This document discusses educational policy needs related to open educational resources (OER) and the policy support OER requires. It notes that OER can help address common educational challenges and drive social innovation by changing teacher-learner interactions. The document also reports on a CERI/OECD study that found mainstreaming OER will require a focus on major educational issues and support through four key policy areas: establishing repositories, encouraging communities of practice, modifying framework conditions, and conducting further research.

1. What educational policy needs
OER for, and what policy
support does OER need?
6th International Conference on Open Education –
“'Mainstreaming Open Education”
Cardiff, 15 April 2015
Dominic Orr: dominicjorr@gmail.com
External consultant to CERI/OECD

2. • OER can contribute positively to addressing common
educational challenges
• OER should be considered a catalyst for social
innovation, which can change forms of interaction
between teachers, learners and knowledge
• OER have an extended lifecycle beyond the original
design and purpose of educational resources. This
process of adaptation and iteration can improve the
quality and distribution of educational materials
2
The contribution of OER to educational
reform – findings of CERI project

3. • Whilst many really cool initiatives are to be found
around the world,
• …OER can really only realize its potential in the
mainstream, if it tackles mainstream problems.
• That means that it is important to re-start the discussion
on OER, now with an understanding of OER as a means
to an end,
• …i.e. OER contributing to improving various aspects of
educational provision (changing the provision of
educational resources and encouraging open pedagogy)
• …in the context of major educational challenges
3
The contribution of OER to educational
reform – mainstreaming OER

4. 1. Fostering the use of new forms of learning for the
21st century
• Involving learners in the development of their own
learning materials and the support of other learners
2. Fostering teachers’ professional development and
engagement
• Allowing teachers to revise and tailor-make their
educational resources to provide a better fit to the
environment in which they are working
3. Containing public and private cost of education
• Reducing costs through sharing and updating
resources more cost-effectively
4
Strand 1 – OER address 6 educational
challenges for policy-makers

5. 4. Continually improving the quality of educational
resources
• Keeping up-to-date with new developments and new
learning theories
5. Widening the distribution of high quality
educational resources
• Assuring a more even distribution of high quality
resources produced within institutional boundaries
6. Reducing barriers to learning opportunities
• Varying place, time and pace of learning
opportunities
5
Strand 1 – OER address 6 educational
challenges for policy-makers

6. Relative importance of 6 educational
challenges according to policy-makers
0 2 4 6 8 10 12 14 16 18 20
Unequal distribution of high
quality educational resources
Maintaining quality
of educational resources
Barriers of access to
learning opportunities
Containing public and
private costs of education
Fostering teacher develop-
ment and engagement
Fostering the use of
new forms of learning
Which key educational challenges are associated with public policy
support for OER production and use?
Not an argument Minor argument Major argument
Source: CERI/OECD government survey

7. • Q: If OER requires support through policy to
fully reach its potential for improving teaching
and learning, what type of support should that
be?
• Inputs: OECD government survey and policy-maker
seminar January 2015
Policy areas and policy options
7

8. 8
Governments’ support of OER through
policy instruments - coverage
Out of 33 countries, 25 (76%) reported having a
government policy to support OER production and
use
Source: CERI/OECD government survey

9. • Policy helps to establish repositories and supports the
provision of open licence materials.
• Policy helps the establishment of communities of
practices within the teaching body, to encourage
production and use of OER.
• Policy is used to change the framework conditions of
formal educational settings, by modifying rules,
promoting new tools and reassigning the division of
labour. These policies are enacted at different policy
levels (federal, regional, institutional…).
• Additionally: more research is necessary to better
understand the system
9
Governments’ policy support found in 4
key areas

10. • CERI/OECD publication is being prepared for
publication. Expected date June 2015
• The work is being coordinated by Dirk van Damme,
Head of the Centre for Educational Research and
Innovation
• Current discussions on how the OECD and other bodies
(including the Hewlett Foundation) could take this work
forward
14
Next steps