayne Mackintosh of the OER Foundation, who facilitated communication between the OERu community and me around the research.

www.toucansproject.wordpress.com

To continue the conversation:

Photo by Tim Sträter on flickr