Open Learning in Universities DHET July 2013 Jenny Glennie

‘Open’ in Education ‘The doors of learning and culture shall be opened’ The first Open University Unesco’s Open Educational Practices Massive Open Online Courses Open Educational Resources Open Schools/Colleges Open Schools in SA

Dimensions of Openness All races (or genders) Entry requirements Flexibility Financial Legal Technical Pedagogical * Cheryl Hodgkinson-Williams and Eve Gray, Degrees of Openness: The emergence of Open Educational Resources at the University of Cape Town (IJEDICT), 2009, Vol. 5, Issue 5, pp ,

Degrees* of Openness Legal/technical Most restrictive to most accommodating Financial Most affordable to least affordable Pedagogy Most didactic to most participative So useful to think about opening up, rather than open * Cheryl Hodgkinson-Williams and Eve Gray, Degrees of Openness: The emergence of Open Educational Resources at the University of Cape Town (IJEDICT), 2009, Vol. 5, Issue 5, pp ,

Open Learning Approach “ Open learning is an approach which combines the principles of learner centredness, lifelong learning, flexibility of learning provision, the removal of barriers to access learning, the recognition for credit of prior learning experience, the provision of learner support, the construction of learning programmes in the expectation that learners can succeed, and the maintenance of rigorous quality assurance over the design of learning materials and support systems.” (White Paper 1, p 34, clause 25)

This Presentation Considerations around open learning principles Categorising and Unpacking Open Learning Principles Conceptualising the Increased Range of Models of Provision Recent Developments that Contribute to Opening Learning

Open Learning – some considerations Not only about access, but also about success About all aspects of the system and all modes of provision Social justice agenda – not free market

Open Learning Principles about… Increasing access and removing barriers learners have access to opportunities and capacity for lifelong learning learning provision takes account of is flexible, allowing learners to increasingly determine where, when, what and how they learn, as well as the pace at which they will learn

So, not only will groups like these access education 11 January 2012, Johannesburg

But also ones like these… Eastern Cape Household Food Security

and these….

And large numbers of older people can participate Age profile

At a price they can afford Fees for a qualification in distance tend to be half that for a ‘contact’ qualification Most often, no additional accommodation costs and minimal travel costs

Open Learning Principles about…. Removing barriers and accumulating success prior learning and experience is recognised wherever possible arrangements for credit transfer and articulation between qualifications facilitate further learning

Open Learning Principles about… Enabling success providers create the conditions for a fair chance of learner success through learner support, contextually appropriate resources and sound pedagogical practices learning processes centre on the learners and contexts of learning, build on their experience and encourage active engagement leading to independent and critical thinking

Principles in tension Opening choices about WHAT to study vs ensuring a coherent learning programme. Opening choices about WHEN to study vs providing structure and pacing so that underprepared students are offered a reasonable chance of success. Opening choices about HOW to study vs the need for integrity of programme design, closing digital divides and the need to develop collaborative competences Opening choices about WHERE to study vs need for WBE/WIL/practical components Opening choices about ASSESSMENT options vs need to ensure recognition / accreditation of learning achievements …

Rapidly increasing range of models of provision In what follows, I will frame these models by building on the Continuum of Educational Provision and adapting it for a digital age

Continuum of Educational Provision From purely face-to-face (contact) tuition through to education purely at a distance Face-to-faceDistance As for face-to-face education, there are many variations of distance provision

Affordances of New Technologies for Different Models of Provision: Some examples Communication Learning materials – More cost effective, quicker access to a wider range of learning materials for online and offline use – Ease of adaptation of course materials – Easy access to open educational resources

Affordances of New Technologies for Different Models of Provision: Some examples Possibility of real time and/or asynchronous engagement with and support of students – also among students Assessment – More frequent and interactive formative assessment – peer and educator – Rapid turnaround in assignment submission, marking and return Tracking students’ progress Analysing learner performance

Changing context in SA Increased bandwidth Increased connectivity Affordable devices Unisa set to take advantage of these affordances

Changing nature of face-to-face education

Changing nature of face-to-face Bates prediction: Hybrid learning: one year 20-40%; three years: 40-60%; five years: 70-90% Questions? What can the university or college offer that will make the morning commute for students worthwhile (not to mention faculty)? How can institutions leverage more fully the benefits of the campus when students can do much of their learning more conveniently, and often more effectively, online or remotely?

Moving to two dimensions Campus-based Remote/off campus No digital support Digitally supported Internet-supported Internet-dependent Fully online

A D C B Fully Offline Internet Supported Internet Dependent Fully Online Campus-basedRemote E Digitally Supported  Off-line -->

Key point Open learning principles can be applied to any programme regardless of its location on the grid

A further dimension In addition to the ICT and Geographic dimensions, a third “human” or “social” dimension needs to be considered that relates to the degree of interaction and autonomy …

The human/social dimension * Cheryl Hodgkinson-Williams and Eve Gray, Degrees of Openness: The emergence of Open Educational Resources at the University of Cape Town (IJEDICT), 2009, Vol. 5, Issue 5, pp ,

Recent Developments that Contribute to Opening Learning

Contact North - Ontario

I million sq km 13 million people

Problem – to give access to those in the North to Providers in the South East Established a network of providers who offer 1000 online programs and over online courses 112 online learning centres located in communities across Ontario to support you.

Contact North and Open Learning Principles Creating access Removing barriers – geographic, cost, flexibility Removing barriers and accumulating success – RPL, credit transfer Enabling success – centred on the learner, critical thinking A growing number of other examples …

Coursera

Udacity

OER University

VUSSC

Peer-to-peer University

University of the People

3.10 Giving Credit for OER-based Learning Anthony Camilleri, EFQUEL, Belgium Jeff Haywood, University of Edinburgh, UK Chahira Nouira, UN University, Germany Giving Credit for OER-based Learning UNESCO World Open Educational Resources Congress, June 2012 Paris 42

Giving Credit for OER-based Learning Anthony Camilleri, EFQUEL, Belgium Jeff Haywood, University of Edinburgh, UK Chahira Nouira, UN University, Germany Giving Credit for OER-based Learning UNESCO World Open Educational Resources Congress, June 2012 Paris 43