Open Educational Resources

“Open Educational Resources (OER) are learning materials that are freely available online for use or reuse. OER often have a

Creative Commons license that states specifically how the materials may be reused, revised, remixed, or redistributed.”

What are Open Educational Resources?

Users of OER: OCW at Delft University of Technology

• Who are the users?– students (including prospective students): 52%*– professionals:

28%– teachers:

6%– others:

14%

• 28% are Dutch, 72% are foreign (34 different countries)

* mainly Dutch secondary school students and international Master’s students.

Source: Onderzoeksrapport gebruikersonderzoek Open Courseware TU Delft (2011).

Users of OER

In other words: OER allows educational institutions to reach a much wider audience, including young people in the process of selecting a programme of study, international students, and self-learners (professionals, alumni, etc.).

Why do students use OpenCourseWare?

Why do students use Delft University of Technology OpenCourseWare?

• To increase their knowledge within their area of expertise.• To gather information about studying at Delft University of

Technology.• To improve their knowledge outside their area of expertise.

Students at Delft University of Technology use OCW primarily as a reference while studying.

Source: Onderzoeksrapport gebruikersonderzoek Open Courseware TU Delft (2011).

Advantages of OER according to Dutch students

1. OER are free educational content available online 24/7.2. OER are allowing more flexibility within the educational

programme.3. OER are widely available for most courses.4. Prospective students can use OER for a better understanding of

the educational programme.5. Teachers can save time using OER and concentrate more on the

social aspects of learning.

Source: Khezri, Armina (2011). Perceptions of Dutch Bachelor and Master students on OER. Thesis Rotterdam Business School.

Disadvantages of OER according to Dutch students

1. The quality of OER can be inconsistent.2. OER can influence student attendance in the classroom and

decrease social interaction among students. 3. OER must be customized in order to meet the terms of

university requirements.4. Participation requires a basic level of technical skill. 5. Most OER content is in English, which can create a language

barrier for non-English-speaking students.

Source: Khezri, Armina (2011). Perceptions of Dutch Bachelor and Master students on OER. Thesis Rotterdam Business School.

Ranking of OER types by Dutch students

Students are positive or very positive about:1. Word or PDF documents2. Instructional videos3. Articles and other reading material 4. PowerPoint presentations 5. Web lectures 6. Full online courses

Unlike their Dutch counterparts, the Chinese students believe that the discussion forums play a vital role in supporting their online learning process.

Source: Khezri, Armina (2011). Perceptions of Dutch Bachelor and Master students on OER. Thesis Rotterdam Business School.

Willingness to produce or share OER

Would students consider contributing to the development of OER?• yes: 21%• yes, but only with the cooperation of the instructor or other

students: 48%• no: 31%

Would students consider sharing their educational resources?• yes: 64%• no: 36%

Source: Khezri, Armina (2011). Perceptions of Dutch Bachelor and Master students on OER. Thesis Rotterdam Business School.

Students as agents for change?

• Widening roles of students in Open Education:

– consumer– producer

• Examples:– blogs (sharing essays)– Open Study (social learning network)– HBO Kennisbank (open access to theses)– Lecture Leaks (sharing lectures)– (massively) open online courses (e.g. Stanford or Digital Storytelling)

Student empowerment?

prosumer

The NEXT generation students in higher education

Is higher education ready for the NEXT generation students?

GENERATION C

connected 24/7community

collaborationcontent creators

(co)creatingcustomize

curiouscontrol C

commentingcontent curation

sharing knowledge linking

network learning

re-using remixing

reviewing

revising redistributing

Opportunities for the future?

• The power of co-creation:Students as producers/co-producers and content developers of OER.

• The power of social networks:Open study communities, network learning.

• The power of sharing:Can we create a marketplace for repurposing OER for a new group of students (international students, alumni)?

• The power of new business models for higher education:Open textbooks, massively open online courses (MOOC), enhanced web lectures, etc.

“Students are a very powerful resource for OER, and we don’t tap into this resource enough. A bag of gold?”