Open-Sourced Personal, Networked Learning and Higher Education Credentials

2016 ◽  
pp. 223-244 ◽  
Author(s):  
Merilyn Childs ◽  
Regine Wagner
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
Human Rights ◽  
Learning Outcomes ◽  
Networked Learning ◽  
Open Learning ◽  
Graduate Attributes ◽  
Education Resources ◽  
Learning Journey ◽  
Criterion Referenced ◽  
Open Education Resources

Much has been made about the “disruption” afforded by open learning to higher education. While it is the case that open learning offers opportunities for free content and courses within university studies, self-determined student-generated learning has yet to create meaningful pathways towards credentialing in higher education. In this chapter we explore open learning and a learning journey through an Imaginarium from the perspective of a citizen in the context of a global human rights campaign. The chapter speculates the possibilities for gaining recognition of graduate attributes developed informally outside the institution, yet weaving through open education resources, when the citizen applies to study in an Australian University. We conclude by arguing the importance of seeing emerging developments in Australia related to open learning, micro-credentials, aligned learning outcomes (ALOs) and criterion referenced assessments (CRAs) through a recognition lens.

Destroying the Textbook Tower

2021 ◽  
pp. 53-66
Author(s):  
Oluwunmi Ariyo ◽  
Ansa Reams-Johnson
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
College Student ◽  
Higher Education Institutions ◽  
National Average ◽  
Free Access ◽  
Open Education ◽  
College Board ◽  
Education Resources ◽  
Education College ◽  
Open Education Resources

Textbooks are the cornerstone of higher education. College Board stated in a study that the national average for one text is $153 per course, and over the course of a year, the average college student spends more than $1,200 on books and materials. Endless debates have posed the question of how students enrolled in higher education institutions can afford the rising cost of textbooks without it interfering in their education. Open education resources have provided one answer to this debate. The following chapter will discuss three main benefits of OER which are free access, standardization, and equity concerns. Lastly, the chapter will address the challenges pertaining to OER.

scholarly journals We’re listening: Try a textbook listening tour to advance an OER initiative

2019 ◽  
Vol 80 (6) ◽  
pp. 317
Author(s):  
Steven J. Bell ◽  
Annie Johnson
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
Academic Libraries ◽  
Learning Experience ◽  
Perceived Quality ◽  
Leadership Role ◽  
Academic Librarians ◽  
Open Education ◽  
Education Resources ◽  
Multiple Challenges ◽  
Open Education Resources

It’s little surprise that academic librarians at institutions of every size and type are launching initiatives to encourage instructors to adopt Open Education Resources (OER). Whether these programs offer incentives to faculty or simply promote the benefits of OER and other textbook affordability options, they are a win for students who save money and gain a better learning experience. The textbook affordability movement in higher education also places academic librarians in a new leadership role as they manage campus-wide efforts to promote the benefits of OER. ACRL’s “2018 Top Trends in Academic Libraries” report identifies multiple challenges to faculty adoption, such as the lack of OER resources or perceived quality, but that these are also “opportunities for librarians to cultivate partnerships with faculty in the discovery, advocacy and preservation of OER.”

scholarly journals Are Higher Education Institutions Positioned To Reap The Dividends Of Open Education Resources? The Case Of Durban University Of Technology

2013 ◽  
Vol 12 (9) ◽  
pp. 1119 ◽  
Author(s):  
A. D. Van der Merwe
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
Business Models ◽  
Open Education ◽  
Access To Higher Education ◽  
Education Resources ◽  
University Of Technology ◽  
New Business ◽  
Human Need ◽  
Open Content ◽  
Open Education Resources

The potential benefits of open education resources (OERs) are well documented in the literature. These include cheaper education, improved equity in respect of educational prospects, greater access to higher education opportunities for non-traditional learners, encouraging new modes of collaborative learning and leveraging public funds by sharing knowledge. So compelling are these advantages that leading universities globally are currently experimenting with new business models calibrated to extract value from educational offerings that, increasingly, will be expected to include free content. In spite of the obvious merits of OERs, the open education movement faces challenges which are rooted significantly in educators' perceptions of these resources. This descriptive case study sought to examine the attitudes Durban University of Technology (DUT) faculty have towards OERs with the aim of gauging their capacity to be actively involved as developers and users of these materials. The study found that in spite of respondents' recognition of the advantages of OERs and even a degree of superficial employment of these instructional aids, there appears to be no real open education ethos at the institution. Evidence of this includes the relatively low level of sharing of content amongst faculty and the consensus of respondents that there is no institutional support for OER initiatives. The study concludes that for the university to retain its relevance in an evolving educational landscape, it should create a framework that will not only create space for OER projects but should also address the very human need for recognition and acknowledgement that developers of free and open content have.

A thematic analysis of the quality audit reports in developing a framework for assessing the achievement of the graduate attributes

2020 ◽  
Vol 34 (5) ◽  
pp. 917-935 ◽  
Author(s):  
Alrence Santiago Halibas ◽  
Shameena Mehtab ◽  
Alaa Al-Attili ◽  
Benjamin Alo ◽  
Ronald Cordova ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
Student Learning ◽  
Learning Outcomes ◽  
Thematic Analysis ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Quality Audit ◽  
Graduate Attributes ◽  
Student Learning Outcome ◽  
Critical Issues ◽  
Audit Reports

PurposeGraduates are expected to possess the knowledge and right skillset, commonly known as graduate attributes, which they need to become employable and work-ready. This study describes the approaches that were employed by an academic institution in developing an assessment framework for measuring the student achievement of the graduate attributes and learning outcomes.Design/methodology/approachIt used thematic analysis in analyzing the 43 audit reports of higher educational institutions (HEIs) in Oman which have undergone the regional quality audit as well as the outcomes of the institutional standards assessment.FindingsThe analysis exposed the critical issues necessary for embedding graduate attributes and learning outcomes in higher education. Likewise, the study revealed that the assessment of the graduate attributes (GAs) and learning outcomes (LOs) is the area that garnered the most number of comments from the audit panel, and 69 per cent of the HEIs are still problematic in this area. Moreover, most of the HEIs in Oman lack the mechanisms to assess student learning as evidenced in the regional accreditation outcomes. Only 43.8 per cent of the HEIs, which have undergone the institutional accreditation process, have garnered a Met Rating in the Graduate Attributes and Student Learning Outcome criterion. Hence, this study presupposes its high relevance and usefulness to the work in this area, drawing from the experience of an HEI in Oman.Practical implicationsThis study will present the relevant and meaningful content, especially good practices and potential gaps that inform HEIs regarding the current trends, policies, and practices relevant to the assessment of graduate attributes and learning outcomes in higher education.Originality/valueThis study extends the limited literature on the assessment of graduate attributes and learning outcomes, especially among the HEIs in Oman.

scholarly journals PREVENTION OF GENDER-BASED VIOLENCE AS HIGHER EDUCATION LEARNING OUTCOME: TEACHING, LEARNING AND ASSESSMENT OF HUMAN RIGHTS LEARNING OUTCOMES IN CROATIA

2020 ◽  
Vol 15 (2) ◽  
pp. 43-61
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
Human Rights ◽  
Gender Equality ◽  
Learning Outcomes ◽  
Teaching And Learning ◽  
Institutional Context ◽  
Gender Based Violence ◽  
Gender Based ◽  
And Gender ◽  
Teaching Learning

Teaching and learning about men’s violence against women, domestic violence, interpersonal and sexual violence present a challenge to all higher education systems. Social responsibility, national and international legal frameworks on prevention and treatment of gender-based violence, as well as the demands of different professions that deal with victims, point to the complexity and necessity of delivering learning outcomes on gender-based violence, particularly those related to social skills and attitudes. Additionally, the global, national and institutional context, such as the often- confronted public actors and heated public forums on human rights violations and gender equality issues, influence higher education efforts to deliver human rights and gender equality learning outcomes with students in ways that still need to be uncovered. The study presented in this article is based on a survey done with Croatian and Swedish health, social work and criminal justice study programmes, with particular focus on the prevalence and features of learning outcomes on gender-based violence. The analysis aims to investigate the influence of the socio-political and institutional context, attitudes and opinions of Croatian academic stakeholders on content and methods of teaching and assessment of students’ knowledge, soft skills and attitudes about human rights and gender- based violence, compare them to Swedish results and frame them in a broader national and international discussion on the quality and responsibility of higher education.

scholarly journals Digital resources and English as an additional language in higher education: possibilities for internationalization

2021 ◽  
Vol 74 (3) ◽  
Author(s):  
Rodrigo Esteves de Lima-Lopes ◽  
Terezinha Marcondes Diniz Biazi
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
Knowledge Sharing ◽  
Action Plan ◽  
Open Education ◽  
Digital Resources ◽  
Education Resources ◽  
Open Education Resources

Given the recognition of the Open Education Resources (OER) movement in the global scenario, this paper provides an overview of the OER implementation efforts, based on two documents: OER Global Report 2017 and Ljubljana OER Action Plan 2017. The first analyzes the OER progress from 2012 to 2017. The second presents recommended actions and strategies to harness the potential of open-licensed resources. We argue that these documents helped to compose the actions and strategies from the 2019 UNESCO OER Recommendation, which, in turn, motivated UNESCO and partnerships to produce an OER guide under the Pandemic COVID-19, following the 2019 OER Recommendations. Aligned with the innovative experiences brought by the guide, we emphasize the relevance of OER for knowledge sharing.  

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