UK HEIs and the OERu: Snog, Marry, Avoid?
39
UK Higher Education Institutions and the OER university: Snog, Marry, Avoid? Gabi Witthaus and Alejandro Armellini. HEA Conference, 3-4 July 2012.
Transcript of UK HEIs and the OERu: Snog, Marry, Avoid?
UK Higher Education Institutions and the OER university:
Snog, Marry, Avoid?
Gabi Witthaus and Alejandro Armellini. HEA Conference, 3-4 July 2012.
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
