Teaching and Learning > DOCUMENTS
Open Educational Resources
Simon Smith
Call for expressions of interest: Open Educational Resources in Islamic Studies Project
To: Funding council funded higher education institutions
The Subject Centre for Philosophical and Religious Studies (PRS), in collaboration with the Subject Centre for Languages, Linguistics and Area Studies (LLAS) and the UK Centre for Legal Education (UKCLE), is preparing a bid to develop a pilot programme for open-source, Islamic Studies resources relevant for academic use in higher education. This bid is in response to an invitation from the Joint Information Systems Committee (JISC) and the Higher Education Academy (HEA) for subject area consortia to submit funding proposals for projects to release existing learning resources under a suitable licence for open use and repurposing.
The invitation notes that, “This is a pilot programme which is being funded in order to inform the design of future work in this domain. Specifically, the outcomes of this work will be used in proposing a larger long term Open Educational Resources programme to funding bodies.” (Academy/JISC Open Educational Resources Programme: Call for Projects, Academy/JISC Grant Funding 14/08 http://www.jisc.ac.uk/fundingopportunities.aspx http://www.heacademy.ac.uk/funding
In order to achieve this subject centres are actively seeking access to existing materials that represent original and considered learning objects, which have been utilised in accredited programmes in higher education institutions through the development of partnerships with departments in those institutions. It is anticipated that these resources will reflect the multi-disciplinary and inter-disciplinary natures of those working in fields associated with Islamic Studies, as represented through distinct and diverse academic programmes in the United Kingdom. The types of materials that could be utilised in this depository include:
• Interactive materials, such as maps, quizzes, textual analysis tools, and language learning resources which require user-participation.
• Archives of photographs, manuscripts, and media (in which the copyright is held by the owner). This might include fieldwork recordings, and works especially commissioned for specific programmes of study.
• PowerPoint slides, illustrating specific areas of research and teaching.
• Blackboard/whiteboard objects.
• Moodle materials, such as modules from distance learning programmes.
• Recordings of lectures (including podcasts and videos).
• Transcripts of lectures, including the promotion of those currently openly available on departmental websites, and the opening out of those that are currently in closed areas of intranet resources.
• Listings of web-resources.
• Lecture notes, handouts, and associated materials.
The objects do not have to comprise complete modules or lectures, rather components that may be transferable and relevant to other academics. Their application within an open-source depository means that others can have the benefit of their contents, while their developers retain ownership and intellectual copyright of their original work. Content may include resources currently openly available, but perhaps not well known outside of a department, as well as content that is currently only for institutional use. Users may include other academics and students in universities and other institutions (at all levels). The resources would also offer access to those from outside academia, wishing to discover more about the subject area. Depending on their nature and format, open educational resources can be edited or adjusted by users for their own use, as long as original work is fully attributed (see Creative Commons). In some cases, this can result in the development of hybrid educational materials, for example Google Maps with content that has been drawn from other educational resources: http://www.google.com/educators/p_maps.html.
Potential benefits to being involved in this project include:
• Funding for this project will pay for infrastructure costs in developing your resources.
• Partner departments will receive funding to help re-develop resources that are released for this project (this will need to be match-funded in kind). Please note that this funding is not to develop new resources.
• Boosting the profiles of individual academics, their departments and institutions.
• Learning objects may also promote existing and potential publications.
• Potential undergraduates and postgraduates may find the resource relevant when selecting future institutions in which to study.
• The presence of these resources in this depository may assist in future funding bids and research assessment.
• Such resources may also facilitate improved international awareness of departments and individuals, and promote the role of Islamic Studies in British institutions internationally.
• Academic disciplines associated with Islamic Studies may benefit from an enhanced openness and familiarity engendered by such a resource, especially from external parties.
• Developers may be able to share good practice on development tools, including those under the Web 2.0 banner.
• Open source materials have become familiar resources in international contexts, with some institutions placing courses and lectures online for public use under a creative commons licence, such as MIT (http://ocw.mit.edu/OcwWeb/web/home/home/index.htm) as part of their strategic academic planning. iTunes University and other providers also have open source academic content (see iTunes University http://apple.com/itunesu/ and OpenLearn, http://openlearn.open.ac.uk)
• The public availability of these materials will enable sharing of good practice between academics, while also presenting distinct and original contributions made throughout diverse academic departments.
• There will be an opportunity for academics to discuss and explore different approaches to fields, analogous to conference papers and discussion lists, but with a wider audience.
• For content users, this would offer an extension of conventional academic materials, and an indication of where there might be ‘gaps’ in the knowledge market that might be usefully filled through further research and development. Their presence provides indicators of diverse academic approaches to similar issues.
• For content providers, the sharing of practice may enhance future publications and teaching, especially through feedback – while also giving a wider audience for specific research and teaching interests.
We believe that this bid stands an excellent chance of succeeding given that
Islamic Studies has been designated a subject of strategic interest and feel
that there is considerable scope for a response from Islamic Studies practitioners
to contribute to a pilot programme determining the feasibility of an open-source
resource. At this stage, PRS, LLAS & UKCLE are seeking notice of cooperation
and letters of support from potential partners, who may wish to contribute
to such a depository. Any correspondence does not constitute any legally binding
contact, but simply represents an expression of interest that can be integrated
into the bid. We welcome letters from individuals as well as departments.
Our interest at this stage is associated with mapping potential resources
for inclusion in this depository, and in collaborating with content providers.
Materials should not be sent at this stage. Letters and enquiries should be
sent by e-mail to: FAO: John Canning llas@soton.ac.uk.
Please contact us as soon as possible but at the latest by Thursday 26th February
2009.
This page was originally on the website of The Subject Centre for Philosophical and Religious Studies. It was transfered here following the closure of the Subject Centre at the end of 2011.
