Goals using OER [message #13] |
Wed, 28 March 2007 09:38 |
mdeimann Messages: 9 Registered: March 2007 |
Junior Member |
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In general goals of using and adopting Open Educational Resources (OER) are to help equalize access to knowledge and educational opportunities across the world.
However, this is a rather wide-ranging goal as there are numerous factors (e.g. institutional settings) to consider.
Therefore, I would like to discuss with you the following: Regarding your standpoint and profession, what do you consider to be the goals of OER? For now and for the future?
Let me start with myself: I am working at the FernUniversität in Hagen, Germany, which is the only public distance teaching university. In my opinion, establishing a digital repository for researchers and students would be a great idea. There are many interesting ideas circulating around different institutions and within the university. However, one seldom comes across them before those ideas are being published in peer-reviewed journals. Providing free and unlimited access prior to a final version may enhance the quality of the papers and also enrich one owns ideas.
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Re: Goals using OER [message #17 is a reply to message #16 ] |
Wed, 28 March 2007 20:35 |
tpfeffer Messages: 3 Registered: March 2007 Location: Austria |
Junior Member |
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Dear Viola,
with respect to your first set of questions:
I search for ways to reduce the main barriers for publication (additional work and costs) by trying to open learning management systems to allow for gradual, individual publishing, rather than to set up additional repositories, which I regard as cumbersome. Making publishing much easier for scholars should give them an additional way to communicate, express themselves (or even show off). Publishing OER should become as easy as blogging. (Please also refer this similar posting.)
with respect your the second set of questions:
I agree that there exist high expectations in interoperability and federated search. However, I also see a certain pre-maturity in this, due to the fact that "literary formats" and successful "types of repositories" are still in rapid development. Everybody knows, how journal articles, textbooks and the respective repositories (=libraries) have to look like, but similar formats and successful practices for OER in a digital environment have not yet evolved, at least not in the sense of broad, common use.
Thomas Pfeffer
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Re: Goals using OER [message #20 is a reply to message #18 ] |
Tue, 03 April 2007 17:23 |
patrick_mcandrew Messages: 4 Registered: April 2007 |
Junior Member |
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There is an aspect of marketing about producing open content and then also offering fuller courses only learners register. I think that is inevitable as few would argue that the content itself gives the whole experience. If someone wants to study a topic in depth then the structure given by tutor support, assessment and accreditation provides a lot of the motivation.
However the move to open content just does not make sense as straight marketing: we can offer "tasters" without adopting creative commons, building units that stand alone or offering a learning environment. This also means that we need to offer more sophisticated arguments for why institutions should produce open content rather than simply pulling through student numbers.
Patrick.
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