This presentation looks at how to methodically search for OER using the concept of Desirability. The slides highlights how the Relevance, Openness and Accessibility aspects of OER are used to locate material which are useful in course development.

1. OER Search
How to Search and Locate
Relevant Material
Pre-Symposium Workshop on
OER Integration and Use
in Course Development
2nd Regional Symposium on OER
Penang, Malaysia
23rd June 2014

2. Ishan Abeywardena
MSc, MSc (Brunel), BSc (Bangalore), MIEEE, MBCS, MIET, MTA
Deputy Dean and Senior Lecturer
School of Science and Technology
Wawasan Open University
Penang, Malaysia

3. Outline
• What are OER?
• What are useful
OER?
• OER Search
• Useful OER Sources

4. What are OER?

5. “web-based materials,
offered freely and openly
for use and re-use in
teaching, learning and
research” (Joyce, 2007).
Joyce, A. (2007). OECD Study of OER: Forum Report, OECD. Retrieved December 12, 2011 from
http://www.unesco.org/iiep/virtualuniversity/forumsfiche.php?queryforumspages_id=33.

6. “teaching, learning and research
materials in any medium, digital
or otherwise, that reside in the
public domain or have been
released under an open license
that permits no-cost access, use,
adaptation and redistribution by
others with no or limited
restrictions”
(UNESCO Paris OER Declaration, 2012)
UNESCO. (2012, June 22). 2012 PARIS OER DECLARATION. Retrieved June 13, 2013, from unesco.org:
http://www.unesco.org/new/fileadmin/MULTIMEDIA/HQ/CI/WPFD2009/English_Declaration.html

7. OER: Just another means of getting there…

8. basis for training the global masses
increased access
reduced costs
increased equity
Impact

9. What are useful OER?

10. How useful is a resource really?

11. Measures of usefulness
Openness
Accessibility
Relevance

12. Less useful resources are less desirable for teaching and learning needs….
What is Desirability?
Openness
Accessibility
Relevance

13. Openness

14. four ‘R’s model:
 Reuse
 Redistribute
 Revise
 Remix
 Retain
Hilton, J., Wiley, D., Stein, J., & Johnson, A. (2010). The four R‘s of openness and ALMS Analysis: Frameworks for open educational resources.
Open Learning: The Journal of Open and Distance Learning, 25(1), 37-44.
O

16. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8YkbeycRa2A
Lets watch a video on CC

18. Unported
Ported

19. Accessibility

20. Access (ALMS)
Hilton, J., Wiley, D., Stein, J., & Johnson, A. (2010). The four R‘s of openness and ALMS Analysis: Frameworks for open educational
resources. Open Learning: The Journal of Open and Distance Learning, 25(1), 37-44.
• Access to editing tools
• Level of expertise
required to revise or
remix
• Meaningfully editable
• Source file access

21. Relevance

22. Content repositories
Portal repositories
Content and portal repositories
McGreal, R. (2010). Open Educational Resource Repositories: An Analysis. Proceedings: The 3rd Annual Forum on e-Learning
Excellence, 1-3 February 2010, Dubai, UAE.
Curation

24. So…how do I find the material I need for my teaching?

26. Google“AdvancedSearch”resultsforOERonChemistry(24thMay2012)

27. Native search mechanisms perhaps?

28. i. Facilitate finding, retrieving
and sharing of OER.
Encourage the
development of user-
friendly tools to locate and
retrieve OER that are
specific and relevant to
particular needs.
(UNESCO Paris OER Declaration, 2012)
The Declaration
UNESCO. (2012). Paris OER Declaration, Retrieved September18, 2012 from
http://www.unesco.org/new/fileadmin/MULTIMEDIA/HQ/CI/CI/pdf/Events/Paris%20OER%20Declaration_01.pdf

29. OER Search

30. Concept of Metadata

31. Metadata
IEEE-LOM
DCMI

32. Casali, A., Deco, C., Romano, A. and Tomé, G. (2013) 'An Assistant for Loading Learning Object Metadata: An Ontology Based Approach', Interdisciplinary
Journal of E-Learning and Learning Objects (IJELLO), vol. 9, p. 11.
LOM

33. DCMI
the DCMI resource model
Source: http://dublincore.org/documents/abstract-model/ (29/08/2013)

34. http://creativecommons.org/tag/learning-resource-metadata-initiative
LRMI

35. However…the issue is

36. Existing Search Methods

37. Some Existing Solutions
• Federated Search: BRENHET2; OpeScout;
Global Learning Object Brokered Exchange
(GLOBE); and Pearson’s Project Blue Sky.
• Semantic Search: OER-CC ontology; the
“Assistant” prototype; the “Folksemantic”
project; and “Agrotags”.

38. Federated Search
Institution
Repos
Institution Institution
Repos Repos Repos Repos Repos
Organisation Consortium
Federation
User
Metadata

39. Apples
Processed Products
Nutrition
Varieties
Juice
Sauce Cider
McIntosh
Pink Lady
Honeycrisp
Disease Prevention
Fiber
Vitamins
Semantic Search

40. Linked Open Data
http://linkeddata.org/static/images/lod-datasets_2009-07-14_cropped.png (accessed 23/06/2014)

41. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uju4wT9uBIA
Lets watch a video on LOD

42. Yeah…but which one do I choose?

43. Useful OER Sources

44. http://www.pearsonlearningsolutions.com/pearson-bluesky/

45. http://www.globe-info.org/

54. Questions?
I will also be happy to answer your queries if you
e-mail me via ishansa@wou.edu.my
Thanks!

55. About…
Ishan Abeywardena
Deputy Dean and Senior Lecturer, School of Science and Technology, Wawasan Open University, Penang, Malaysia
• MSc in Wireless Enterprise Business Systems, Brunel University, UK.
• MSc in Engineering Management, Brunel University, UK.
• BSc in Computer Science, Bangalore University, India.
• PhD Candidate in Computer Science, University Malaya, Malaysia. Areas of specialisation: text mining,
metadata, faceted search
Professional Member of
– Institute of Electrical and Electronic Engineers (MIEEE)
– British Computer Society (MBCS)
– Institution of Engineering and Technology (MIET)
– Microsoft Certified Professional (MCP)
– Microsoft Technology Associate (MTA)
Official Profile: http://www.wou.edu.my/IshanAbeywardena.html
Professional Profile: http://www.linkedin.com/in/ishansa
Research Profile: http://www.researchgate.net/profile/Ishan_Abeywardena/
Tech Blog: http://www.ishantalks.com
E-mail: ishansa@wou.edu.my

56. Media Sources
• http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/5/58/Multimedia_icon.png/120px-Multimedia_icon.png
• http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/2/25/Nuvola_multimedia.png/120px-Nuvola_multimedia.png
• http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/b/b5/Open_Clip_Art_Library_Piggy_Bank.svg/120px-
Open_Clip_Art_Library_Piggy_Bank.svg.png
• http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Active_learning_-_jigsaw_map_of_Southeast_Asia.jpg
• http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:%D0%9A%D0%BE%D0%BF%D0%B8%D1%8F_800px-Ua-er9m-558-20070728.jpg
• http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Public_Bus,_Cairo_02.JPG
• http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Polski_Fiat_126p_in_Krak%C3%B3w_(MWM_2010).jpg
• http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:PLM_2011_64_Jetalliance_Lotus.jpg
• http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8YkbeycRa2A
• hydrodictyon.eeb.uconn.edu