Open textbooks - an untapped opportunity for universities, schools and colleges

The pilot phase of the UK Open Textbook project reached completion in April 2018. This article discusses the project, what open textbooks are, and why they are an untapped opportunity for universities, colleges and schools. The North American models of open textbook creation and uptake (adoption) are designed to help reduce university student financial worries and enhance learning opportunities, and provide much-needed resources for schools (or the K12 system in the US and Canada). The ability to repurpose books leads to innovative and engaging pedagogies including students as co-authors. Yet in the UK, the level of discussion and awareness of the opportunities afforded by open textbooks, and the existence of a small number of UK initiatives, is poor. The aim of the UK Open Textbook project was to raise awareness and host activities to encourage the adoption of open textbooks. The results of the project are discussed, along with the policy, cultural and practice changes required to scale up these approaches. Why should our learners miss out

Students as evaluators of open educational resources

The global open education movement is thriving and growing, and as the term open educational resource (OER) reaches adolescence, critical questions are starting to emerge. Is the promise providing open access to high-quality education being delivered? Startlingly absent from the literature is the thorough understanding of the views of OER student users, be they campus-based or open learners on the web. This paper presents the results of a mixed method survey of student attitudes to examine their awareness of OER and understanding of quality. Student volunteers additionally worked with university staff to develop an OER evaluation matrix (OEREM) to aid selection and use of resources. Student selection of OER is based on a mixture of value-based and quality-based judgments, and ease of use may simply be driving their choices. Further research is required to understand how the resulting OEREM matrix can be used to provide a more informed and critical selection, and also how such strategies can be used to assist open learners who bring a diverse range of academic abilities and personal circumstances that influence their learning

Advancing healthcare sciences through staff, student and service user partnerships

The reforms to the National Health Service scientific training as part of the Modernising Scientific Careers (MSC) initiative have attempted to streamline the delivery of undergraduate-level education through a core ‘Healthcare Science’ Bachelors programme. Central to the reforms, and therefore an integral part of the curricula, is the involvement of patients and service users. Although their involvement is well-established in other medical and healthcare-related disciplines, for Healthcare Science it is new. This case study presents the approaches to integrate patient and service user views in two undergraduate programmes, namely Life Sciences and Physiological Sciences, including input into both programme governance and delivery. The study outlines the challenges and benefits perceived at these early stages of implementation and raises important questions for future research

A systematic review of the socio-ethical aspects of Massive Online Open Courses

Massive open online courses (MOOCs) offer learners across the globe unprecedented access to education. Through sophisticated e-learning technologies and web approaches, MOOCs attract massive scale participation and global interest. Some commercial ventures place social equality at the heart of their missions, claiming to empower communities by making education accessible and affordable. In reality, the socio-ethical impact of MOOCs has not been investigated fully, so it is not clear whether they meet these aspirations.The aim of this study was to conduct a systematic literature review to examine the socio-ethical dimensions of MOOCs. The results showed a paucity of literature specifically addressing the subject in question, although there was evidence of many innovative approaches underway to examine new paradigms within learning analytics and online study behaviour that are emerging because of MOOCs. A small number of papers explored new pedagogic approaches such as conducting peer assessment on a massive scale, and how learning groups connect and establish on the open web.To conclude, this paper begins to provide a framework on which to consider the socio-ethical dimensions of MOOCs. There is a need for good quality research to provide an evidence-base to ensure MOOCs deliver a socially equitable learning experience

Web strategies for the curation and discovery of openeducational resources

For those receiving funding from the UK HEFCE-funded Open Educational Resource Programme (2009 – 2012), the sustainability of project outputs was one of a number of essential goals. Our approach for the hosting and distribution of health and life science open educational resources (OER) was based on the utilisation of the WordPress.org blogging platform and search engine optimisation (SEO) techniques to curate content and widen discovery. This paper outlines the approaches taken and tools used at the time, and reflects upon the effectiveness of web strategies several years post-funding. The paper concludes that using WordPress.org as a platform for sharing and curating OER, and the adoption of a pragmatic approach to SEO, offers cheap and simple ways for small scale open education projects to be effective and sustainable

Are multimedia resources effective in life science education? A meta-analysis.

Multimedia learning is widely used in life science education where the use of pictures and text can bring complex structures and processes to life. However the impact on academic performance and deeper understanding is not well documented. We therefore carried out a systematic review to evaluate the effectiveness of multimedia resources in tertiary level life science education. Comprehensive literature searches were conducted; studies were selected based on stringent pre-set criteria, and data were extracted for meta-analysis. In total, 17 studies were used in the meta-analyses with a total population of 2,290 students. The results show that, when used as a substitute for laboratory practicals, multimedia improved student learning gains assessed with an end-of-year examination, (mean difference 7.06, ±4.61). Although it did not improve short-term learning gains in this scenario, multimedia improved learning gains in 10 of the 16 sub-group comparisons made across all the studies. Overall, multimedia learning was more effective than many traditional educational methods although the numbers of studies included in the analysis were ultimately considered to be small due to many exclusions from the studies included in the analysis. Therefore, more good quality trials are required to evaluate a broader range of scenarios relevant to modern practices. Studies would benefit from being rigorous in design with good quality reporting of all aspects of methodology and study results.HEA Subject Centre for Bioscienc

“I find the whole enterprise daunting”: Staff understanding of Open Education initiatives within a UK university

“Open” initiatives, which focus on increasing access to education, resources, and research, are often practised by individuals rather than universities. However, universities must now produce openly accessible research to comply with research funding and assessment requirements. To encourage staff participation, universities need to understand what participation barriers their staff face. 67 University of the West of England staff were surveyed about how they understood and participated in open initiatives. Four staff gave qualitative interviews about their experiences. This data was analysed to find correlates for participation and to identify participation barriers. Participants valued open initiatives and supported their underlying goal of increased public access. Staff faced many entry barriers, especially around resource maintenance, copyright, and permissions. Universities could reduce these issues by emphasising how open initiatives allow staff to save time and to avoid reduplicating resources, and by creating unified “open policies” that make staff permissions and restrictions clearer

Gut microbial modulation by culinary herbs and spices

Culinary herbs and spices have previously been recognised for their potential impact on health through antioxidant and antimicrobial properties. They may also be promotors of positive microbial modulation by stimulating beneficial gut bacteria during fermentation, increasing the production of short chain fatty acids and thereby exhibiting a prebiotic effect. In the present paper, current literature around herb and spice consumption, gut microbiota modulation and prospective health benefits were reviewed. Herb and spice consumption can positively modulate gut microbes and possibly play an important role in inflammation related afflictions such as obesity. Current literature indicates that few human studies have been conducted to confirm the impact of herb and spice consumption on gut microbiota in connection with prospective health outcomes and inconsistencies in conclusions therefore remain

BOB CAT: a Large-Scale Review and Delphi Consensus for Management of Barrett’s Esophagus With No Dysplasia, Indefinite for, or Low-Grade Dysplasia

OBJECTIVES: Barrett’s esophagus (BE) is a common premalignant lesion for which surveillance is recommended. This strategy is limited by considerable variations in clinical practice. We conducted an international, multidisciplinary, systematic search and evidence-based review of BE and provided consensus recommendations for clinical use in patients with nondysplastic, indefinite, and low-grade dysplasia (LGD). METHODS: We defined the scope, proposed statements, and searched electronic databases, yielding 20,558 publications that were screened, selected online, and formed the evidence base. We used a Delphi consensus process, with an 80% agreement threshold, using GRADE (Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development and Evaluation) to categorize the quality of evidence and strength of recommendations. RESULTS: In total, 80% of respondents agreed with 55 of 127 statements in the final voting rounds. Population endoscopic screening is not recommended and screening should target only very high-risk cases of males aged over 60 years with chronic uncontrolled reflux. A new international definition of BE was agreed upon. For any degree of dysplasia, at least two specialist gastrointestinal (GI) pathologists are required. Risk factors for cancer include male gender, length of BE, and central obesity. Endoscopic resection should be used for visible, nodular areas. Surveillance is not recommended for <5 years of life expectancy. Management strategies for indefinite dysplasia (IND) and LGD were identified, including a de-escalation strategy for lower-risk patients and escalation to intervention with follow-up for higher-risk patients. CONCLUSIONS: In this uniquely large consensus process in gastroenterology, we made key clinical recommendations for the escalation/de-escalation of BE in clinical practice. We made strong recommendations for the prioritization of future research

Staff OER Survey

Update of our 2009 OER survey to include a few additional questions. Attitudes and perceptions of open educational resources.