IMPROVING COMMONWEALTH CONNECTIONS
COL convened a “Commonwealth Connects” expert group meeting in Vancouver, Canada in August. The issue: making it easier to find online educational materials through improved search techniques on the new Commonwealth Connects Portal (C2P).
C2P is an online platform for co-operation and collaboration among Commonwealth agencies and individuals. To be launched at the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting in Perth, Australia in October, the portal enables technology and knowledge transfer while acting as a collective voice and information source for the Commonwealth community and the public.
The Vancouver expert group meeting included representatives from BCcampus, the C2P development team, COL, the Knowledge Media Institute at the U.K. Open University and OpenText Corporation. Discussions centred on enhancing online searches for educational materials by developing a taxonomy (classification) of educational terms in the post-secondary sector. The group agreed to continue work with a trial directory of open course materials using a blend of RSS feeds and indexing for search.
OER WORKSHOP MATERIALS AVAILABLE AS AN OER
COL has developed a one-day workshop to introduce institutions to open educational resources (OER). Appropriately enough, the workshop is freely available for download, re-use or adaptation as an OER. Workshop materials – including presentations, documents and links – can be used in a workshop setting or by individuals as a self-directed activity to understand how OER can be developed, used and re-purposed to support teaching and learning.
The OER workshop was developed as part of the joint UNESCO-COL initiative, “Taking OER beyond the OER Community”. Aimed at increasing use of OER, the initiative included seven capacity building workshops, online discussion forums, and a policy forum at UNESCO headquarters in Paris in December 2010.
http://col-oer.weebly.com
COL LEADS GLOBAL PUSH FOR OER
COL is spearheading a push to get governments worldwide to recognise officially the importance of sharing open educational resources (OER). The William and Flora Hewlett Foundation approached COL to undertake the initiative, which is being led by COL President Sir John Daniel.
Sir John is working in partnership with colleagues at COL and UNESCO to consult with governments and develop a statement that supports the principle of open access to educational materials developed with public funds. The aim is to have this statement adopted at the UNESCO World Open Educational Resources (OER) Conference in Paris in June 2012.
OER are materials that are offered freely and openly for anyone to use and adapt for teaching, learning, development and research. While OER are mainly shareable in digital formats, they can also be in print formats. In recent years, a global community of OER producers has emerged, and institutions are incorporating these resourcesinto their teaching and learning strategies.Nevertheless, knowledge of OER and their potential is still sparse among leaders and policy makers in governments and institutions.
“Until governments actively supportopen access to educational materials, OER will remain outside the institutionalmainstream,” explained Sir John. “The UNESCO World OER Conference provides us with an international platform for taking this important step forward in improving access to quality education.”
This new initiative, entitled “Fostering Governmental Support for Open Educational Resources Internationally”, is an extension of the current UNESCO-COL partnership to spread awareness of the value of open content: “Taking OER beyond the OER Community”. COL’s work with OER also includes the “OER for Open Schools” initiative (see page 8), the Virtual University for Small States of the Commonwealth and the development of numerous resources, including “A Basic Guide to Open Educational Resources” (see page 15).
www.col.org/OER
http://oerworkshop.weebly.com
INTRODUCING COL’S NEW INSTRUCTIONAL DESIGN TOOL
Developing quality course materials requires a specific set of skills. COL’s new Instructional Design Tool is a rigorous, yet simple resource that supports the development of quality courses and learning materials. Through this tool, COL is encouraging institutions to maximise the effectiveness, efficiency and appeal of the learning experience.
COL’s Instructional Design Tool includes different elements that can be used in various ways such as:
- A self-help tool to strengthen developers’ skills in developing courses,
- Templates for developing courses and learning materials,
- A resource for training in Instructional Design, and/or
- A five-day face-to-face workshop to build the capacity of developers in developing courses.
The Instructional Design Tool is freely available for download and use from the COL website.
www.col.org/idtool
Focus on Quality Learning Materials in Guyana: In collaboration with University of Guyana’s Institute of Distance and Continuing Education (IDCE), COL held an Instructional Design workshop in April for 21 course writers from the University of Guyana and the Cyril Potter College of Education.
Training for TVET Course Writers in Africa: Eighteen course writers from eight technical and vocational education and training (TVET) institutions in Kenya, Tanzania and Zambia participated in an Instructional Design workshop at the Technical and Vocational Teacher’s College Management Board, Zambia in April.