Abstract (2008): Developing a Culture for Change: Medida-Prix 2008 in the Context of the Open Educational Resources Movement

Baumgartner, P. et al., 2008. Developing a Culture for Change: Medida-Prix 2008 in the Context of the Open Educational Resources Movement. In A. Tait & A. Szücs, eds. European Distance and E-Learning Network (EDEN). Budapest, pp. 18–23.

With the shift to the digital, remarkable opportunities for new forms of learning have emerged. High quality learning materials, until recently safely locked up behind passwords and regarded as the “crown juwels” for educational institutions are shared and can be accessed for free. Since the launch of the MIT OpenCourseWare Project, the Open Educational Resources (OER) movement has continuously gained significance. In 2007 several reports were published which investigated the impact, addressed the drivers and barriers as well as revealed potential implications for the OER movement. Awareness raising activities are given within almost all single initiatives, not to mention the significant PR effects the launches of the first open courseware projects had for the single organisations on the one hand and for the dissemination of the OER idea on the other hand.

Several initiatives also especially focus on the issue of building awareness for the OER idea and its goals by giving support to initiatives to spread the idea, by teaching educators, by launching websites addressing the topic or by stimulating dialogue between commercial and non commercial stakeholders. The UNESCO Forum on the impact of OpenCourseWare for Higher Education or the newly launched Cape Town Open Education Declaration for example focus on building networks and fostering the movement. Broadening conversation was also indentified as one major step towards promoting open education at the 2007 iSummit. Community building efforts therefore have to be undertaken in order to address students, teachers, professors, self-learners, policy makers at organisational, national and international levels.