Unisa and Open Education Practices

Seminar on Open Learning in South African UniversitiesJuly 2013

Kerry de Hart

Use of OER in SA Universities

• Unisa is positive about the harnessing of OER in the development of courses

• Positive about contributing to OER repositories• Supportive of Open movement

• How is the use of OER envisaged by the DHET and other universities?

What is Unisa doing re OER?

• OER coordinator• Strategy for OEP

– discussion document– forcing the harnessing of OER when developing

courses– all Unisa produced materials will be CC-BY license

• Advocacy• Open portal (www.unisa.ac.za/oer)• Setting quality standards for OER use• Founding partner OERu

What are the barriers to using OERs?

• Knowledge of the open movement• Capacity (skills, personnel, time)• Finding suitable• Time taken to adapt or repurpose• Contextualisation • Linking to learning outcomes• Knowledge of licensing – risk of infringement and CC licencing• Change of mind set• Accreditation with professional bodies• Perceive quality risks• Link rot or OERs not always being available• Access to computers or internet

Processes and Mechanisms

• Collaboration

• Repositories (with ratings)

• Subject interest groups

• Funding made available

• Show case examples

Thank youContact:

Kerry de Hart

OER coordinator

Office of the PVC

dhartkl@unisa.ac.za