From theory to practice: can openness improve the quality of OER research?

CALRG 2014 Beck Pitt Bea de los Arcos Rob FarrowThe Open University

• What is the OER Research Hub?

• Why Open Research? Practicing Openness

• Researching in the Open

• Sharing Evidence in the Open: Impact Map

• Open Research Course

Overview

http://oerresearchhub.org #oerrhub @OER_Hub

What is the OER Research Hub?

• 2-year research project funded by William & Flora Hewlett Foundation

• Aiming to build the most comprehensive picture of OER impact

• Collaboration model across different educational sectors

• Global reach but with a USA focus

• Fellowship Scheme

• Researching openness in the open

OER Research Hub

oerresearchhub.org #oerrhub @OER_Hub

Researching Open Educational Resources…

Image credit: https://twitter.com/JasonElsom/status/474448086702776320/photo/1

Often feels like…

But occasionally feels like…

Photo credit: Tim Seal CC-BY

Our Hypotheses

Keyword Hypothesis

Performance OER improve student performance/satisfaction

Openness People use OER differently from other online materials

Access OER widen participation in education

Retention OER can help at-risk learners to finish their studies

Reflection OER use leads educators to reflect on their practice

Finance OER adoption brings financial benefits for students/institutions

Indicators Informal learners use a variety of indicators when selecting OER

Support Informal learners develop their own forms of study support

Transition OER support informal learners in moving to formal study

Policy OER use encourages institutions to change their policies

Assessment Informal assessments motivate learners using OER

Collaboration Model

Collaboration Model

Collaboration Model

Collaboration Model

Why Open Research?Practicing Openness

How we can make research better

Open Research Practice:

• All outputs from the project are CC-BY licensed: research instruments and methodology

• Share our data and evidence: Impact Map and Survey Explorer

• Blog progress of research and collaborations

• Blog research findings

• Use Twitter to connect, network and disseminate

• Continuous evaluation and reflection on our practice

Photo Credit: Mozfest13 Beck Pitt CC-BY

Photo credit: still of “sprint” scene in Silicon Valley

Make use of agile research techniques:

• Sprints enable us to focus on and progress outstanding tasks as a group

• Blog about our experiences of “sprinting”

• Patrick’s CALRG 2013 presentation

Researching in the Open

Researching in the Open: Researcher Pack

Research Instruments available in the open:

• Ethics manual

• Interview and Focus Group Questions

• Survey Questions

• Open Consent Forms

Researching in the Open: Sharing Practices and our Survey Questions

“Building Communities” Photo credit: Beck Pitt CC-BYScreenshots of OER Research Hub and ROER4D websites

Sharing research methodologies and practices Creating synergies and building relationships

Sharing Evidence in the Open

Picture credit: Bill Nihilist http://society6.com/BillNihilist/Loose-Lips-CNl#1=45

What we’re not about…

Blogs and Infographics

Slideshare and YouTube

Open Access Journals

Instead… Twitter

Sharing Evidence in the Open: Impact Map

OER Impact Maphttp://chaos.open.ac.uk

OER Impact Maphttp://chaos.open.ac.uk

Picture credits: Bea de los Arcos CC-BY

Open Research Course

School of Open course

P2PU/Creative Commons initiative

Facilitated and non-facilitated courses on different aspects of “openness” and open practices

Courses include Copyright for Educators (both AUS and US), Get CC Savvy, Open Habits: making stuff with the daily create, Intro to Openness in Education

OER Research Hub:

Four week facilitated course on open research

Ties into researcher pack

Co-authored by OER Research Hub team over 4-5 months.

School of Open course

Open and Collaborative:

Initial brainstorming at February Awayday. Met every couple of weeks to review drafts and give group feedback.

Asked community for what they would like to see in an open research course (Twitter, Fellows)

Creation of assets for course: interviews on open research practices and reflection

Megan and Catherine’s blog posts (reflection)

Course underwent an OU style review.

Mapped activities and outcomes on final draft.

Overall course review and check for consistency, use of external materials etc.

Early drafts of the Open Research Course. (Picture credit: OER Research Hub, CC-BY)

School of Open course

Open review process: community reviewed Non-facilitated version of the course to be made availableCourse openly available for others to use and develop

Course composition:

What is open research?EthicsDisseminationReflection

Almost there! Mapping the activities and outcomes against the course structure. (Picture credit: OER Research Hub, CC-BY)

Course start date: 15 September 2014

Thanks for listening!

http://oerresearchhub.orghttp://oermap.orgTwitter: @BeckPitt, @celTatis, @philosopher1978

References/Bibliography

McAndrew, P. Becoming more agile researchers: experiences from researching OER (June 2013, http://www.slideshare.net/openpad/agile-research-for-open-education-reso) (Accessed 6 June 2014, 12.25)

Perryman, L-A. Somewhere, something incredible is waiting to be known: nine surveys for OER Research (June 2013, http://oerresearchhub.org/2013/06/19/somewhere-something-incredible-is-waiting-to-be-known-nine-surveys-for-oer-research/) (Accessed 6 June 2014, 12.23)

Trotter, H. ROER4D Question Harmonisation Process

(May 2014, http://roer4d.org/892) (Accessed 6 June 2014, 12.26)

References/Bibliography

“OER-archery” at CNX2013 Photo credit: Beck Pitt, CC-BY

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