Developing sustainable business models for institutions’ provision of open educational resources: Learning from OpenLearn users’ motivations and experiences

Universities across the globe have, for some time, been exploring the possibilities for achieving public benefit and generating business and visibility through releasing and sharing open educational resources (OER). Many have written about the need to develop sustainable and profitable business models around the production and release of OER. Downes (2006), for example, has questioned the financial sustainability of OER production at scale. Many of the proposed business models focus on OER’s value in generating revenue and detractors of OER have questioned whether they are in competition with formal education. This paper reports on a study intended to broaden the conversation about OER business models to consider the motivations and experiences of OER users as the basis for making a better informed decision about whether OER and formal learning are competitive or complementary with each other. The study focused on OpenLearn - the Open University’s (OU) web-based platform for OER, which hosts hundreds of online courses and videos and is accessed by over 3,000,000 users a year. A large scale survey and follow-up interviews with OpenLearn users worldwide revealed that university provided OER can offer learners a bridge to formal education, allowing them to try out a subject before registering on a formal course and to build confidence in their abilities as learners. In addition, it was found that using OER during formal paid-for study can improve learners’ performance and self-reliance, leading to increased retention and satisfaction with the learning experience

Open educational resources for all? Comparing user motivations and characteristics across The Open University’s iTunes U channel and OpenLearn platform.

With the rise in access to mobile multimedia devices, educational institutions have exploited the iTunes U platform as an additional channel to provide free educational resources with the aim of profile-raising and breaking down barriers to education. For those prepared to invest in content preparation, it is possible to produce interactive, portable material that can be made available globally. Commentators have questioned both the financial implications for platform-specific content production, and the availability of devices for learners to access it (Osborne, 2012). The Open University (OU) makes its free educational resources available on iTunes U and via its web-based open educational resources (OER) platform, OpenLearn. The OU’s OER on iTunes U reached the 60 million download mark in 2013; its OpenLearn platform boasts 27 million unique visitors since 2006. This paper reports the results of a large-scale study of users of the OU’s iTunes U channel and OpenLearn platform. A survey of several thousand users revealed key differences in demographics between those accessing OER via the web and via iTunes U. In addition, the data allowed comparison between three groups: formal learners, informal learners and educators. The study raises questions about whether university-provided OER meet the needs of users and makes recommendations for how content can be modified to suit their needs. As the publishing of OER becomes core to business, we reflect on reasons why understanding users’ motivations and demographics is vital, allowing for needs-led resource provision and content that is adapted to best achieve learner satisfaction, and to deliver institutions’ social mission

Study on open science: The general state of the play in Open Science principles and practices at European life sciences institutes

Nowadays, open science is a hot topic on all levels and also is one of the priorities of the European Research Area. Components that are commonly associated with open science are open access, open data, open methodology, open source, open peer review, open science policies and citizen science. Open science may a great potential to connect and influence the practices of researchers, funding institutions and the public. In this paper, we evaluate the level of openness based on public surveys at four European life sciences institute

The role of information in postgraduates' decision-making cycle.

The global market for international postgraduate students is becoming increasingly competitive as more institutions offer Masters level courses and universities need to increase revenues. The UK Government and universities want to stop the declining trend in market share of international students and have ambitious plans to attract these students to the UK. Understanding the decision making and information searching processes of international postgraduates will help universities to support these students as they make their decisions and tailor their marketing communications strategies to raise awareness of the institution, increase applications and ensure postgraduates' satisfaction whilst at university. The aim of this study is to explore the role of information within the individual decision making cycle of international non-EU postgraduate students when selecting a business qualification and studying at university and evolve a decision making cycle model. The information requirements of international postgraduates at all stages of the decision making process from the time they recognised a need to study, through application and enrolment to graduation, were investigated. Influential members of the decision making unit were identified and their information needs explored alongside the factors that impacted on the decision making cycle. The methodological approach was underpinned by an interpretivist philosophy. A quantitative scoping study, based on the author's previous research, was used as an exploratory framework to help design the qualitative data collection. Under an inductive research approach 42 interviews were conducted with international non-EU postgraduates studying a business qualification in a post-92 English university. Thematic and Interpretative Phenomenological analysis were carried out on the full transcripts. A theoretical contribution is made by evolving a new conceptual model of the role of information in the decision making cycle of individuals when making a significant purchase decision; the Iterative Decision Making Cycle Model. The model is unique as it builds on models proposed by both marketing and consumer behaviour scholars, and Kuhlthau, a LIS academic, to create a new model which reflects the connectedness of individuals in the digital era. Kuhlthau's research is extended into a new context as the focus is on the postgraduate as an information seeker and their use of information when making a high involvement purchase decision. A new consumer Decision Maker and Information Searcher Typology is proposed. This study contributes to the body of knowledge in marketing and LIS as it helps individuals to understand the cyclical and iterative nature of the decision making cycle, the sequence of decisions made regarding the country, university and course and then city to study in and the significance of online sources including the university website, rankings and online reviews regardless of their credibility. There is a need to stimulate recommendations and information exchange amongst prospective, current students and alumni due to the influence of word of mouth information sources and communicate pertinent information to students, parents, agents and partner staff as important target audiences. Despite living in an information rich world there was a lack of rationality and informedness amongst certain groups of postgraduates when making these significant decisions and 'new', 'experienced' and 'connected' prospective postgraduates should receive tailored information as identified in the typology. Once at university information plays an important role in structuring expectations and contributing to the student experience and satisfaction levels of international postgraduates. Recommendations are made to the Government and universities on targeting prospective postgraduates and other influential members of the DMU, on tailoring the messages and media to be used when communicating with these target audiences and to provide the information required by postgraduates immediately post purchase and whilst studying at university

Indigenous Science Network Bulletin - August 2022

Jesse King, a science teacher, curriculum writer and First Nations editor explores the theme of National Science Week – glass – and how it relates to culture. Shalini Dhyani, regional agent for the First Nations peoples of Asia writes regarding a project in the Himalayas using Indigenous knowledge of the environment

Inglês e identidade social em estudantes universitários numa era global

Over the last decades English has become a language increasingly used by non-native speakers as a lingua franca to communicate with other non-native speakers. Globalisation, increased mobility and intercultural contact, communication technology and greater access to information have enabled English to become a facilitator of global communication. The prevalence of English in popular culture also makes it attractive to young people, who are particularly motivated to learn and use it. English borrowings have become increasingly popular among young people, who use linguistic choice to assert their own sense of group identification and belonging. The aim of this thesis was to gain a better understanding of these processes, namely how young university students use English borrowings in their native discourse and whether there is a link between language use and identity construction among young people in a global age. This study gathered data from students in university settings. It looks at the English borrowings which are most frequently used by groups of university students and analyses to what extent English may play a role in the construction of a youth identity. A mixed methodological approach was used to gather data in three phases between 2012 and 2017. The first phase comprised an online questionnaire, which was completed by 789 respondents from various universities in different countries, followed by a second phase, which collected over six hours of recordings of students in informal contexts, and finally an online discussion forum with fifteen students from three different countries. Results showed that English is an important part of the native discourse of the university students who took part in this study, who perceived English as being central to the way they expressed themselves, and sometimes used it in creative ways. Findings also showed that although English was valued above all for its role in international communication, and its use also strongly associated with young people, who felt empowered to use it in unique ways, thus contributing to a sense of group identity.Nas últimas décadas, a língua inglesa tem vindo a ser utilizada cada vez mais por falantes não nativos como uma língua franca, para comunicar com outros não nativos. A globalização, o aumento da mobilidade e o contacto intercultural, as tecnologias da comunicação e um acesso acrescido à informação fizeram com que o inglês se tornasse uma espécie de facilitador da comunicação global. A prevalência do inglês na cultura popular também faz com que seja especialmente atrativo para jovens, que são particularmente motivados para a sua aprendizagem e para a utilização desta língua no seu discurso. A presença de empréstimos ingleses tem vindo a aumentar entre jovens, que utilizam recursos linguísticos para se afirmarem e criarem um sentido de identificação e pertença dentro do seu grupo. Esta tese propõe-se realizar um estudo destes processos, nomeadamente sobre a forma como estudantes universitários utilizam empréstimos ingleses no seu discurso nativo, e até que ponto é que haverá uma ligação entre o uso da língua e a construção da identidade entre jovens numa era global. Este estudo recolhe dados de estudantes em contextos universitários. Faz um levantamento dos empréstimos que são utilizados com mais frequência por grupos de estudantes universitários e analisa até que ponto é que a língua inglesa tem um papel na construção de uma identidade jovem. Foi implementada uma metodologia mista para recolher dados em três fases distintas, entre 2012 e 2017. A primeira fase visou o preenchimento de um questionário online, que foi completado por 789 respondentes, e foi seguida pela recolha de mais de seis horas de gravações de estudantes universitários em contextos informais. Finalmente, foi criado um fórum de discussão online com quinze estudantes de três países distintos. Os resultados demonstraram que a língua inglesa constitui uma parte importante do discurso nativo dos estudantes que participaram neste estudo, que veem o inglês como sendo fulcral para se exprimirem, utilizando-o, por vezes, de forma muito criativa. Também mostraram que embora seja atribuída à língua inglesa um papel preponderante na comunicação intercultural, a sua utilização também está fortemente ligada aos jovens, que se sentem investidos com o poder de a utilizar de forma única, contribuindo assim para uma sensação de pertença identitária.Programa Doutoral em Estudos Culturai

Digital innovations in online articles in the field of Chemistry: Implications for the teaching of genre and new academic and digital literacies

Este trabajo pretende identificar las innovaciones digitales presentes en tres revistas de Química, considerar sus propósitos retóricos y examinar por qué aparecen en la comunicación académica en línea. El corpus se utilizó con fines pedagógicos en la Universidad de Creta para identificar las habilidades y los retos que los estudiantes de Química necesitaban o afrontaban, respectivamente, al componer, analizar, deconstruir y comparar géneros similares. Se analizaron las percepciones de profesores, jóvenes investigadores y estudiantes para descifrar sus prioridades y necesidades. A partir del análisis de cuatro conjuntos de datos, entre ellos un corpus de artículo de investigación, cuestionarios, entrevistas e informes de reflexión en voz alta, se extrajeron implicaciones para la enseñanza de los géneros y las nuevas alfabetizaciones académicas y digitales, de modo que los profesores de ESP y EAP puedan tomar decisiones informadas sobre el diseño de los cursos, la pedagogía de los géneros y cómo pueden fomentar las alfabetizaciones académicas digitales utilizando publicaciones académicas. Los resultados sugieren que las innovaciones digitales en las revistas de Química, dependiendo de cómo las abordemos, entendamos, remediemos (reutilicemos) y utilicemos (como productores o usuarios de contenidos), pueden afectar a la forma en que nos relacionamos con otros miembros de la comunidad (miembros de la comunidad de discurso o comunidad de práctica), la forma en que percibimos la comunicación académica, cómo "hacemos" comunicación académica y cómo negociamos nuestras formas de ser y hacer dentro de un ecosistema de género establecido pero en constante cambio.<br /