OER1131b Short Paper (Part of Symposium OER1131) ppt

OER in the Social Sciences: Tacit models of resource creation.

Anna Gruszczynska, C-SAP, University of Birmingham

Conference Theme: Collaboration and communities

Abstract: From May 2009 to May 2010, the C-SAP HEA subject centre along with collaborators from eight UK universities was engaged in a JISC funded project to make available to other interested academics 360 credits worth of educational resources in the social sciences. Along with the collection, preparation and deposition of the materials, which naturally included a large amount of research methods materials, the project investigated the tacit understandings embedded in lecturers' selection and use of teaching materials. Lecturers may have particular students, settings or assessments in mind when they develop materials and the project sought to examine these so that resources may be made usefully open.
The project developed an online software Mapping Tool which required partners not only to deposit learning outcomes and aims but also to contribute appropriate keyword terms at the module level. This assisted depositors in organising and describing their materials in ways that would enhance usability and'‘findablity'. An evaluation was also carried out to examine the understandings and models held by the six partners in the project – social science lecturers at six different UK universities. The general aim was to establish partners' experiences of opening up their educational resources and to examine to what extent other academics could do the same with their material (with or without project support).
Most partners had a very straightforward model of the potential users of the resources and hence of  what resources they might require. They saw other lecturers as the main user and commonly believed students would not be able to make much use of the material because of the need for context. Some, those mainly associated with the research methods materials, were much more positive about addressing student users. Not surprisingly, most partners also felt that course titles would be sufficient for users trying to find materials. Again, the research methods resource creators thought differently, in part because these resources contained materials specifically intended for direct student use. Nevertheless, the project identified problems in both finding materials in current repositories and in general dissemination and marketing.