<<August 8, 2005>>
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Susan d'Antoni
International Institute for Educational Planning (IIEP)
UNESCO
7-9 rue Eugene Delacroix
75116 Paris France
tel +33 1 45 03 77 00
fax +33 1 40 72 83 66
virtual.university@iiep.unesco.org.
s.dantoni@IIEP.UNESCO.ORG
http://www.unesco.org/iiep/virtualuniversity/
Dear Susan:
(1) Many thanks for your msg (ATTACHMENT I).
(2) In a separate msg, I sent you my application to join in the discussion
forum on the Open Educational Resources/Open content.
Dear E-Colleagues:
(3) Pls see ATTACHMENT II.
Should you be interest, pls feel free to join in this discussion forum.
(4) BTW, followings are the previous discussion forums <http://www.unesco.org/iiep/virtualuniversity/forums.php>;
(a)
August 2004
Free and Open Source Software for E-learning
Useful Resources
(b)
June 2004
Free and Open Source Software for E-learning
Background note
(c)
January 2004
Virtual universities and transnational education
Policy issues – What are they? And whose are they?
Best, Tak
ATTACHMENT
I
From:
Susan D'Antoni
<s.dantoni@iiep.unesco.org>
Reply-To: <virtual.university@iiep.unesco.org>
Date: Mon, 8
Aug 2005 12:20:08 +0200
To: <iiep-virtualuniversity@communities.unesco.org>
Subject: [iiep-virtualuniversity]
Forthcoming forum on Open Course Content
Dear Colleagues,
Many of you will already have received information about this activity, but
we want to be sure that all of you who are on our main mailing list have been
informed.
We are very pleased to be able to inform you that IIEP has been given support
by the Hewlett Foundation to initiate an extended interaction on the topic of
open content, in the context of the Foundation's interest in the broader area
of Open Educational Resources.
A brief description of the planned activity is attached to this message. We
have already put a number of you on a list for further information, but if you
have not indicated your interest, please fill in the brief form below and
return it to virtual.university@iiep.unesco.org,
specifying in the header that it is for the discussion on open content.
Participation will be limited to ensure broad representation of countries
and key stakeholders. However, a website will be created to make the
documentation available to all who are interested in the topic and the issues.
Best regards,
Susan D'Antoni
*******************************************************************
Name:
Position:
Institution/Organization:
Country of residence:
E-mail address:
What is your interest in this topic?
<<05.06.06 OER project desc.pdf>>
ATTACHMENT
II
UNESCO
International Institute for Educational Planning
Forum on Open Educational Resources/Open content
Open Educational
Resources – a model for sharing
Higher education institutions worldwide face significant challenges related to
providing increased access,
while containing or reducing costs. Meeting increasing and increasingly
varied demand for quality higher
education is an important consideration in the policy debate and institutional
development in many countries.
And it is particularly important in the case of developing countries, for whom
demand often greatly exceeds
capacity in the existing higher education system.
New developments in higher education – from virtual universities and
cross-border education to e-learning,
blended learning and Open Educational Resources – all speak to the
efforts on the part of the traditional
higher education community, as well as new providers, to address this
increasing demand.
The open source movement has potential for higher education, and can be seen as
reflecting the philosophy of
academe, which is based upon a collegial sharing of information and new
discoveries through the peer-
reviewed academic publication process to share knowledge. Ò... Perhaps
the cultural disposition for open
review and exchange among peers might support the current open-source
courseware and knowledgeware
movement in higher education and might encourage a greater volume of work in an
open-source
environment...Ó1.
The term ÒOpen Educational Resources (OER)Ó refers to:
The open provision of
educational resources, enabled by information and communication
technologies, for consultation, use and adaptation by a community of users for
non-commercial
purposes.2
This definition was originally proposed at the conclusion of a discussion of
open course content at UNESCO,
but OER can be seen to include software tools and standards as well.
UNESCO – a
platform for dialogue
UNESCO provides an international forum for discussion and debate on issues of
concern to Member States.
It has five main functions – as a laboratory of ideas, a clearinghouse, a
standard setter, a capacity builder in
Member States and a catalyst for international cooperation. This makes
the organization an appropriate host
for an international discussion of open content.
In 2002, a conference was held in Paris on the impact of open courseware for
higher education, with support
from the William and Flora Hewlett Foundation.
In 2004, a session on Open Educational Resources was organized by IIEP for the
UNESCO Second Global
Forum on International Quality Assurance, Accreditation and the Recognition of
Qualifications in Higher
Education. Entitled, ÒBuilding
Partnerships: Widening access to quality Open Educational ResourcesÓ, the
session presented the experience of providers and users.
Related work at IIEP has grown out of a study of the issues and concerns
related to the virtual university and
e-learning, and a series of Internet forums designed to promote discussion,
debate and the sharing of
experience and expertise3.
The first forum was held in January 2004 to explore policy issues.
At the
conclusion of the very lively discussion, interest was articulated in the issue
of open source software, and a
second forum was held in June 2004 on Free and Open Source Software for
E-learning. At the end of that
forum, the group decided to constitute itself into an informal Community of
Interest, which remains active to
this day. Examining open course content is a logical continuation of the
discussion of open source software.
1
Moore, Ann H. 2002 ÒLens on the future: Open-source learningÓ In: Educause
Review September/October.
2
2002 ÒForum on the impact of Open Courseware for higher education in
developing countries. Final reportÓ Paris: UNESCO.
3
The forum series is captured on the IIEP web site at http://www.unesco.org/iiep/virtualuniversity/forums.php.
Exploring the
issues
Open course content, whether full course materials or course elements,
constitutes an important resource to
higher education institutions, teaching staff and learners. However, if
there is little or no awareness of
availability, open course content cannot be exploited, and even with awareness
of availability, there are
challenges and barriers to their effective use. Raising awareness and
supporting informed discussion and
debate can contribute to promoting informed decision making on the part of
current and potential users and
providers of openly available course content.
The objective of the UNESCO IIEP initiative4 is to increase awareness, as well
as support capacity building
and informed decision making related to the provision and use of open course
content. This activity will be
undertaken in two stages: two international discussion forums – one in
2005 and one in 2006 – and an
ongoing interaction during the period between the two forums in a Community of
Interest.
The activities are intended to foster an international dialogue and exchange of
information, linking people
who might not otherwise meet either in person or virtually, particularly those
who constitute the main
constituency of IIEP – developing countries – to come together and
participate in a debate.
The first stage has been designed to facilitate discussion and reflection
through:
A second forum will build upon the initial discussion, and will benefit from an
OECD study of OER. The
study is intended to give an indication of the current scope and nature of OER
activity, complemented by
information related to several key issues. The focus of the discussion
will remain on open course content.
Establishing
communities
Two outcomes are envisaged:
A Community of Interest will be formed to function as an ongoing open forum for
sharing information and
exploring the issues related to the provision and use of open courseware.
The members are expected to
represent developed and particularly developing countries, OER providers and
users, and persons not
necessarily involved, but interested in the potential of open course content.
The ultimate intended outcome following the second forum is a Community of
Practice, which will serve to
link practitioners. This should be a natural evolution that will promote
ongoing interaction and mutual
support among its members worldwide to advance the development and use of open
course content.
Joining the
discussion
To put your name on the mailing list for further information and to receive an
application to participate in the
discussion, send a request to Susan DÕAntoni at
virtual.university@iiep.unesco.org.
Participation will be limited to ensure broad representation of countries and
key stakeholders, however a web
site will be created to make the documentation available to all, and all those
who ask to be put on the mailing
list will be notified each time resources are made available.
Susan DÕAntoni June 2005
4
With support from the William and Flora Hewlett Foundation.
**********************************************************************
* Takeshi Utsumi, Ph.D., P.E., Chairman, GLOSAS/USA
*
* (GLObal Systems Analysis and Simulation Association in the U.S.A.) *
* Laureate of Lord Perry Award for Excellence in Distance Education *
* Founder and V.P. for Technology and Coordination of
*
* Global University System (GUS)
*
* 43-23 Colden Street, Flushing, NY 11355-5913, U.S.A.
*
* Tel: 718-939-0928; Email: utsumi@columbia.edu
*
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*
* Tax Exempt ID: 11-2999676
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