By Stuart Nicol, Anne-Mare Scott and Lorna M. Campbell, University of Edinburgh. Workshop delivered at OER19 Recentering Open Conference, NUI Galway, April 2019

1. Positioning the values and
practices of open education
at the core of University
business
Stuart Nicol, Anne-Marie Scott and Lorna M. Campbell
Learning Teaching and Web Services
University of Edinburgh
Prodromus Dissertationum Cosmographicarum,
Centre for Research Collections, University of Edinburgh,
CC BY-NC-SA 2.0, https://flic.kr/p/fcwNdT

2. How does open education inform
core functions of the university?
• Consider the question from three
positions: where we are; where this will
lead us; where we ideally want to be.
• This is about an ethical approach to new
strands of core business at the University
of Edinburgh: developing and delivering
online programmes at scale.
• Help us identify and model how to shape
similar activities in open ways.

3. Session structure
1. Introduce our story, outlining 3 areas in
which open is being re-centred: open
practice; policy and data; and widening
access. (20 mins)
2. In groups, identify other areas where
open can have impact. (5 mins)
3. Using the picture cards, develop a story
of how open could be centred. (20 mins)
4. Share back (recorded?) (15 mins)
5. Post-session sharing.

4. University of Edinburgh Mission
We deliver impact for society. We discover,
develop and share knowledge.
Vision
As a truly global university, rooted
in Scotland’s capital city, we make
a significant, sustainable and
socially responsible contribution to the world.
Geographiae Blavianae: Atlas major,
Centre for Research Collections, University of Edinburgh,
CC BY ND NC 2.0, flic.kr/p/E3zqmV

5. University of Edinburgh OER Vision
• The history of the Edinburgh
Settlement.
• Excellent education and research
collections.
• Traditions of the Enlightenment
and civic mission.
Commission from the Dodge of Venice,
Centre for Research Collections, University of Edinburgh,
CC BY-NC-SA 2.0, https://flic.kr/p/snkn7o

6. University of Edinburgh OER Policy
• http://open.ed.ac.uk/about/
• Approved by Learning and Teaching
Committee in January 2016.
• Informative and permissive.
• Encourages staff and students to use,
create and publish OERs to enhance
the quality of the student experience.
• Helps colleagues make informed
decisions about creating and using
OER.
Anima Celtica, The Evergreen Spring, 1895,
Centre for Research Collections, University of Edinburgh,
CC BY, Europeana / images.is.ed.ac.uk

7. Open.Ed, https://open.ed.ac.uk/

8. OER Service Activities
• Run workshops and digital skills development
events around OER and open education.
• Provide support to Schools and Colleges.
• Provide advice, guidance and training on
copyright and open licensing.
• Provide support for strategic technology
initiatives e.g. Lecture Recording, Academic
Blogging, Learn, MOOCs, DLAS, etc.
Papers of William Speirs Bruce, No.686,
Centre for Research Collections, University of Edinburgh,
CC BY-NC-SA 2.0, https://flic.kr/p/fcwCzM

9. OER Service Activities
• Support ISG’s playful engagement strategy.
https://thinking.is.ed.ac.uk/playful-engagement/
• Work closely with our Wikimedian in
Residence.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:University_
of_Edinburgh
• Host Open Content Curation student
interns.
Our Poultry,
Centre for Research Collections, University of Edinburgh,
CC BY 2.0, https://images.is.ed.ac.uk/

10. OER Service Activities
• Publish quarterly newsletter.
http://open.ed.ac.uk/newsletter/
• Maintain a showcase of
Edinburgh’s OERs.
http://open.ed.ac.uk/edinburghs-
oers/
The Editor of the Quarterly,
Centre for Research Collections, University of Edinburgh,
CC BY, https://images.is.ed.ac.uk/

11. Learning Analytics
Policy
• How can we use open practices to engage in
a way that is consistent with our values?
• Wicked problems – can’t not engage.

12. Values-led approach
Principles and purposes
• “As an institution we understand that data
never provides the whole picture about
students’ capacities or likelihood of success”
• “We recognise that data and algorithms can
contain and perpetuate bias, and will actively
work to recognise and minimise any potential
negative impacts"
• "...learning analytics can benefit all students
in reaching their full academic potential....we
do not propose a deficit model targeted only
at supporting students at risk of failure"
https://www.ed.ac.uk/files/atoms/files/learnin
ganalyticsprinciples.pdf

13. Consultation

14. Open Policy (CC-BY)

15. Open source tools

16. From MOOCs to Masters (via
MicroCredentials)

17. Lowering the barriers to for-credit education
• Offering a new microcredential:
MicroMasters.
• No entry requirements / lower cost /
actual credit

18. Partnering with edX
• Their values are closest to
ours.
• A not for profit organisation.
• Built on an open source
platform.
• The only MOOC provider
where content is not locked-
in.
• There is a free path through
the taught MM modules.

19. We share what we make
• All of our videos are openly
licenced (where possible)
and made available for
download outside of the
platform.
• Academic colleagues are
supported by our OER
service to make sure courses
use openly available
resources.

20. Learning design
• ABC: based on a model that
uses openly licenced
resources.
• We re-share our changes back
to the community.
• Thinking about inclusivity and
accessibility

21. Foregrounding equal voices in course design
• The trickiest one of all. A lot of
work to be done.
• We remind academics during
the learning design sessions to
be conscious of equal voices
on the course.
• We have a digital librarian who
can help.

22. Your Turn
Identify other areas where open can have impact.
Write these down on post-it notes.
(5 mins)

23. What's the story?
Choose one of the areas where open could
have impact.
Using the picture cards, develop a (short) story
of how open could be centred.
(20 mins)

24. Share back
Nominate someone in your group to tell your story
back to the group
(15 mins)

25. Contact
Stuart Nicol
stuart.nicol@ed.ac.uk
@nicolvision
Lorna M. Campbell
lorna.m.campbell@ed.ac.uk
http://lornamcampbell.org/
@LornaMCampbell
CC BY, University of
Edinburgh, unless otherwise
indicated.
Anne-Marie Scott
anne-marie.scott@ed.ac.uk
https://ammienoot.com/
@ammienoot
CC BY, University of Edinburgh