Discussion on Mapping OER initiatives globally: 12-30 November
Cable Green
Just making sure everyone saw this opportunity (below and attached) to help map the global OER space.
Susan D'Antoni, a long-time leader in OER, will be leading this important effort.
I have signed up to contribute - I hope you will too.
Warm regards,
Cable Green
Director of Global Learning
From: Susan D'Antoni <susand...@gmail.com>
Date: Thu, Oct 25, 2012 at 8:05 AM
Subject: Discussion on Mapping OER initiatives globally: 12-30 November
Dear All,
Please share the announcement with your own colleagues and networks.
Dear Colleagues,
I would like to invite you to take part in one more online conversation.
The objective of this conversation is to consider together whether the global OER community could design and build a world map of OER institutional initiatives.
Over the past decade, there have been more and more initiatives in more and more countries. It has become difficult to have a sense of the global OER landscape. As we seek to communicate with stakeholders, as we seek to connect with potential partners and as we seek to learn from the experience of others, we might find useful a picture of the OER world – a global map of institutional and perhaps national initiatives as a starting point. Over time, an “OER World Map” could be enhanced as the community wished and found feasible.
Maps can be effective in communicating a message visually. There are already several global maps that have been created for specific OER groups, such as, the Open CourseWare Consortium and the Open University OLnet project in the United Kingdom.
As many of you will remember, the former IIEP OER community showed enormous energy in its interaction. And importantly, the community showed a capacity to self-organize. A number of groups came together to translate the report of the group’s consensus on priorities to advance the OER movement. If mapping the OER world were seen to be useful, perhaps the worldwide OER community could self-organize to build and maintain an OER world map together.
Our conversation is scheduled to take place online over a three-week period from 12 – 30 November. At the conclusion of the discussion a draft report will be sent to everyone for review and comment.
In addition to this international discussion in English, some groups have already decided to hold similar interactions in their own languages for their own communities or networks. Their input will be shared with the international group, and incorporated into the final report of our collective deliberation and conclusions. We hope others may also wish to organize separate discussions.
A document is attached with the outline of the discussion The content of the document is also below in plain text. Please do share the information with your colleagues and networks.
I will be back in contact with further details before we begin. I am very much looking forward to being back together again.
My best,
Susan
___________________________________________
A world map of Open Educational Resources initiatives:
Can the global OER community design and build it together?
First, an International discussion
12 – 30 November 2012
* Next, local discussions – organized locally
An international online conversation – The objective is to explore whether the OER community worldwide could work together to design and build an OER world map – starting with institutional initiatives and basic information.
A definition – Open Educational Resources are teaching, learning, and research resources that reside in the public domain or have been released under an intellectual property license that permits their free use and re-purposing by others. They may be full courses or course materials, modules, textbooks, streaming videos, tests, software, and any other tools, materials, or techniques used to support access to knowledge (William and Flora Hewlett Foundation).
Now a decade of development – a global movement with more and more OER initiatives, in more and more countries. The vision of increasing access to the world’s knowledge through making resources open and accessible is beginning to be realized.
But we still have a problem – we do not have a comprehensive overview of OER projects in the world – how do I know what is going on in my own country? And how do I find contacts in other countries, or contacts working in my own language?
An OER world map – A map would give us the big picture of the global OER movement. It would help us communicate the story of OER. Furthermore, it could be enhanced with information such as OER initiatives by language, and with links to other maps. And it would help us connect.
Community collaboration – Working together the OER community could design and build the map, and then regularly update it. With time, energy and collaboration, the map could become a door to the OER world, helping us communicate with stakeholders and connect with each other.
Outline of the international discussion
Week 1: What could an OER world map look like?
12- 16 November
Why map the OER landscape
Essential information and visual presentation
Week 2: Could a world map be built collaboratively?
19-23 November
Organizational approach for collaboration
Ensuring the quality of the information
Week 3: Reflection and next steps
26-30 November
Design of an “OER World Map”
Organization
Resources available/needed
Next steps
Join the international conversation
Send an email to oer-commun...@athabascau.ca and type subscribe in the subject line
Share this announcement with your colleagues and networks
* Plan a parallel or follow up discussion in your own language and network
Contact
Susan D’Antoni at oermappin...@gmail.com