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OER AfricaOER AfricaSeminar on Open Learning in

South African Universities(Department of Higher Education & Training,

South Africa, Tuesday 23rd July 2013)

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Who we areWho we are

• OER Africa - an innovative initiative of Saide, headquartered in Nairobi.

• Established to play a leading role in driving the development and use of Open Educational Resources (OER) to the benefit of Africa’s higher education systems.

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The OER ConceptThe OER Concept

Freely available

Choose how to share

No royalties

Allows contextualisationcontextualisation of existing quality resources

Show-case African intellectual property – yes we can and yes we do generate knowledge!

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Use / Possible use of OER in South Use / Possible use of OER in South African universities (1)African universities (1)

• To openly share learning objects, modules, courses, programs, OA research or other relevant OER across institutions and thus: realise economies of scale encourage joint development of curriculum and

courseware provide faculty and students with a similar

standard (high quality) of educational content encourage student-centred learning

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Use / Possible use of OER (2)Use / Possible use of OER (2)To openly share skills-based relevant OER across institutions and thus:•Encourage the development of 21st century skills amongst students in-school and potential out-of-school students / life-long learners to new

Ways of thinking. Creativity, critical thinking, problem-solving, decision-making and learning

Ways of working. Communication and collaboration Tools for working. Information and communications

technology (ICT) and information literacy Skills for living in the world. Citizenship, life and career,

and personal and social responsibility

• Encourage faculty to incorporate the above within their teaching and thereby raise the standard and profile of SA HEIs across the continent and internationally.

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What is your institution doing / What is your institution doing / your involvement in OER?your involvement in OER?

• Working with pan-African and international networks to promote the use and re-use of OER amongst membership

• Working with institutions, e.g. UP, to promote use and re-use of OER by faculty – (see: http://preview2.bluematrix.co.za/ under development)

• Promoting policy development and implementation at national and institutional level

• Promoting use of blended learning with OER at the centre

• Advocacy

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What are the barriers in using What are the barriers in using OER?OER?

• Absence of enabling policy infrastructure (IT / graphics personnel, dedicated time, recognition of

effort (grants / awards), IP, etc.)

• Lack of enabling physical infrastructure (e.g. affordable bandwidth, networked computers)

• Lack of IP / ICT skills (knowledge of OER, of how to search, of relevant data-bases, etc.)

• Fear! (Why change the way I’ve always done things? What if I get found out?)

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What processes and mechanisms What processes and mechanisms should be put into place to enable the should be put into place to enable the

use of OER?use of OER?• Policy: national, institutional

• Advocacy: grow awareness of alternatives available to improve teaching and learning

• Training: Pedagogical skills, ICT literacy

• Practice: Proof of Concept pilots

• Carrot and Stick: policy, reward, penalty – know your audience

• Consistency: vacillation breeds indifference

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Questions ?Questions ?

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Thank youThank youCatherine Ngugi

Project Director, OER Africacatherine.ngugi@oerafrica.org

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