licensing in the virtual learning environment a strategic institutional approach antónio teixeira...

Licensing in theVirtual Learning Environment

A Strategic Institutional Approach

António Teixeira(Universidade Aberta - PT)

IFRRO BUSINESS MODELS FORUMLicensing in the Virtual Learning Environment

Lisbon, 02 June 2010

1



Itinerary

1. Prologue: Why an (Open) University should become Virtual?

2. A Network Learning System: The challenge of the EHEA

3. LMS-based Virtual Learning Environments

4. Personal Learning Environments

5. Open Resources and User-generated Content

6. Conclusion: How to Assure the Quality of Open Education

2António TeixeiraA Strategic Institutional Approach



The Globalization of Higher Education(Political, Social, Economical and Cultural Factors)

1. Increased Physical and Virtual Mobility of Students and Teachers;2. Integration of University Systems forming a Trans-continental unique

HE market;3. Increased Knowledge Transfer and Sharing;4. Sustainable Human Development and Open Innovation;5. Geo-problems;6. Eco-problems.

3António Teixeira A Strategic Institutional Approach



A New Idea of UniversityA University without place / A University in all places allways

1. The New Mission of Universities;2. Cooperation vs. Collaboration within and between

Universities;3. The Universities on and in the Net.




UNIVERSIDADE AbERTA’S HistoryChronology of Main Events

1988. Foundation of the University1989. First Undergraduate Programmes started1990. First Master Programmes started1994. Statues Approved. First elected President (Rector)1995. First UAb Doctor1998. Second President (Rector) elected [The first woman to be

Rector in Portuguese Universities]2000. First Online Course2004. First Online Degree (Master Programme)2006. Third President elected (current). Presentation of the

Strategic Plan and Launching of the Innovation in ODLStrategy

2007. Full Implementation of ECTS and the EHEA Principles.Implementation of the Online Pedagogical Model

2009. Full Implementation of the Online Pedagogical Model.UAb became a fully online University




• Universidade Aberta is the public Portuguese distance education University

• Located in Lisbon, has also offices in Porto and Coimbra

• 4 Faculties (Departments)

• 13 Regional Centers

• 15 Undergraduate Programmes

• 18 Masters

• + 700 Courses

• 154 full-time academic staff (>80% with PhD) and 296 administrative staff

• + 10.000 students (20% non-Portuguese)

• Largest Higher Education publisher and TV producer




PortugalA strategic place in the end of Europe and the beginning of the World


http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/7/7e/Portugal_Imp%C3%A9rio_total.png



UAb’s Innovation Strategy (2006/10) [I]

Vision: To transform UAb into a fully Virtual University

Strategic Goals:

1. Globalize UAb operations and fully integrate the European Higher Education Area;

2. Make the learning experience fully flexible and independent from time and space restrictions;

3. Focus teaching on student needs and re-establish learning as a community-based experience;

4. Learning just in time and as we need – introduction to mobile-learning and non-formal modes of access to Knowledge.




UAb’s Innovation Strategy (2006/10) [II]

Strategic Principles:

1. Systemic and Integrated Approach to Institutional Change;2. Planning based on Cultural Analysis of the internal and external Context of

Implementation;3. Pedagogically-driven and not Technologically-driven Process;4. Active and wide involvement of all kinds of staff and bodies;5. International Comparability of Results;6. Political Coherence in Managing the Change Process.




UAb’s Innovation Strategy (2006/10) [III]

Main Strategic Tools:

1. (Online) Pedagogic Reference Model;2. New and especially trained tutor network;3. Continuous Training of Academic Staff, Tutors and Technical Staff based on the

Online Pedagogical Model;4. Establishment of a dedicated ODL Lab - Laboratório de Educação a Distância

(LEaD);5. Development of an integrated Virtual University Environment, facilitating and

promoting a collaborative learning experience (Moodle + integrating Portal / Social Network);

6. International Evaluation (International Advisory Board).




Copyright in a Virtual Learning Environmentin a Systemic (Institutional) Approach (I)

1. Licensing the technological environment and its development(proprietary/open source);

2. Licensing the learning resources (texts, images, sounds) specially produced byteachers or reused from available sources (copyright/open access);

3. Licensing the materials produced during the learning process by students;

4. Controlling content sharing among registered users (teachers/students);

5. Controlling content abusive use inside the virtual environment;

6. Controlling content abusive use outside the virtual environment.




Copyright in a Virtual Learning Environmentin a Systemic (Institutional) Approach (II)

1. Using a systemic approach meant all teachers and students had to besubject to specific training in order to be able to operate in the VirtualLearning Environment;

2. Users were therefore previously certified as such («licensed» as teachers orstudents);

3. In the Training Courses major focus was given to copyright issues as wellas open access and open content;

4. Institutional Policy and Directives (Copyright use, Open Access, etc.)are of critical importance;

5. The active collaboration between University Government (decision-makers),Faculties and Departments, Librarians and Legal Office staff is also crucial.




When using an LMS as a closed environment, all content production and use can be more easily certified and controlled. Even so, cheating and

appropriation can increase.

When using a PLE, it’s virtually impossible to control how users use content . It has become an ethical issue. Thus, users have to be educated regarding producing, reproducing, using and reusing online

content.




Truth on/of the Web (I)

With the Social Web (2.0) Digital Identity has become the key issue.

Students and Teachers are no longer just sharing some virtual space in order to extend their possibility to communicate and share

information, they live also on the web and have their own single digital identity. A student is therefore someone who cannot be

imprisoned in the confinement of an LMS.




Truth on/of the Web (II)

The same applies to the products of human creation. These are also productions of the web (multiple not related authors) and not just

products on the web. How can it be assured these are authentic and therefore true?

Probably, that can only be determined by transparency. Transparency not solely regarding its authorship process but also how the network community of users could find it trustworthy.




Trust and Transparency in User-generated Content Production

Licensing is a form of assuring authenticity and (usually) the author’s right to control the use of his/her creation.

Thus, an Open Content resource is licensed (usually by a Creative Commons license) by the original producer. However, the original

producer when allowing for its production to be changed and subject to reuse, does not control it’s life cycle or even how the content can

be changed.




Identity, Trust and Transparency

licensing copyrights is designed to assure authorship rights. It guarantees authenticity from an author’s perspective.

But, licensing can also assure user rights, thus guaranteeing authenticity from a user’s perspective, establishing the identity of the work.

In the Social Web, probably this 2nd form of licensing is more effective than the 1st in order to generate Trust an protect intellectual

autonomy.




Thank You!

[email protected]


licensing in the virtual learning environment a strategic institutional approach antónio teixeira...

Documents

virtual learning environments4

strategic plan

online university

open university

virtual mobility of

network learning system

online course2004

quality of open education