In the last decade in particular, the promotion, sharing and use of open educational resources (OER) have been growing exponentially. However, as with any new phenomenon or paradigm, our knowledge of OER’s ramifications and achievements to date necessarily lags behind actual developments. The concept of OER has multifaceted dimensions and implications. For educational institutions, the dimensions are legal, managerial, financial, technical, technological and pedagogical; for practising educators, at stake are ways of teaching that are normative, together with a sense of identity that is both personal and professional. It would be astonishing if research, which by its very nature must be clearly focussed, were able to keep abreast of all such aspects of OER.

Although OER activities are taking place globally, most large and well funded projects have been in North America and Europe. As a result, little is known about important questions such as how the more acute levels of resource constraint typical of developing countries impact on demand for OER and on their reuse. The case studies and reflections in this book cover OER practice and policy in a diverse range of contexts, with a strong focus on events in developing countries. However, the focus on experiences from the developing world is not exclusive, as valuable “generic lessons” applicable also to developing countries can be drawn from research in the more developed countries.

The world in which the academy and higher education operate has transformed dramatically. How do institutions, in both developed and developing countries, reposition themselves meaningfully within the new information-rich world in which information is accessible as never before? How can organisations such as UNESCO and the Commonwealth of Learning foster governmental support for OER internationally? How might proponents of OER garner greater governmental, institutional and educator “buy-in” to the principles of open educational practices, and to the policies and programs necessary to realise and sustain OER?

The 28 contributors to this book bring to these questions and many others a wealth of knowledge, experience and insights about OER policy and practice at both national and international levels. With some astute caveats, their findings collectively affirm the promise of OER as a way of providing enhanced quality education to potentially greater numbers of students. Policy makers and practitioners will be able to draw many precepts and possibilities from the rich variety of experience and reflection contained within this volume.
Contents

Foreword

Acknowledgements

Contributors

List of Acronyms

Introduction: Discourses in the Development of OER Practice and Policy
Jenny Glennie, Ken Harley and Neil Butcher

Chapter 1: Taking OER Beyond the OER Community: Policy Issues and Priorities
Trudi van Wyk

Chapter 2: Introducing the Opportunities and Challenges of OER: The Case of the Commonwealth of Independent States and the Baltic
Dendev Badarch, Svetlana Knyazeva and Andy Lane

Chapter 3: Tracing the Trajectory of OER in India: Reflections on Three Initiatives
V. Bharathi Harishankar

Chapter 4: Producing OER from Scratch: The Case of Health Sciences at the University of Ghana and the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology
Kathleen Ludewig Omollo, Adam Rahman and Chris Andrew Yebuah

Chapter 5: Collaborative Materials Design, Adaptation and Take-Up: A Case Study of a South African Mathematics Teacher Education OER Project
Ingrid Sapire, Yvonne Reed and Tessa Welch

Chapter 6: OER Production and Adaptation through Networking across Sub-Saharan Africa: Learning from TESSA
Freda Wolfenden

Vignette: Teacher Education in Sub-Saharan Africa
Catherine Ngugi

Chapter 7: Integrating OER into Open Educational Practices
Gráinne Conole

Chapter 8: Finding Relevant OER in Higher Education: A Personal Account
Lisbeth Levey

Chapter 9: Design and Development of OER: A Student Perspective
Andy Lane

Chapter 10 :Pedagogical Content Knowledge in Higher Education and Open Educational Resources: A Case Study on Course Design
Heather Kanuka and Geneviève Gauthier

Vignette: The Virtual University for Small States of the Commonwealth (VUSSC): OER within a Transnational Qualifications Framework
John T. Lesperance

Chapter 11 :Experiences in Finding and Using OER in Teacher Education Programmes: Pedagogical Approach and Challenges
John Arul Phillips

Vignette: Teaching with Technology: A Personal Journey
Edward P. Rybicki

Vignette: OER and Teaching Occupational and Environmental Health at the Post-Graduate Level to Medical Practitioners at the University of Cape Town
Jonathan E. Myers

Chapter 12: Sharing Existing Teaching Materials as OER: Key Considerations from Practice
Monica Mawoyo and Neil Butcher

Chapter 13: Experiences of Developing OER-Amenable Policies
Sarah Hoosen and Neil Butcher

Chapter 14: From Apples to Legislation: OER Policy in Brazil
Carolina Rossini

Chapter 15: Opening Education in New Zealand: A Snapshot of a Rapidly Evolving OER Ecosystem
Wayne Mackintosh

Conclusion: Reflections on Practice
Jenny Glennie, Ken Harley and Neil Butcher

Keywords

case study · higher education · OER creation · OER policy · teacher professional development · web 2.0