A Basic Guide to Open Educational Resources/Intro

by Neil Butcher

Acknowledgements

 

Although I bear full responsibility for the work – and particularly the mistakes – contained in this Guide, its development is the product of several years of work and incorporates the inputs and ideas of many different people. In particular, I would like to acknowledge the contributions of the following to this Guide:

1. All of my colleagues at the South African Institute for Distance Education (Saide), Saide’s OER Africa Initiative, and Neil Butcher & Associates. Without their engagement and the many long hours spent debating and discussing the concept of OER and its application, the work presented below would not have been possible. In particular, I would like to mention Jennifer Glennie, the Director of Saide, and Catherine Ngugi, the OER Africa Project Director, whose intellectual contribution to this Guide and to the various pieces of writing that have gone into it has been significant. I would also like to mention Lisbeth Levey, Senior Advisor to the Hewlett Foundation, who – while not directly involved in this Guide – has given generously of her time to comment on many of the documents that preceded, and have helped to shape, the Guide.

2. I would also like to thank the many individuals within African universities who have been so actively involved in the work of OER Africa, from whom much of the knowledge gained in this Guide is derived. They are too numerous to mention, but their willingness to explore new ideas and test innovations within their institutions has been essential to shaping these ideas and, hopefully, grounding them in some kind of practical reality.

3. Various individuals have made specific contributions to sections of this Guide. Thus, I would like to acknowledge:

• Andrew Moore, who assisted with providing some of the Answers to the 'Frequently Asked Questions';
• Merridy Wilson-Strydom, who wrote the original version of Appendix One;
• Donna Preston and Sarah Hoosen, who wrote most of Appendix Five;
• Monge Tlaka, Sarah Hoosen, and Jenny Louw, whose tireless work in compiling the catalogue of OER sites in the OER Africa website has generated Appendix Six;
• Tony Mays, who compiled the original material on the OER Africa website that now appears in Appendices Seven and Eight, as well as sections of the report on policy; and

• Monica Mawoyo, who wrote Appendix Four and supported me in copy editing of the final report.
• Jacquie Withers, who completed a full copy edit of the draft report.
• Several colleagues from UNESCO and COL, who provided valuable feedback on drafts of the Guide.

Neil Butcher

Overview of the Guide

 

This Guide comprises three sections. The first – a summary of the key issues – is presented in the form of a set of ‘Frequently Asked Questions’. Its purpose is to provide readers with a quick and user-friendly introduction to Open Educational Resources (OER) and some of the key issues to think about when exploring how to use OER most effectively.

The second section is a more comprehensive analysis of these issues, presented in the form of a traditional research paper. For those who have a deeper interest in OER, this section will assist with making the case for OER more substantively.

The third section is a set of appendices, containing more detailed information about specific areas of relevance to OER. These are aimed at people who are looking for substantive information regarding a specific area of interest.