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I am going to approach the subject of research and activity in open education, from using a list detailed in an article by Martin Weller on 'Openness-Creativity Cycle in Education - A perspective'. In this it detailed that in the UK, Open Education had moved on significantly and that it is not just about accessibility any more.  I have taken three areas to review as priorities.  They are:

• Open Educational Resources
• Open Application Programme Interfaces
• Open Courses

OPEN EDUCATIONAL RESOURCES

There are a large number of both Big OERs and Small OER’s. 

Big OERs are those designed by institutions specific to a part of a syllabus or course need.  They often have high production value and cost but are high quality resources that offer a core of understanding in a particular subject.  They are rarely contributed to on completion and tend to be accessed and viewed rather than adapted.

Small OERs can be designed by anyone and not just educationalists.  The content tends to be free from a specific syllabus or course requirement and have lower production costs and quality.  This tends to attract others to contribute to further develop the resource so can lead to ‘crowd learning’.

Learners find it reassuring to have both BIG OERs for the core and Small OERs for exploratory learning and to contribute in a social network.  If a suitable combination can be found then it encourages sharing of knowledge and experiences and this in turn ensures expression in the content.

The key aspect to consider for OERs is where to find them and how to distribute.  Small OERs may work well on social media and established channels such as YouTube, Facebook and other networking sites that individuals and communities already use as day to day communication.  Whereas Big OERs may work better through a ‘fit for purpose’ VLE.

It is about identifying where those interested in the subject matter meet and share information and also to identify projects and grants that have developed Big OERs.

OPEN APPLICATION PROGRAMME INTERFACES

Leading on from the Small OER’s, API’s offer a community of users to contribute and build resources or share things.  There are many examples to select from the best known example of Facebook through to other tools such as Mural.ly.  Word of warning through, there can be accessibility issues for different internet browsers and some features out there are far more restrictive than others.  But, some interfaces are very compatible and work with virtually any computer.  An example I would use here is my experience of using Mural.ly to develop anatomy and physiology revision features on the VLE.  The feedback I have had is that the content is very good and engaging and learners enjoy using it far more than the traditional reading and standard activities.  However, that only accounts for approx. 50% of the learners with many others own internet browsers not being able to open the site.  Additionally Mural.ly was meant to be compatible with iPads but still isn’t.  Many hours of development were put into the resources but at the last hurdle the access stops it achieving its full potential and supporting learners.  In fact, it impacts negatively on learning for some with frustration by the lack of access.

OPEN COURSES

Open courses offer such potential is many ways including as a feeder into progression accredited qualifications.  It is fully engaged with the life-long learning concept and encourages individuals to invest into their interests.  This potentially brings in those who have an affinity with a subject but would have previously been put off by either the traditional academic routes or the cost in accessing learning.  The addition of ‘badging’ offers further incentives and may make the user ‘catch the learning bug’.

It offers personal development, social development and acts as tester to see whether the subject is of interest to an individual.  If this feeds into additional formal courses there is a good chance that it will have a positive impact on retention and achievement figures as there has been the opportunity to see whether a learning programme  is right for them.  In other words it is mighty fine Initial Assessment for institutions to check that those accessing the course are suitable for the programme.

Industry can use Open Courses to get more people involved and interested in the subject.  This may be key for industries such as Science and Engineering where there is going to be a huge demand for knowledgeable people in the future to fill job vacancies.  By industry investing in Open Courses now they are securing their future professionals.  This may be of particular interest for certain industries that are looking to increase entry and progression of certain parts of  society that are under-represented in that field.  Open Courses can be developed specifically to that need without the constraints of standards and syllabuses.  Then on successful completion of this the individuals can be signposted into existing accredited qualifications to increase employment in the sector.

References:

Martin Weller. (2012). Openness-Creativity Cycle in Education. Available: http://jime.open.ac.uk/jime/article/view/2012-02. Last accessed 18th March 2014.