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THE OER KNOWLEDGE CLOUD
A SURVEY AND REPOSITORY OF OER RESEARCH
The OER Knowledge Cloud is a curated database and repository to identify, collect, preserve and disseminate documents related to open educational resources. There are currently 2807 published records by 4731 authors from 990 sources, with 1681 file archives.

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LATEST EDITORIAL NOTES

CIDER SESSION ON MICRO-CREDENTIALS
Dan Wilton · September 03, 2024
The Canadian Initiative for Distance Education Research (CIDER) will be hosting a webinar on September 11, 2024, featuring Dr. Rory McGreal, UNESCO Chair in OER at Athabasca University, discussing the potentials of blockchain and artificial intelligence to empower micro-credentials.

Empowering Micro-credentials using Blockchain and Artificial Intelligence
Dr. Rory McGreal
September 11, 2024, 11am MT
http://www.cideresearch.ca/session/mcgreal-2024

The recognition and transfer of credits is becoming essential for students, as an increasing number of them are studying at different institutions, often at the same time online, in both traditional and unconventional settings. Micro-credentials can aid in this process by providing easily accessible and transparent evidence of skills or knowledge, certified by an authority, based on small units of learning. The development of Blockchain technology holds promise of becoming a useful enabler for supporting the storage and dissemination of micro-credentials on a global scale. Because of its immutability, Blockchain can be used to attest to students' accomplishments securely and privately under their control. Artificial Intelligence (AI) can facilitate the micro-credential assessment process as well as their maintenance and dissemination on the Blockchain.

This session will describe the important features of these three technologies for higher educational contexts, and suggest how they can work together to improve learning for students, administration for institutions, and ensure security for both.

Related chapter: Empowering Micro-credentials using Blockchain and Artificial Intelligence

Registration is not required; all are welcome. To join the session, go to:
http://www.cideresearch.ca/session/mcgreal-2024
...

NEW REPORT ON OER POLICY DEVELOPMENT
Dan Wilton · August 21, 2024

The Commonwealth of Learning has released a report on OER policy development, prepared by Professor Rory McGreal, consultant for facilitating the development of a draft OER policy for St Augustine Campus of the University of the West Indies, Trinidad & Tobago. The report is now available here.

The University of the West Indies, St Augustine Campus (UWISTA), in a determined and focused fashion, has initiated a process to adopt a Policy statement on OER. This report contains an overview of the initiative, including the methodologies employed and the outcome achieved following the processes used in formulating a draft OER policy for consideration by the Campus authorities.

As OER continues to gain prominence as a catalyst for democratizing education, this report can highlight UWISTA's commitment to the cause of OER and could also serve as a resource for the wider academic community and policymakers interested in implementing a similar policy supporting open access to educational content. The description of the process conducted, and the draft Policy that emerged from the consultations can offer insights into the strategies employed and lessons learned.

Through this report, COL and readers can explore the UWISTA journey in OER policy development, with the hope that the experiences shared can contribute to a broader discourse on shaping OER policies in the wider Caribbean and beyond.

OER Policy Development at St Augustine Campus of the University of the West ...


CURRENT DEVELOPMENTS ON THE OER WORLD MAP
Rory McGreal · August 12, 2024

The OER World Map has revised its user interface to improve user experience. The map has now been extended to take up the full browser window, with the search box and quick filter options revised.

To browse the map, you can click on a specific country. The Map will then zoom in automatically to a state or region view. Now you can easily click on one of the entries (dots on the map) to view them. To see recent activities on the map, click on the menu tab Recent.

To search the map for specific actors and activities, you can use the search box. The Search box is now more visible in front of the blue bar of the main menu in the upper corner.

To find actors and activities on the Map, hover over the menu tab Find and the menu tab will open. Click on Lighthouses, Most Liked, or on one of the many options under the categories: Organization, Person, Service, Policy, Project, Tool or Event. For example, if you are looking for fellow teachers or researchers to exchange experience, then click on Teachers (under Person). You will now see only entries on teachers.

To filter for specific actors and activities, you can either use the Quick Filter icons on the left side in the lower corner, or the Advanced Filter function, which you can open by clicking on the arrow on the left upper corner. There you can filter for primary sector, subject or field of activity, for example.

The OER World Map has been collecting and illustrating data on the growing number of actors and activities in the field of open education worldwide since 2014. Its aim is to support the development of the OER ecosystem by showing the most comprehensive and up-to-date picture of the OER movement possible.

OER World ...


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RECENT EVENT

January 2024 · UNESCO/ICDE Chair Professor Rory McGreal speaks to faculty at the University of the West Indies, St. Augustine Campus in Trinidad.


RECENT RECORDS

Open Learning and Learning at Scale: The Legacy of MOOCs
Goshtasbpour, Fereshte; Cornock, Matt; Swinnerton, Bronwen; Harris, Lisa; Ferguson, Rebecca; Scanlon, Eileen
This paper provides an introduction to the special collection. It presents a summary of the last decade in relation to research on MOOCs and describes the FutureLearn Academic Network (FLAN), which brought together ...
Posted September 25, 2024

OER Policy Development at St Augustine Campus of the University of the West Indies
Rory McGreal
Open Educational Resources (OER) have been recognized by UNESCO as important tools supporting the achievement of Strategic Development Goals (SDG) and by the Commonwealth of Learning (COL) realizing SDG 4 Education for ...
Posted August 20, 2024

Facets of Openness in a Serious Game: Opening up Format, Content, Software and Hardware
Persico, Donatella; Pozzi, Francesca
This paper advocates the claim that open licenses and open-source software are not enough to overcome the barriers to adoption of technologically innovative Open Educational Resources for educational institutions like ...
Posted August 6, 2024

Awareness, attitudes, skills, and open educational resources usage among open and distance learners
Smart, E. Ambrose; Ogbomo, Esoswo Francisca; Akporhonor, Blessing Amina
Background of the study: Open Educational Resources (OER) are adjudged to be of tremendous benefit to open and distance learners due to the nature of their academic programs. However, a number of factors will determine ...
Posted August 4, 2024

Un accès payant pour des ressources éducatives en licence Creative Commons : un paradoxe étudié au prisme d’une étude de cas, Faq2Sciences
Cisel, Matthieu; Laudier, Nicolas
Le projet Faq2Sciences porté par l’Université Numérique Thématique Unisciel représente une banque de plusieurs milliers d’exercices en sciences naturelles, mathématiques et informatiques, alimentée par de ...
Posted July 23, 2024

Rethinking openness for learning in open distance learning institutions
Akintolu, Morakinyo; Letseka, Moeketsi
The trends in open distance learning over the years and its evolution to higher education are interesting phenomena that continue to gain acceptance. While open distance learning serves as an intervening solution, ...
Posted July 11, 2024

An Introduction to Open Educational Resources and Their Implementation in Higher Education Worldwide
Atenas, Javiera; Ebner, Martin; Ehlers, Ulf-Daniel; Nascimbeni, Fabio; Schön, Sandra
The digitization of (higher) education has exposed copyright infringement issues, as the unauthorized use of copyrighted materials has become more visible. This article explores the importance of open educational ...
Posted July 4, 2024