Spreading the word! Librarians and open educational resources

Pitt, R. and Graham, N. and Zazani, Eleni (2014) Spreading the word! Librarians and open educational resources. In: OER14: building communities of open practice, 28-29 Apr 2014, Newcastle.

Abstract

Introduction The Hewlett funded OER Research Hub (OERRH) project (REF1) works collaboratively with projects and initiatives around the world to examine the impact of open educational resources (OER). As part of expanding our collaboration base, and engage with a wider range of stakeholders, we have developed a programme of research examining librarians attitudes and practices toward OER (ranging from measuring the impact of OER to licensing) with librarians involved in the Co-PILOT project (REF2). This paper will present the findings of our research and reflect more generally on the process of collaborative research. Methods Building a network of individuals and initiatives is central to our research strategy. OERRH has developed a survey with Co-PILOT which incorporates focused questions on a range of our 11 hypotheses (including financial benefits of using OER, reflective practice, the impact on institutions of involvement in OER projects, licensing and possible challenges of using OER) in addition to developing specific questions around the curation of OER, and measuring impact. These additional questions were designed to build on the results of a range of related research, including preliminary work carried out by SCORE (De Beer, 2012), the Centre for Academic Practice & Learning Enhancement (CAPLE) at the University of Strathclyde and the Centre for Educational Technology and Interoperability Standards (CETIS) (Bueno-de-la-Fuente, 2012), and the outcome of a survey done by Nancy Graham and Jane Secker (2012). The most recent survey conducted by Taylor & Francis (2013) and related reports that examine the role of Librarians in an open access academic environment (for example Harris, 2012; TBI Communications on behalf of InTech, 2012) were also taken into account when drafting the questionnaire. The OERRH is currently running two versions of this questionnaire, both launched during Open Access week 2013, which have been disseminated and promoted via a range of outlets, including conferences (e.g. OpenEd 2013), OERRH channels, a range of mailing lists (e.g. IL-OER, LIS-LINK, UNESCO WSIS) and a range of social media. Results To date, our questionnaire has received a total of 295 responses. Our data collection phase will close early January 2014. OER14 represents the perfect opportunity to showcase the data gathered from this study. We also anticipate being able to report on next steps for this collaboration, including the creation of relevant case studies. This paper will also reflect on effective collaborative working practices, particularly those which have arisen through the OERRH’s focus on building networks beyond our initial collaborations. Discussion Analysis of questionnaire results will be contextualised within both the wider context of previous surveys (e.g. research carried out by Co-PILOT, the recent Taylor & Francis White Paper, SCORE library survey etc.) whilst also making comparisons with other research and data conducted as part of the OERRH project. This paper will also reflect directly on the challenges identified by librarians and indicate potential avenues for addressing these and developing a “community of practice.” (REF2)

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