What is really innovation? Is it creation? Is it starting something new?
Is it just a new idea, a new technology, etc. or is it new ways to do things, new ways to learn and work? Or perhaps ultimately innovation is real change?
But if we continue to apply new ideas or new technology to old ways of doing things how will innovation be able to introduce change?
With regards to eLearning, where does innovation lie: on Technology or on Pedagogy?
McAndrew and Farrow (2013) highlight six stages in the challenges faced by OER (legal, practical, technical, pedagogic, economic, transformative) and twelve key challenges (assessment/evaluation, technologies and infrastructure, institutional policies, use and reuse, sustainability, copyright and licensing, teaching, educational methods, quality, adoption, research, access). However, they focus on 3 aspects of OER which have the potential to challenge existing institutional structures (assessment/evaluation, technological infrastructure, research and scholarship).McAndrew and Farrow also identify the key challenges facing OER in four different categories (persistent challenges, underlying challenges, sticking points and emerging challenges).
OER can question the validity of existing institutional systems but it is important, according to McAndrew and Farrow, that an open model like Open Educational Practices is adopted rather than just focussing on the resources themselves.
Finally what do we think are the hardest challenges facing OER movement?
Some of us believe is quality and accreditation as a key for validity, others think technology is the key for openness in the sense to give access to everyone. In terms of the challenges people face for innovation in their own context, the majority would agree that policies and infrastructure is the highest barrier.