1. 1 REBECCA NGALANDE - UNIMA KCN PRESENTED AT 2011 OER CONVENING CONFERENCE – SAFARI PARK HOTEL - NAIROBI KENYA 18 TH MAY 2011 EXPERIENCES AND CHALLENGES OF OER AT UNIVERSITY OF MALAWI KAMUZU COLLEGE OF NURSING

2. Paper Guide  Is Kamuzu College of Nursing (KCN) prepared / ready to create relevant OER?  What OER has been produced at KCN?  Is institutional policy at KCN – and at the University of Malawi as a whole –amenable to OER?  To what extent is KCN involved in an OER community of practice within which to share, adapt and re-sue relevant OER? 2

3. Outline of the Presentation  Background  Significance of OER  Lessons learnt  Challenges  Role of students in OER  Future of OER at KCN 3

4. BACKGROUND: KCN  University of Malawi (UNIMA) college  Traced from 1965  Has two campuses 4

5. 5 KCN MISSION “Provide quality, comprehensive and cost effective nursing, Midwifery and other Health related educational programmes in response to societal provision to promote the health of the people of Malawi, Africa and beyond’’.

6. CURRENT INSTITUTIONAL CHALLENGE Change of environment National needs Transition 6

7. CURRENT INSTITUTIONAL CHALLENGE  Partial IT Dept  Power supply  UNIMA and government attitude towards tertiary education 7

8. PURPOSE OF OER  Improve access to learning opportunities by sharing knowledge and learning resources  Save time, cut costs and contribute to improving the quality of teaching and learning – quality graduates with required competencies  Stimulates and facilitate s growth of a pool of learning resources  With OER you are free to use, adapt, mix and share the resources, and become part of the growing community 8

9. STRATEGY Formulation of OER champions : 1.Sensitize 2.Lobby  stable power  Pilot project 3.Technical support 4.Funding 9

10. OER TYPE  Learning package for midwifery students clinical experience part one;  Uncomplicated prenatal care  Uncomplicated labour  Uncomplicated postpartum care  Support : IADP, and South African Institute for Distance Education (SAIDE) 10

11. PILOT PROJECT OBJECTIVES PILOT PROJECT OBJECTIVES  Increase OER understanding  Capacity building  Develop /create OER 11

12. OUTCOME  Formulation of OER team  Training of OER champions  Production of the 1 st OER resource  Piloting of resource from July –September 2010 with 11 midwifery students 12

13. 13 LESSONS LEARNT : OER LESSONS LEARNT : OER

14. LESSONS LEARNT: The POWER Of OER  Your contribution makes a difference worldwide in education like  Students in USA & Africa are able to collaborate on a specific area of interest Students  An educator is able to find easily group exercises for her learning science class An educator  Your experience in using open and freely shared course-related materials is valuable in the reuse and evolution of the materials as it improves quality and confidence of the producer 14

15. LESSONS LEARNT: INSTITUTIONAL  New movement in education  An opportunity to market the institution 15

16. LESSONS LEARNT : FACULTY  An opportunity to market self  Try new ways of teaching  Network and collaborate  Share experiences 16

17. LESSONS LEARNT : STUDENTS LESSONS LEARNT : STUDENTS  Current information  Collaborate and network with other colleges  New methods of learning  Flexibility —materials can be adapted for specific students needs 17

18. LESSONS LEARNT : TEACHING RESOURCE  Responsibilities  Technical support and IT depts.  Attitude of faculty  Change of curriculum 18

19. OER Production Challenges Challenges  Unstable internet and power  Material search  No local technical support and IT depts.  Time for the team  Lack of funding project  Attitude of faculty members Strategy  Processing purchase of generator  Improved internet  Recruitment stage  Using off hours initially  Good support from management but to source funding after launch of pilot  Sensitization 19

20. OER WAY FORWARD Advance the OER movement:  Awareness  Networking Creation and use:  Develop more capacity  Quality assurance Identify facilitators and barriers:  Strong committed team  Sustainability 20

21. 2 ND PROJECT: Counseling skills 2 ND PROJECT: Counseling skills  Complex -  Involved large group  Three colleges  Faculty and technical teams  Majority not committed  Core resource and departmental 21

22. KCN OER CHAMPIONS Rebecca C Ngalande – MCH & DDOF College OER Coordinator & e-learning champion BT Elizabeth Chodzaza - MCH DHOD e- Learning Liason Officer & OER Champion team member BT Chrissie Phiri - MCH OER Champion Team member LL Wynes Gondwe - Clinical & DHOD OER Champion Team member BT Mary Kamphinda Banda - DHOD Med-Surg OER Champion Team Member BT Emphraim Banda ICT Support Staff OER Champion Team member BT 22

23. ACKNOWLEDGEMENT ACKNOWLEDGEMENT The Team is grateful to the following for both material, moral, time and physical assistance  IADP for guidance and encouragement  SAIDE and Christiane Randell for facillitation during the initial phase  KCN former and current librarians  KCN management for encouragement and financial and moral support throughout the process 23

24. THANK YOU from warm heart of Africa 24