OER1140 Oral Presentation

Thursday 12 May 16.20 Breakout Room 4/4a

Why develop OER? Analysis of pedagogical imperatives for OER design and alignment with learners' needs.

Richard Windle, Centre for Excellence in Teaching and Learning for Reusable Learning Objects (RLO-CETL), University of Nottingham
Heather Wharrad, Centre for Excellence in Teaching and Learning for Reusable Learning Objects (RLO-CETL), University of Nottingham
Raquel Morales, Centre for Excellence in Teaching and Learning for Reusable Learning Objects (RLO-CETL), University of Cambridge
Dawn Leeder, Centre for Excellence in Teaching and Learning for Reusable Learning Objects (RLO-CETL), University of Cambridge
Claire Bradley, Centre for Excellence in Teaching and Learning for Reusable Learning Objects (RLO-CETL), London Metropolitan University
Tom Boyle, Centre for Excellence in Teaching and Learning for Reusable Learning Objects (RLO-CETL), London Metropolitan University

Conference Theme: Academic practice and digital scholarship

Abstract: Large scale OER engagement brings opportunities, but also challenges. One of these is the extent to which academics are equipped to design and develop for OER and the quality of the resulting resources. Here we have analysed 130 multimedia OERs created over a two-year period and their evaluation with 2,250 learners across three HE institutions to address these questions. Analysis of the multimedia OER created revealed a number of distinct pedagogical patterns (Windle et al, 2007). Tutors expressed four key pedagogical imperatives for the development of OER:
1) Tutors discussed how they had used specific aspects of their designs, such as the level of granularity or active engagement to support the development of understanding in a particular subject area. There were differences in the level of understanding that tutors wished to support, with some aiming at knowledge-development and others at application. The latter resources tended to be more interactive and more highly contextualised. Despite these differences, over 90% of learners evaluated the design of the OERs as appropriate to their needs. 
2) Many tutors developed OER to provide an enhanced means of subject delivery. This was particularly true of resources designed to support visual learning. There was clear agreement between tutors and learners as to the importance of such aspects within given subject areas.
3)  Students rated the learner's control of their learning as the most important benefit of the OER resources created, and this was also a key pedagogical driver for many of the tutors involved - "the ultimate aim is to equip learners with independent learning skills"  Tutor’s comment.
4)  Tutors also suggested that they had developed OER to support tutors by aiding the delivery of difficult subjects, ensuring parity of delivery or improving the use of contact time. There was a clear understanding by tutors that such OER needed to be fully integrated into courses. This was paralleled in student evaluations.
These results suggest that tutors are able to create OER that are highly aligned with expressed pedagogical intentions and learner's needs across a range of cognitive levels.

Keywords: oer; pedagogy; evaluation; design; learning objects

References:

Windle, R., H. Wharrad, D. Leeder, and R. Morales. 2007. Analysis of the Pedagogical Attributes of Learning Objects in an attempt to identify Reusable Designs. In Proceedings of World Conference on Educational Multimedia, Hypermedia and Telecommunications  (pp.2676-2685), ed.  C. Montgomerie, and J. Seale. Chesapeake, VA: AACE.