Open Data as Open Educational Resources: Case studies of emerging practice

This collection presents the stories of our contributors’ experiences and insights, in order to demonstrate the enormous potential for openly-licensed and accessible datasets (Open Data) to be used as Open Educational Resources (OER). Open Data is an umbrella term describing openly-licensed, interoperable, and reusable datasets which have been created and made available to the public by national or local governments, academic researchers, or other organisations. These datasets can be accessed, used and shared without restrictions other than attribution of the intellectual property of their creators1.While there are various definitions of OER, these are generally understood as openly-licensed digital resources that can be used in teaching and learning. On the basis of these definitions, it is reasonable to assert that while Open Data is not always OER, it certainly becomes OER when used within pedagogical contexts. Yet while the question may appear already settled at the level of definition, the potential and actual pedagogical uses of Open Data appear to have been under-discussed. As open education researchers who take a wider interest in the various open ‘movements’, we have observed that linkages between them are not always strong, in spite of shared and interconnecting values. So, Open Data tends to be discussed primarily in relation to its production, storage, licensing and accessibility, but less often in relation to its practical subsequent uses. And, in spite of widespread understanding that use of the term ‘OER’ is actually context-dependent, and, therefore, could be almost all-encompassing, the focus of OER practice and research has tended to be on educator-produced learning materials. The search for relevant research literature in the early stages of this project turned up sources which discuss the benefits of opening data, and others advocating improving student engagement with data3, but on the topic of Open Data as an educational resource specifically, there appeared to be something of a gap

Genetic differentiation and admixture between sibling allopolyploids in the Dactylorhiza majalis complex

Allopolyploidization often happens recurrently, but the evolutionary significance of its iterative nature is not yet fully understood. Of particular interest are the gene flow dynamics and the mechanisms that allow young sibling polyploids to remain distinct while sharing the same ploidy, heritage and overlapping distribution areas. By using eight highly variable nuclear microsatellites, newly reported here, we investigate the patterns of divergence and gene flow between 386 polyploid and 42 diploid individuals, representing the sibling allopolyploids Dactylorhiza majalis s.s. and D. traunsteineri s.l. and their parents at localities across Europe. We make use in our inference of the distinct distribution ranges of the polyploids, including areas in which they are sympatric (that is, the Alps) or allopatric (for example, Pyrenees with D. majalis only and Britain with D. traunsteineri only). Our results show a phylogeographic signal, but no clear genetic differentiation between the allopolyploids, despite the visible phenotypic divergence between them. The results indicate that gene flow between sibling Dactylorhiza allopolyploids is frequent in sympatry, with potential implications for the genetic patterns across their entire distribution range. Limited interploidal introgression is also evidenced, in particular between D. incarnata and D. traunsteineri. Altogether the allopolyploid genomes appear to be porous for introgression from related diploids and polyploids. We conclude that the observed phenotypic divergence between D. majalis and D. traunsteineri is maintained by strong divergent selection on specific genomic areas with strong penetrance, but which are short enough to remain undetected by genotyping dispersed neutral markers.UE FWF; P22260UE: Y66

Engaging in knowledge exchange: The instrumental psychological ownership in open innovation communities

Online communities have become a vital channel for professionals to expand their networks and initiate new strategic collaborations. Such online behaviors have led to multiple types of innovation potential that are based on the co-creation of ideas toward new solutions. Yet, very little is known about the role of psychological ownership of knowledge in professionals’ knowledge exchange in these communities that are based on voluntary contributions. We apply the psychological ownership theory and posit that psychological ownership of knowledge is instrumental to increased knowledge exchange intentions of professionals. Informed by the theory, our model incorporates several enablers of online engagement which could be associated with psychological ownership. Our exploratory quantitative study evidences that perceived ownership of knowledge plays a critical instrumental role in idea exchange behavior. We evidence how personal outcome expectations, organizational innovativeness and affective community commitment are associated with psychological ownership of knowledge which is an important predictor of intentions to exchange knowledge in open innovation communities. Implications for theory and practice are discussed.acceptedVersionPeer reviewe

Genetic differentiation and admixture between sibling allopolyploids in the Dactylorhiza majalis complex.

Allopolyploidization often happens recurrently, but the evolutionary significance of its iterative nature is not yet fully understood. Of particular interest are the gene flow dynamics and the mechanisms that allow young sibling polyploids to remain distinct while sharing the same ploidy, heritage and overlapping distribution areas. By using eight highly variable nuclear microsatellites, newly reported here, we investigate the patterns of divergence and gene flow between 386 polyploid and 42 diploid individuals, representing the sibling allopolyploids Dactylorhiza majalis s.s. and D. traunsteineri s.l. and their parents at localities across Europe. We make use in our inference of the distinct distribution ranges of the polyploids, including areas in which they are sympatric (that is, the Alps) or allopatric (for example, Pyrenees with D. majalis only and Britain with D. traunsteineri only). Our results show a phylogeographic signal, but no clear genetic differentiation between the allopolyploids, despite the visible phenotypic divergence between them. The results indicate that gene flow between sibling Dactylorhiza allopolyploids is frequent in sympatry, with potential implications for the genetic patterns across their entire distribution range. Limited interploidal introgression is also evidenced, in particular between D. incarnata and D. traunsteineri. Altogether the allopolyploid genomes appear to be porous for introgression from related diploids and polyploids. We conclude that the observed phenotypic divergence between D. majalis and D. traunsteineri is maintained by strong divergent selection on specific genomic areas with strong penetrance, but which are short enough to remain undetected by genotyping dispersed neutral markers.Heredity advance online publication, 25 November 2015; doi:10.1038/hdy.2015.98

Conserved and acquired features of adult neurogenesis in the zebrafish telencephalon.

Our understanding of the cellular and molecular mechanisms underlying the adult neural stem cell state remains fragmentary. To provide new models on this issue, we searched for stem cells in the adult brain of the zebrafish. Using BrdU tracing and immunodetection of cell-type-specific markers, we demonstrate that the adult zebrafish telencephalon contains self-renewing progenitors, which show features of adult mammalian neural stem cells but distribute along the entire dorso-ventral extent of the telencephalic ventricular zone. These progenitors give rise to newborn neurons settling close to the ventricular zone within the telencephalon proper. They have no equivalent in mammals and therefore constitute a new model of adult telencephalic neural stem cells. In addition, progenitors from the ventral subpallium generate rapidly dividing progenitors and neuroblasts that reach the olfactory bulb (OB) via a rostral migratory stream and differentiate into GABAergic and TH-positive neurons. These ventral progenitors are comparable to the mammalian neural stem cells of the subependymal zone. Interestingly, dorsal and ventral progenitors in the adult telencephalon express a different combination of transcription factors than their embryonic counterparts. In the case of neurogenin1, this is due to the usage of different enhancer elements. Together, our results highlight the conserved and unique phylogenic and ontogenic features of adult neurogenesis in the zebrafish telencephalon and open the way to the identification of adult neural stem cell characters in cross-species comparative studies. © 2006 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved

bHLH transcription factor Her5 links patterning to regional inhibition of neurogenesis at the midbrain-hindbrain boundary.

The midbrain-hindbrain (MH) domain of the vertebrate embryonic neural plate displays a stereotypical profile of neuronal differentiation, organized around a neuron-free zone ('intervening zone', IZ) at the midbrain-hindbrain boundary (MHB). The mechanisms establishing this early pattern of neurogenesis are unknown. We demonstrate that the MHB is globally refractory to neurogenesis, and that forced neurogenesis in this area interferes with the continued expression of genes defining MHB identity. We further show that expression of the zebrafish bHLH Hairy/E(spl)-related factor Her5 prefigures and then precisely delineates the IZ throughout embryonic development. Using morpholino knock-down and conditional gain-of-function assays, we demonstrate that Her5 is essential to prevent neuronal differentiation and promote cell proliferation in a medial compartment of the IZ. We identify one probable target of this activity, the zebrafish Cdk inhibitor p27Xic1. Finally, although the her5 expression domain is determined by anteroposterior patterning cues, we show Her5 does not retroactively influence MH patterning. Together, our results highlight the existence of a mechanism that actively inhibits neurogenesis at the MHB, a process that shapes MH neurogenesis into a pattern of separate neuronal clusters and might ultimately be necessary to maintain MHB integrity. Her5 appears as a partially redundant component of this inhibitory process that helps translate early axial patterning information into a distinct spatiotemporal pattern of neurogenesis and cell proliferation within the MH domain

Opening Up Access to Scientific Information: Recommendations for Improving Virtual Repositories and Online Communities

Opening up the access to scientific information is an increasing demand and crucial need for researchers and also for all citizens, communities and societies: VOA3R, the European initiative for the Virtual Open Access Agriculture & Aquaculture Repository, has established the online platform connecting digital libraries and facilitating virtual communities with unique opportunities for sharing scientific and scholarly research related to agriculture, food, and environment. This publication presents the main outcomes and recommendations of VOA3R, the European initiative for the Virtual Open Access Agriculture & Aquaculture Repository. This flagship project supported by the European Commission facilitated, improved and sustained the open access to all European and international digital contents, scientific information and research results as well as their online discussion and exchange. The main recommendations derived and drawn from the selected five key tasks and activities (quality management, elicitation of the user requirements, social networking services, content population, and evaluation by experiments and trials) were presented in brief: They were also identified by the evaluation of the experiments and trials and and their relation between the two dimensions required efforts (indicated by the realization type from easy to difficult) and expected effects (indicated by the impact from short- to long-term) were indicated in a first overview. That allows also other and future initiative to benefit from the achieved VOA3R results and insights. VOA3R has achieved successfully its objectives and went beyond them, also analysed and evaluated through the experiments and trials: VOA3R could establish the online platform connecting digital libraries and facilitate services and social networking including virtual communities. Thus, it can be summarized that VOA3R provided and continuously provides through the sustainability strategy unique opportunities for sharing scientific and scholarly research related to agriculture, food, and environment. For open access to the best scientific information in Europe and worldwide