What does OERu mean for a blended university?

Professor Sandra WillsUOW Executive Director, Learning & Teaching

Wollongong

main campus one hour drive from Sydney airport

seven smaller locations along the coast

UOW Dubai Campus

UOW Wollongong Campus

teaching partnerships in international locations eg China, Singapore & Malaysia

26,000 students

30% international off-shore & on-shore

Why call Wollongong a blended university?

UOW is a blended university

• Not distance education university• Multi location university• Therefore online is a given – 80% of

subjects use learning management system, lecture capture, videoconference etc

• Challenge for OER - high satisfaction scores (& university rankings) derive not from flexible access to content but from quality of personal (f2f) interaction

• Top 200 Times Higher Ed Rankings 2009, 2006 & 2007• #1 for Student Satisfaction Sweeney Research Group 2009 • Decade of 5 stars in Good Universities Guide• #1 for 3 years of National Teaching & Learning Performance Fund• # 1 for 4 years of Citations for Outstanding Contribution to

Teaching & Learning• Inaugural Commonwealth University of the Year Award for

Community Engagement - The Times Higher Ed & Commonwealth Association of Universities 2006

• Top 500 - Shanghai Jiao Tong Index 2006• University of Year for Research Partnerships 2000• University of Year for Preparing Graduates for e-World 1999

Not sandstone however 60 years old research intensive & international

1994 Post grad distance ed via TV & print2004 Shared Teaching Resources2011 Content Beyond Borders &

Creative Commons

What’s our experience with OERs?

about 100 items so far…

What does a course look like as an OER?“Teacherless” content or collection of OERs

orchestrated by a teacher?Asynchronous self-directed OER access or

synchronous cohort activities?Massively online or quota?Blend of credit & not-for-credit students?

Challenges for UOW in OERuni?

Cost-effective? Marginal cost of open content vs marginal cost of open teaching

Sustainable? What if that committed teacher leaves?

Challenges for UOW in OERuni?

Maths ALIVE: Access Live Interactive Virtual Environments

Dr Caz Sandison

Access Grid

Pathway to becoming a Uni studentOER ALIVE Watch recording in own time

Open ALIVE Participate, no credit

UOW ALIVE Enrol for credit

Why Mathematics?Essential for a digital economyShortage of maths teachers especially in rural & regional Australia

Teaching the teachers Improve the education of our childrenTwo subjects for primary teachers to improve skills & confidenceTwo subjects for secondary maths teachers

Parents tooPrimary level subjects suit general audience

OERu is a charitable trustnot a business venturedoes not change UOW’s core business

OERu@UOW is a social inclusion strategya taste of university study

Why is UOW an OERu anchor partner?

Open UOW

resources

activities supports

= UOW experience

taster

UOW quality open resources

Articulation to enrolment @ UOW

?subject degree

courses

UOW Social inclusion

oSchool studentsoPeople up skillingoMature age peopleoRegional peopleoPeople in developing nations

UOW open practices

integrated/collaborative/engaged

Mission: maintain UOW’s position as Australia’s #1 university

for teaching & learning

through creative & sustainable

eLearning practices

Draft eLearning Strategic Plan 2012

DRAFT DRAFT DRAFTGoal 1: eLearning used to achieve excellent learning outcomes

Goal 2: eLearning used to enhance public & professional networking

Goal 3: Open educational practices used to transform

university accessGoal 4: Quality planning & review processes used to support innovative teaching