OER infoKit wiki Open Educational Resources infoKit / Dos and Donts
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Dos and Donts

Page history last edited by Doug Belshaw 12 years, 6 months ago

Here are some tips to help your institution get the most out of open educational resources:

 

Do...

 

Develop a clear rationale

Be certain of your objectives and why you feel open educational resources will help you meet them.  Long-term, this will help you monitor the impact of your work in this area. Make sure your colleagues understand what you are trying to achieve. A set of responses to common queries may help.

Learn from others

There is already a wealth of knowledge in this area, both in the UK and internationally. So do make use of the information and support available to you.

Information and support

Integrate open educational resources at any opportunity

The most cost-effective and efficient way to adopt the use of open educational resources is to  integrate it into established practice. This doesn't necessarily mean transforming existing material into open educational resources. Instead, you can seek to make your new resources freely available, thus fostering a new culture of openness. Give staff the approval to use open educational resources as they see fit.

Support the enthusiasts

Seek out the people in your institution who are already working with open educational resources and give them your backing and support to build momentum. Less-experienced staff may have a particular interest, as open educational resources could help them to build their reputation. Involve learners where possible, as they may find the experience rewarding and make recommendations peer to peer.

Create carrots

Open educational resources take time and effort, yet there are no established ways to recognise their value. Find ways to reward your staff for taking an open approach. Personal development reviews or acknowledgement through media coverage are just two ways this could be achieved.

Tell everyone

Make sure that your staff, students, the media and the wider public are aware of your open educational resources. Be certain they know what is available and where the resources can be found.

 

 

Don't...

 

Impose from the top

Open educational resources work well as a grassroots activity. Mandating too heavily could stifle creativity and enthusiasm. That said, your support and backing is important. Don't impose a one-size-fits-all model; expect differences between the disciplines. Empower academics to decide how these resources can best be applied.

Fake it

If you fail to use the correct licensing your resources will not be truly open. Consequently, you'll lessen their impact and miss out on potential benefits.

Get hung up on return on investment

By their very nature, open educational resources get used, reused, repurposed and shared across the globe. It can be hard to keep track of exactly how each resource is being used and by whom. Consequently, it is difficult to assess direct return on investment, particularly in the short term. Be pragmatic. If the release of open educational resources precedes a marked increase in course applications, it is quite likely that providing free access to material has had a positive effect.

Expect change to happen overnight

The release of open educational resources is not so much about creating a new type of resource as creating your resources differently. This requires you to adapt your way of working. Instead of a discrete project, think of this as cultural or policy change to be nurtured over time. While activities may begin in a single department, look to the future and consider how this might work on an institutional scale.

Underestimate cultural considerations

Along with the enthusiasts there will be sceptics. Concerns around access, quality and intellectual property, time constraints and the perceived risk of losing competitive advantage can all impact on whether open educational resources will be embraced wholeheartedly. It is worth discussing these issues with your staff and finding ways to address them. A useful starting point would be to read the information at the link below on overcoming barriers and finding enablers.

Overcoming barriers and finding enablers

Hide your light under a bushel

Open educational resources release can be a challenge for the more humble of institutions. Some individuals may fear that their work is not of suitable quality to publish widely. Yet open educational resources provide your institution with an opportunity to shine. Have confidence in your own work and show the world what your institution has to offer.

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