Opening+up+Educational+Resources

=Project Name: Opening Up Educational Resources=

Public Contact Details
Name: Kirsty Sharp Role in the project: Project Manager Email: kirsty.sharp[at]polytechnic.tas.edu.au Phone: 03 6233 8604

Case Study

Background information on OERs rss url="http://feeds.delicious.com/v2/rss/kirstys/oer?count=15" link="true" number="10"

Project Profile:
The Tasmanian Polytechnic’s scope is broad and inclusive of both career starters (Year 11 and 12 students) and career changers, geographically spread around the state, and addressing learning needs in eight different industry sectors. As a result of this broad scope, the Polytechnic has significant needs for relevant, credible and current materials to support learning activity. From an organisational perspective the scale and scope of this project is necessarily large to achieve significant impact in a short time frame. If we were to support one or two teams to work in this way each year, it will take several years to begin to permeate the organisation and likely would not achieve the same eventual outcomes. By involving multiple teaching areas across the industry and regional spread represented, we will be able to lead a significant shift in the practices and perceptions about open educational resources as an organisational strategy.
 * What is the problem or opportunity you are addressing in this project?**

Learners in the Animal Studies courses are spread across the state and are geographically isolated from each other and their teacher who is based in Devonport. This project will enable the learners to use elearning tools to collaborate, share and communicate more effectively. The mature age learners in the Business courses typically are returning to study after a break from the workforce and education. The learners in the Tourism course are Year 11 & 12 students undertaking this course to start their careers. The learners in Essential Skills are year 11&12 students accessing on campus learning who currently experience minimal elearning. The learners in Community Services are on campus learners with access to some E-learning. They are often mature age learners changing careers. They participate in work placements as part of their training programs.
 * Who are the learners and how will they benefit from this project?**

All of the learners will have access to learning activities and supporting resources on a wiki platform and activities will include contribution or documentation of their learning and discovered resources to their peers through the wikis. Learner involvement will also include participation in evaluation activities to inform future plans.


 * How are you currently delivering this training? (ie prior to the project)**

Being an institution wide project, this project brings together staff from many different industry areas and teams, to embed open educational resources in their learning, teaching and assessment practices. Each of the sub-project areas has an on-campus component, and the majority also include some elearning supports and content for learners located behind authentication barriers. Some learners also participate in work placements as a key part of their programs.

Learners will have increased access to learning opportunities, and a real invitation to contribute their own perspective and content to the shared resources. Through the design of the learning activity there will be a recognition of the value they are able to bring to the learning process, and the opportunity to share and collaborate with their peers and facilitators.
 * Describe how the innovation you are embedding through the project will change this delivery**

Through using a wiki platform for the learning activities and materials, learners will experience the opportunity to source, create and access learning materials for their own later self directed learning on the web. The ability to contribute to the learning materials quite deliberately changes the power relationships in the teaching and learning processes. It becomes a user-centric approach to collaborative content creation.

The wikis will be available to learners wherever they have an internet connection - regardless of location, time of day, or class schedules.


 * Keywords**: wiki OER openeducation shareable resources

Photo Credit: cc licensed flickr photo [|My helpers] shared by [|Kirsty S]