OER University grows and seeks input

BC Campus and WikiEducator invite learners and educators to provide input input about credentials for the OER University. This exciting initiative was launched in early 2011 and is now backed by 7 institutions in 4 countries:

• Athabasca University (Canada)
• Thompson Rivers University (Canada)
• Empire State College (USA)
• University of Southern Queensland (Australia)
• Unisa (University of South Africa)
• Otago Polytechnic (New Zealand)
• Nelson Marlborough Institute of Technology (New Zealand)

Scholars can join the discussions on a SCoPE seminar between August 29 and September 13, 2011. Results will feed to the planning meeting scheduled for November, 2011. OER University seeks to create pathways for learners who use OER materials to gain academic credentials from established educational institutions.

OER Logic Model

At the launch of OER University in February 2011,  Anil Prasad  commented: “I support Open Educational Resources movement. I firmly believe that Open Distance Learning (ODL) supported by Open Educational Resources (OER) would build the Inclusive Mainstream Education System in the immediate future.” Mr. Prasad is Nodal Officer (T&D), Finance Department, Govt. of Kerala, India. The two-day launch meeting in New Zealand featured lively theoretical and practical discussions. Professor Jim Taylor, from the University of Southern Queensland led discussions on the OER university concept and introduced the logic model shown above. He listed some of the factors driving new education models:

•  the need for 18 million new teachers
•  the doubling of post-secondary students in the next decade
•  the need to build roughly one new university per week in India alone to meet the future demand for learning.

Professor Taylor summarized: “This is not theoretical speculation, it is entirely viable.”