Buhle Mbambo Thata - OERs at UNISA: a perspecitve from the library
1. OERs at UNISA: a perspective from
the Library
Buhle Mbambo-Thata (DPHIL)
Executive Director- UNISA Library services
12 September 2013
2. Background of Open access
December 2001, Budapest: OSI held a meeting of leaders
exploring alternative publishing models. Concluded that “open
access” was the goal and agreed on two main strategies for
achieving it:
1.
Open Access journals
2.
Institutional/subject-based repositories
Budapest Open Access Initiative
5. OER definition
“The provision of educational resources,
enabled by information and
communication technologies, for
consultation, use and adaptation by a
community of users for non commercial
purposes” Hylen 2006.
8. Project Coordinator
Project Coordinator
Mr Dennis Ikpe (+27 12 429 6518, ikpecd@unisa.ac.za)
Mr Dennis Ikpe (+27 12 429 6518, ikpecd@unisa.ac.za)
Contact Information:
Contact Information:
MathsEdge
MathsEdge
c/o College of Science Engineering and Technology
c/o College of Science Engineering and Technology
Unisa
Unisa
Po Box 392
Po Box 392
0003
0003
South Africa
South Africa
Available formats
Available formats
•CD: Free, issued on request
•CD: Free, issued on request
•Web-based: www.mathsedge.org.za
•Web-based: www.mathsedge.org.za
•Camps: For selected learners, as made possible by
•Camps: For selected learners, as made possible by
funders such as the South African Institute of Charted
funders such as the South African Institute of Charted
Accountants and Thuthuka (NRF).
Accountants and Thuthuka (NRF).
9. Learn an African Language online
This resource was developed by Dr Petro Kotzé at the African
language Department, in the College of Human Sciences
(CHS) at Unisa. The Resource provides some information
official African languages in South Africa. (African Languages,
Unisa, n.d.)
Available formats
Available formats
CD with pamphlet: Free, issued on request
CD with pamphlet: Free, issued on request
Web-based: http://www.unisa.ac.za/free_online_course
Web-based: http://www.unisa.ac.za/free_online_course
The resources include phrases in five African languages
(Northern Sotho, Tswana, Zulu, Southern Sotho and Xhosa)
with:
•Sound tracks
•Video clips
•Self-assessments
10. People Behind the
Papers
The People Behind the Papers is
an initiative located in the
Department of Psychology at
Unisa.
The resource consists of:
•Photographs and short description
of research fields and experience
of interviewees
•Interviews with established
researchers (videos)
Available formats
Web- based: https://sites.google.com/a/unisa.ac.za/people/home
12. RECENT UNISA OER Initiatives
● Signatory to UNESCO OER statement
● OEP (Open Educational Practices) Strategy - first draft
document.
Four strategic priorities
Effective management for intellectual assets
New open licensing framework for the institution
Integration of OER into courses
Openness in the dissemination of research
findings
13. UNISA OER Initiatives (cont.)
● Interim guidelines for using Creative Commons licences
on Unisa produced materials
● Unisa Open portal (see next slide)
● QA standards for use of OERs.
● OER and technology presentations.
● OERu (Open Education Resources University).
● Open Education Week 2014
15. What has been the library role?
•
•
•
•
•
Open Access week commemoration
– OA publishing
– IR
– OER
Creating an OER community on IR prior to OER portal
Part of the OER Project Strategy Team
Tagging OER sites
Diigo project – (collaboration between with Library, ICT and OER office)
16. Why should libraries be involved?
• Central learning facilitation role
• Integrate with other OA activities
– UNESCO ought to lead by example on this
integration
• Intermediary role may be lost-learn from MPESA!
17. What have we learnt
• The teaching and learning fields are changing and so
must libraries
• Library sits in a vantage position to see links and
convergences where learning communities may not see
them
• Information finding, organisation and dissemination is
our strength
18. Conclusion
• Two crucial points
1. Support for teaching and learning
• Convergence of technology and student learning
process may minimize library role therefore proactivity is
critical!
• Maintain learning facilitation role- 21st century learning
has changed- OER and ILS
2. Open education/Open scholarship
• Provide strategic link between OER and library• Establish a convergence with OA initiatives on campus
to maximize resources and energies
19. Any questions or suggestions?
Dr Buhle Mbambo-Thata
mbambtb@unisa.ac.za
Hinweis der Redaktion
The OEP (Open Educational Practices) Strategy first draft document has been disseminated for comment and consultation. Comments are due by end of August. The plan is that it will serve at Council before the end of the year.
In order to accelerate the move towards Unisa’s recently adopted business model, based on the guiding principles listed above and in response to the imperatives of a changing educational landscape, the four key strategic priories for Unisa in terms of OEP are:
Development of an effective management system for intellectual assets.
Establishment of a new open licensing framework for the institution that allows publication of Unisa resources under a wide range of suitable licences and application of this licensing framework across the institution’s entire intellectual asset base.
Systematic integration of high quality, available OER into courses and their subsequent release for use by others.
Creating openness in the dissemination of research findings.
Interim guidelines for using Creative Commons licences have been approved by MANCOM. An ICT project is underway to create an automated system for the above process on myUnisa. Currently technical requirements and solution proposals are being drafted.
Unisa Open is a portal where many open resources can be found. This portal is continually updated.
A collaborative project with the library to use social bookmarking system Diigo for the tagging of useful open content.
QA standards are being developed in collaboration with DSPQA, instrument is under development.
The Office of the PVC has an internal advocacy presentation in place to ensure that faculty have a clear understanding of the Open movement in education as well as a taste of technology advances. Currently this presentation is done on an invitation basis. The idea is that this will be rolled out as a road show, shortly.
We founding anchor partners of the OERu (Open Education Resources University). Unisa has contributed a module on 2nd year level (critical reasoning. Department of Philosophy). The module has been deboned and adapted as an OER. The OERu makes use of WikiEducator and so the module has had to be adapted for use on this site. Depending on the success of the OERu, more modules might be contributed in future. In terms of the OERu there is an accreditation challenge that faces Unisa in terms of accrediting students who pass modules from other partner institutions.
A week has been provisionally set aside on the institutional calendar for 2014 under the banner of Open Education Week 2014. Activity planning for this week will commence shortly