Openness and flexibility are the norm, but what are the challenges?

A key attraction of distance education has always been the flexibility it affords in terms of the time, place and pace of learning and teaching. At the heart of distance education is freedom from uniform schedules and location to be able to learn or teach. And distance education is by nature the most flexible form of learning and teaching. This flexibility may go far beyond the freedom from time, place and pace to include freedom of choice in relation to issues and topics one might study as well as the type of assessment activities that one might choose to take in return for what kind of credit and at what cost. In the event of this level of flexibility, distance education serves as a minimalist educational provision, devoid of much of the thrills and frills of residential campus-based educational experience. In distance education, many of these accompaniments of the campus-based learning and teaching transaction such as frequent interaction of students with their teachers, other students and the educational organization are considered useful, but not essential to the achievement of the learning outcomes. In fact, distance education is better for it without the need for too much interaction, especially among students. Open access to learning opportunity, and flexibility at least in relation to where a student chooses to study, when and at what pace are its threshold principles within limits of course, such that examinations can be administered at specific times, and students are able to take them when they are offered

Recalibrating Institutional Choreographies for a Future Focused Education

Contemporary educational institutions are experiencing disruptions to their modus operandi from a variety of sources. A changing student demographic across the higher education sector, along with their changing educational needs is driving much of this disruption. Other drivers are the need for different kinds of skill sets required in the contemporary workplace, the need for alternative methods of credentialing and a demand for flexibility in the education space. However, if you looked around for how prepared our contemporary educational institutions are for leading learning for the future, you are likely to be disappointed. This is not because our current educational system is broken en masse. In fact, there are plenty of examples of excellent practices all around us, but these are not enough. Our universities and educational systems continue to operate on outdated principles and practices. While they are willing to experiment with new models on the peripheries of their core business, most are not bold enough to rethink and reconfigure their mainstream processes. It is rare to find large-scale and enterprise-wide operations that are appropriately aligned to lead learning and teaching for the near and the long-term future. Why is this so? What can, and must be done about it? This paper examines potential areas of disruption, their key drivers, and where and how to begin a rethink and recalibration of how universities can create, capture and deliver value

Improving instructional effectiveness with computer‐mediated communication

This study explores the use of asynchronous Computer‐Mediated Communication (CMC) in the delivery of instructional content, and points up the interaction among learners, as well as between learners and instructors. The instructional content in the project described was available to learners online as Microsoft Word documents, with email being used for communicating within the student group. Many students, as well as some of the instructors, felt uncomfortable with the flexibility and openness that a CMC environment allowed. However, once familiar with this process of instruction and interaction, learners were able to work consistently at their own pace, and understand that instructors are interested in every individual learner's opinion and in the collective views of the group. It was evident that a CMC‐based instructional delivery system, when carefully planned, has the potential to facilitate that outcome, and to improve instructional effectiveness

Impact of integrating OER in teacher education at the Open University of Sri Lanka

This chapter reports on a research project implemented in the Faculty of Education at the Open University of Sri Lanka (OUSL) which investigated the impact of integrating Open Educational Resources (OER) in the teaching-learning process by secondarylevel student teachers in Sri Lanka. The research questions this study seeks to answer are: What are the impacts of OER integration on the use of instructional materials by teachers? What are the impacts of OER integration on teachers’ pedagogical perspectives? What are the impacts of OER integration on teachers’ pedagogical practices? The study adopted a design-based research approach. An intervention programme was implemented with 230 participants who were student teachers registered in the OUSL Postgraduate Diploma in Education programme in nine OUSL centres across the nine provinces of Sri Lanka. Data were collected at multiple stages through the following quantitative and qualitative strategies: survey questionnaires, analysis of lesson plans, concept mapping, self-reflection, semi-structured interviews, focus group discussions, usage data from the learning management system and narratives in the form of “stories”. While descriptive statistical methods such as percentages were used to analyse the quantitative data, the authors employed an Interpretive Phenomenological Analysis approach to analyse the qualitative data. Findings showed that the integration of OER had a substantial impact on changing teachers’ instructional resource use, pedagogical perspectives and pedagogical practices. The careful and systematic design of activities facilitated a shift from a “low” to a “high” degree of innovative use of instructional resources as well as creation of OER by teachers, while their pedagogical perspectives and practices shifted towards more constructivist, context-centric and collaborative patterns, as well as to a participatory and sharing culture, in favour of Open Educational Practices

A design - based approach to support and nurture open educational practices

Purpose A critical attribute of open educational practices (OEP) is the pursuit of open scholarship which comprises the release of educational resources under an open licence scheme that permits no-cost access, use, reuse, adaptation, retention and redistribution to others. The degree of openness in relation to this attribute will depend on the context and culture of the place and the people in it. When left to chance, the adoption and practice of open scholarship by educators is at best sketchy. For optimum impact, a design-based approach is essential. A central focus of such an approach will need to target educators’ belief systems and practices about their scholarship. Any such work will involve researchers collaborating with practitioners in real-life settings to improve educational practices through iterative analysis, design, development and implementation. The purpose of this paper is to report on how the development and use of such a design-based approach, implemented by the Open University of Sri Lanka, impacted the adoption and uptake of open scholarship among teachers in the Sri Lankan school system in terms of changes in their use of instructional resources, pedagogical thinking and pedagogical practices. Design/methodology/approach The study adopted a design-based research (DBR) approach (Reeves, 2006), which involved researchers collaboratively working with practitioners in real-life settings to improve their educational practices along three aspects – instructional resource use, pedagogical perspectives and pedagogical practices. Based on the four stages of the DBR approach – analysis, solution, testing and refinement, and reflection, a professional development intervention programme was designed and implemented to support teachers on the integration of open educational resources (OER) and adoption of OEP in their teaching-learning process. Data collected throughout the process using multiple strategies such as questionnaire surveys, concept mapping, lesson plans, focus group interviews, self-reflections and “stories”, were analyzed using both qualitative and quantitative methods. Findings By the end of the intervention, significant changes were observed in teachers’ use of instructional resources, their pedagogical thinking and pedagogical practices. While resource usage has shifted from no or low usage of OER to reuse, revise, remix and creation of OER, the pedagogical thinking and practices of teachers moved from a content-centric and individualized patterns to more constructivist, context centric and collaborative ways. The diffusion of OEP was prominent along two dimensions – enhancements in the individual practices in innovative OER use as well as collaborative practices of sharing of resources, knowledge and good practices. Practical implications The systematic and flexible methodology adopted based on the DBR approach via a framework designed as a contextualized, process oriented and a self-reflective enquiry has been very useful to support changes in OEP among practitioners over time. Originality/value This iterative process allowed the researchers to function as “designers”, while investigating real-life issues in collaboration with the practitioners through reflective enquiry to further refine innovative practices towards OEP. This provides valuable insights for improved design solutions for future interventions in similar contexts

Open educational practice: Caveat Emptor

The case for open educational resources and massive open online courses is clearest and strongest when seen within the broader conversation around open educational practice. This comprises open access to educational opportunity, and alternative modes of learning as well as engagement with open scholarship. While the case for access to educational opportunity and approaches to various modes of open learning are now widely recognized and accepted, the case for engagement with open scholarship is not entirely clear and convincing. This chapter explores the major confounds around the case for open scholarship to separate the hype from the facts, and shed light on ethical and moral issues surrounding engagement with open educational practices. Implications of these practices for the roles, responsibilities and commitments of universities as well as other educational institutions in society, and the framing of a values driven and future-proofed curriculum for them are outlined and discussed

Dreamweaving open educational practices

Open Educational Resources (OER) and Open Educational Practices (OEP) are making education accessible to all through open licensing of materials. Case studies in this book represent a realization of the dreams of participating teachers from the Sri Lankan school system. Their stories are a testament to a thirst for knowledge and for the improvement of the lives of their students, as well as their own as teachers. Through the 5-Rs framework: Retain; Reuse; Revise; Remix & Redistribution, OER supports the ‘opening up’ of education, providing teachers and learners with opportunities for sharing educational resources openly and freely

Designing integration of OER and OEP

Using a design-based research approach, some initiatives in Open Educational Resources (OER) and practices (OEP) were implemented at the Open University of Sri Lanka (OUSL): integrating ICT & OER in Teacher Education Programmes (OERTE); implementation of an OER-based e-Learning Online Course (OEReL); reflection and evaluation on impacts of OER integration in Teacher Education (OERTL). The presentation outlines challenges, strategies and “changes” that emerged in each programme. Key challenges faced during the ‘change’ process were successfully addressed through carefully designed interventions

Development of the Open Educational Practices Impact Evaluation Index

The OEP-IE Index was developed as part of the Research on Open Educational Resources for Development (ROER4D) project implemented at the Open University of Sri Lanka, to evaluate the impacts of the integration of Open Educational Resources (OER) by school teachers. The Index functions as an instrument to capture perceptions, perspectives and practices of practitioners who engage with OER in their teaching and learning activities and how these might change over time. Drafts and revisions of the pilot survey instrument are presented along with some results from the pilot test

Impacts of OER : what difference does it make and how?

The Open University of Sri Lanka (OUSL) provides a major role in awareness raising among educators about OER, and encouraging use and creation of Open Educational Resources (OER) within the education system. This presentation outlines details of a proposed study regarding integration of OER and their impact on teaching and learning in Sri Lankan schools