Today marks the start of Open Education Week↗️ 2024! In this post, Stephanie (Charlie) Farley, Open Educational Resources (OER) Advisor with Information Services Group (ISG)↗️ signposts a diverse array of Open Educational Resources available at the university – from course design support to video creation essentials. Explore a commitment to accessible and inclusive education.
Today marks the start of Open Education Week↗️ 2024, an annual celebration and opportunity for those working in Open Education to actively share their achievements and learn about what others are achieving worldwide. The University of Edinburgh has a long-standing commitment to providing and widening access to high quality online learning opportunities through open education and open educational resources (OER). This is supported by an OER Service and underpinned by our Open Educational Resources Policy↗️ (PDF) that encourages staff and students to use, create and publish open licensed resources to enhance the quality of the student experience.
We believe that open educational resources play an important role in supporting our vision, purpose and values↗️; to discover knowledge and make the world a better place, and to ensure our teaching and research is diverse, inclusive, accessible to all and relevant to society. In line with the UNESCO Recommendation on Open Educational Resources↗️, we also believe that OER can make a critical contribution to achieving the aims of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals↗️ .
As the University is currently engaging in The Curriculum Transformation Programme↗️, a major and long-term initiative to construct a curriculum that continues to challenge and support all students to thrive and fulfil their potential, we want to use OE Week 2024 to share some of the innovative course design resources developed by our staff and students. Resources in the collection include; examples and case studies of OER in the curriculum, experiential design, insightful and reflective materials from our Institute for Academic Development, marking criteria guidance, technology integration, blended learning techniques, and diversity and inclusion resources.
Course Design OER Collection on Open.Ed↗️
We want to highlight this selection of course videos and learning design resources created by our Online Course Production Service↗️ (OCPS) working closely with the OER Service. To ensure the majority of our free online courses are open, sustainable, and accessible to all, open practice is embedded in every step of the course creation workflow. The OCPS team includes instructional designers, media producers, project managers, copyright and licensing experts, and marketing professionals, who work with our partners and academics to develop quality assured, open licensed courses and OER All these resources are shared under Creative Commons licence so they can be freely re-used, adapted, and re-purposed.
How to Create an Online Course↗️
This short course covers the key skills and knowledge needed to design a short online course with a focus on informative, engaging and accessible content. These resources will guide you through the fundamentals of writing and producing online learning materials. You will also learn why and how to use open educational resources and digital tools to bring content to life. This course is for subject matter experts, learning technologists, and anyone interested in instructional and learning design, who would like to develop the skills and knowledge needed to create an engaging online course.
How to Create Video for Online Courses↗️
This course will provide you with opportunities to complete practical activities on storyboarding and scriptwriting, understanding licences and sourcing assets, how to set up and use available technology such as mobile phones for filming, and how to use free editing software. Simple techniques for producing audio and video that can help educators level the relationship with their students, engage more openly, and ensure that learners get the most out of the educational experience being presented.
Course Accessibility Matrix Template↗️
This course accessibility matrix template, designed to help assess the accessibility of courses in the University’s Learn virtual learning environment, was informed by the WCAG criteria and University policy. It focuses both on the course and the materials uploaded to it, in particular popular formats (e.g. MS Office documents) and aspects of their accessibility which are readily adjustable, for instance formatting of text, formatting of documents etc. The matrix takes the form of a series of questions, objective where possible, and standardised answers.
Course Accessibility Matrix Template (.xls)↗️
Edinburgh Learning Design Roadmap (ELDeR)↗️
Created in 2016 ELDeR is a practical, team-based approach to learning design, based on the University of Northampton’s CAIeRO↗️ approach. ELDeR incorporates elements of other learning design tools and approaches, including the Open University’s Curriculum Feature↗️ cards, the University of Ulster’s Viewpoints↗️ toolkit, and University College London’s ABC↗️ method.
The student learning experience is at the heart of ELDeR. By considering what students should be able to do by the end of the programme, and how they will know that they are getting there, a foundation is set for authentic assessment that aligns with learning outcomes. These open resources can be used to facilitate collaborative workshops, which will enable academic teams to develop a detailed blueprint of their learning design, together with a comprehensive action plan.
The aim of personae is to help designers think about how people will interact with what they are creating. Personae can be used in any part of the design process.
This set of personae aims to cover a full range of possible students studying any programme or course, at any level and in any discipline. These personae can be adapted to suit a wide range of different contexts including undergraduate on-campus courses, postgraduate induction, online short courses, etc.
Find Out More
To find out more about how the OER Service can support open education practice and the creation and use of OER, and to explore a wide range of open resources, visit the Open.Ed↗️ website or contact us at open.ed@ed.ac.uk↗️.
STEPHANIE (CHARLIE) FARLEY
Stephanie (Charlie) Farley is the Open Educational Resources (OER) Advisor with Information Services Group (ISG), providing OER, copyright and open licensing training across the University and maintains the Open.Ed↗️ webpages. She also leads the 23 Things for Digital Knowledge↗️ programme, and the ISG Playful Engagement↗️ themes and goals.