- The 3rd UNESCO World OER Congress explored how the implementation of the UNESCO 2019 Recommendation on Open Educational Resources (OER) can enhance global digital cooperation. This congress aims to promote collaboration and innovation in OER, contributing to the United Nations Secretary General’s Road Map for Digital Cooperation and the Global Digital Compact. The Congress concludes with the Dubai Declaration on OER, which examined how theUNESCO 2019 Recommendation on OER can optimize openly licensed content to address the challenges and opportunities posed by emerging technologies, 19-20 November 2024.
I attended and contributed to a session, invited by UNESCO at their 3rd UNESCO OER Congress, and was even honored to have been invited as well to the previous two ones in APrsi and Ljubljana, 2012 and 2017
For me, this was the third time for the UNESCO OER Congresses, and it has been a great pleasure and honor to follow the process and progress. The previous two congresses, held in Paris in 2012, and Ljubljana in 2017, resulted in the Paris OER Declaration and the Ljubljana OER Action Plan, which was the forerunner of the 2019 UNESCO Recommendation on OER.
The theme of the Dubai congress was “Digital Public Goods: Open Solutions and AI for Inclusive Access to Knowledge”. Digital public goods (DPG) are defined by the UN’s Roadmap for Digital Cooperation, as
“open-source software, open data, open AI models, open standards and open content that adhere to privacy and other applicable laws and best practices, do no harm, and help attain the sustainable digital goals (SDGs)”.
In this context open education resources are regarded as digital public goods that “support the enrichment of the global knowledge commons”.
In preparation for the 3rd UNESCO World OER Congress, six Regional Consultations on OER were organized with the generous support of the Hewlett Foundation and the Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Knowledge Foundation (MBRF). These regional consultations were held online and in hybrid format, as follows: the Africa Consultation (hybrid, at eLearning Africa 2024, 31 May 2024); the Caribbean Consultation (online, 10 July 2024); the Asia and the Pacific Consultation (online, 30 July 2024); the Europe and North America Consultation (hybrid at Digital Learning Week, UNESCO on 4 September 2024); the Latin America Consultation (online, 8 October 2024); and the Arab States Consultation (online, 21 October 2024). Full program and Concept note4 can be found here
The objectives of this 3rd UNESCO World OER Congress were to:
1) Share best practices and innovations in the implementation of the UNESCO 2019 Recommendation on OER in the five years since its adoption;
2) Identify strategies for supporting the implementation of the UNESCO 2019 Recommendation on OER to meet emerging challenges;
3) Identify collaborative mechanisms to mobilize more stakeholders to implement the UNESCO 2019 Recommendation on OER, and to expand access to quality, free, accessible, openly licensed learning resources in support of the Global Digital Compact and the Transforming Education Summit 2023 Call for Action.
Recommendations
"Emerging technologies, including AI, provide opportunities to advance the UNESCO 2019 OER Recommendation. Beyond the creation of new openly licensed content, potential applications include: facilitating the detection of existing openly licensed content online; developing techniques for effective OER curation; translating OER into multiple languages; and facilitating content indexing through the recommendation of descriptive metadata. Other emerging technologies, such as blockchain-based services and applications, could potentially ensure the provenance, integrity, and lawful use of OER.
Legal frameworks are then not up to date with technological advancements such as these. In the realm of intellectual property rights (IPR), the key to OER, this can lead to ambiguities on what constitutes legal use as well as issues regarding how exceptions and limitations to copyright law may be used even when a work is not openly licensed. Developing clear guidelines and policies that address these issues can help protect the rights of content creators, ensure proper attribution, and create innovative technology spaces for the public good.
The Global Digital Compact, and UNESCO’s ROAM-X principles, which are Rights-based, Open, Accessible, and promote Multi-stakeholder Participation based on cross-cutting principles, and in particular Gender Equity, can inform policies for OER by providing a comprehensive framework that ensures inclusivity, equity, and collaboration in the development and implementation of Open Educational Resource.
These frameworks and principles, alongside the UNESCO 2019 Recommendation on OER, provide a robust foundation for developing OER. The stakeholders addressed in this document are those in the UNESCO 2019 Recommendation on OER[1]. With regard to Generative AI, it is important to underscore that these recommendations apply both to the inputs and outputs of LLMs. Furthermore, the principle of human centered use of technology prevails in all recommendations. The principles of transparency and knowledge sharing are fundamental for the implementation of these recommendations. The below guidelines aim to provide actions to harness the opportunities posed by emerging technologies, such as AI, for expanding knowledge sharing and creation through the implementation of the 2019 Recommendation on OER.
[1] teachers, educators, learners, governmental bodies, parents, educational providers and institutions, education support personnel, teacher trainers, educational policy makers, cultural institutions (such as libraries, archives and museums) and their users, information and communications technology (ICT) infrastructure providers, researchers, research institutions, civil society organizations (including professional and student associations), publishers, the public and private sectors, intergovernmental organizations, copyright holders and authors, media and broadcasting groups and funding bodies.
Igår den 21 januari 2019 skrev Siri Helle i DN att det är dags att sluta prata om skärmtid. Intressant med tanke på Regeringsförklaringen den 21 januari 2019 om mobilförbud i skolan.
Forskning visar redan väl att 4e industriella revolutionen och ökade digitalisering i samhället förändrar vårt sätt att leva, lära, umgås, arbeta, kommunicera och relatera till varandra .. det är så redan och kommer att bli än mer.
Helle menar att det är dags att vi nyanserar diskussionen. Visst mobiler och sociala medier kan göra oss stressade, ofokuserade och ytliga. Men det är bara halva sanningen. Forskning visar att det finns massvis av användningsområden som faktiskt stärker våra relationer och får oss att må bättre.
Dessutom talas det enbart om skärmtid då det gäller den unga generationen och skärmtid för barn och unga diskuteras ofta. Samma diskussion borde också gälla den äldre generationen och deras tv-tittande. Varför ifrågasätter ingen de äldre överviktiga och den tid de tillbringar i tv-soffan frågar sig Helena Olsson? (visserligen från en artikel publicerad DN Åsikt 1 decmeber 2017, men tänkvärt). Läs mer här
OERcamp.global took place in a format called ‘BarCamp’. This unconference format invited everyone to contribute to the programme. It’s an open and participatory event, made of user-generated workshop events. The opening session of OERcamp.global started on 9 December 2021 at 1 pm UTC. We had 48 hours of sessions and plenary hours so that everyone could choose the time of the day (or night) to participate in the event. OERcamp.global comprised 114 sessions from 186 speakers. 79 sessions and 11 keynotes have been recorded. There were 1089 registrations from 87 different countries. The session hosts provide videos, slides, etc. via Sched. Videos from the keynote talks are published on this playlist on YouTube
Let’s celebrate OER! Let’s share our knowledge, experience, and resources! Let’s get to know each other, as individuals, as organizations, globally! Let’s talk about our projects, our aims, our hopes, and also about our doubts and challenges.
OER is all about sharing – and why should we stop at geographical borders? We gathered for a 48-hour unconference with practitioners, activists, scientists, OER, and novices from around the globe.
All areas from the UNESCO OER Recommendation was covered during the OERcamp Global 2021
11:00-13:10 Session 1 - Quality Assurance and the Diversification of Provision in Higher Education
Ebba Ossiannilsson, Swedish Association for Distance Education, Leader of EDEN SIG for QE in TEL, ICDE Focal Points on Quality, Sweden - "Quality models in online and open education around the globe: State of the art and recommendations"
Facilitator: Padraig Walsh, Chief executive, Quality and Qualifications Ireland (QQI), Ireland; Advisory Council Member, CHEA International Quality Group
My presentation had its point of departure from the ICDE research study Global overview of quality models: State of the art and recommendations. The study was carried out on behalf of the International Council for Open and Distance Education (ICDE) by a team coordinated by the European Association for Distance Teaching Universities (EADTU) is for:
institutional leaders responsible for quality in online, open and flexible higher education
faculty wanting to have an overview of the field
newcomers that want to develop quality schemes
policy makers in governments, agencies and organisations
major educational stakeholders in the international community
The report provides the first global overview of quality models in online and open education, an overview which is very timely, delivered as it is for Global Education 2030, the new global educational agenda which replaces Education For All, EFA. The report is available in three parts, the Summary, the Complete report, and its Appendices.
The reflections from the Geneva Consultation Meeting, Europe exchanged on the challenges, developments and trends within Quality Assurance in Higher Education witness the great interest aroused among the 135 participants.The first positive echoes received were a great result already. The speakers’ presentations. They are now available for download on the event’s website. Some highlights are to be discovered on the photo gallery of the event.
The parallel event for the Eastern European region will be held in Moscow on 23-24 April 2018. > More information
Results of the 6 regional meetings will be brought to the Unesco Global Conference on Quality Assurance in Higher Education, to be held in Paris on 21-23 November 2018.
An updated version of the UNESCO proposal for a recommendation for Open Educational Resources (OER), is now available. This version is based on the views of UNESCO member countries, so even from my own country Sweden, which was sent to UNESCO in January 2019. I have been involved myself as an OER expert, but also as an expert on behalf of the ICDE OER Advocacy Committee
The proposal will now be discussed at an intergovernmental expert meeting at the end of May. Thereafter, a decision to adopt a recommendation will be taken by UNESCO's general conference in November 2019. Will be of interest to follow the necessary strategies and further implementation in Sweden, but of course eve worldwide.
Conclusions in four points
Further to 39 C/Resolution 44, and 201 EX/Decision 9, a Recommendation has been identified as the best-suited form of standard-setting instrument in this area. It has been recognized that in comparison to a Convention, a Recommendation is more flexible and will become operational more rapidly. Despite being a statement of principles, it has the potential to raise the profile of OER collaboration to a higher political level in all Member States of UNESCO. This can play an important role in stimulating the realization of the potential of OER for accessing knowledge freely, providing quality content at no cost, helping to foster equitable and inclusive teaching and learning and supporting curriculum development at all levels.
Recognizing that the Ljubljana OER Action Plan is the outcome of a lengthy process of international collaboration and consensus building, the main themes of the Recommendation are drawn as a starting point from this document. Therefore, the draft Recommendation addresses five objectives: (i) Building capacity of stakeholders to create access, use, adapt and redistribute OER; (ii) Developing supportive policy; (iii) Encouraging inclusive and equitable quality OER; (iv) Nurturing the creation of sustainability models for OER; and (v) Facilitating international cooperation.
A Recommendation on OER could potentially play a strong role in supporting strategic cooperation between the Member States in OER development, to minimize unnecessary duplication in OER development investments and to develop a global pool of culturally diverse, locally relevant, gender-responsive, accessible, educational materials in multiple languages.
Based on the present study, it is clear that a Recommendation on OER would provide a dynamic and effective solution for supporting an international collaboration in this area which is of utmost importance at a time when the usage, creation, and availability of OER has become an essential building block for achieving the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.
Mobile Learning Week is UNESCO’s flagship ICT in education conference. Mobile Learning Week 2018 is organized in partnership with the International Telecommunication Union (ITU), the United Nations specialized agency for ICT. The event was held from 26 to 30 March 2018, at UNESCO Headquarters in Paris. The 2018 event was organized under the theme “Skills for a connected world”. Participants will exchange knowledge about the ways governments and other stakeholders can define and achieve the skills-related targets specified by Sustainable Development Goal 4 (SDG 4).
The conference, consisted of four related sub-events, whch aimed to facilitate actions to:
Defining and mainstreaming digital skills; Innovating skills provision for jobs in the digital economy; Closing inequalities and gender divides; and Mapping and anticipating changing skill needs
The MLW 2018 gathered participants from all over the world, and approxiamtely over 100 countries. During the week Workshops, Symosium, Policy Forum, and Strategy Labs were held. Of special interest, in my opinin was the Policy Forum, which offered a platform to discuss the different pathways that governments are using to support the development of the digital skills required in the digital economy. Moblie learning was of course emphasized as the only way forwar to reach the UNESCO SDG4. However, there are still huge gaps around the worls on the leading highlighted SDG€ themes on access, equity, equality, inclusiveness, lifelong and lifewide learning, and quality. In addition, there are even huges gaps around the world when it comes to digital competences, for iife and for education.
I have been invited by the Swedish National Commission for UNESCO, Ministry of Education and Research to give my view and arguments to the Swedish Government on the UNESCO suggestions for recommendations on Open Educational Resources (OER), which has been sent out to all member organizations. I am excited and honored. The Swedish Association for Distance Education (SADE) has in addition been asked, to give answers and suggestions for the answers to the Swedish Government. Today, I have drafted both replies.
From ICDE OERAC (OER Advocacy Committee) which I am charing (read more below on ICDE OERAC) we earlier answered on the pre-consultation for this current recommendations. In both my replies, both as an expert and an expert from SADE I will answer in the name of Chair of OERAC.See also my post on LinkedInfor ICDE OERAC
The recommendations have been discussed after several years of discussion, conferences, and summits. In autumn 2017 UNESCO decided that there are needs:
“to reinforce international collaboration in the field of Open Educational Resources (OER)” and that “a recommendation could be an essential tool to strengthen the implementation of national and international legislation, policies and strategies in this field, as well as to enhance international cooperation on the use of Open Educational Resources (OER) in support of Sustainable Development Goal 4 ‘Education’.
The Recommendation conclude three main standpoints
1. Based on the present study, it is clear that a Recommendation on International Collaboration on Open Educational Resources is both desirable and feasible. Such a new UNESCO normative instrument is desirable because education is diversifying rapidly in all parts of the world while at the same time the usage, creation, and availability of Open Educational Resources have become global as well as regional.
2. The advantage of a Recommendation is that it is flexible and meant to allow for contextualization. However, a framework for Open Educational Resources delivery for international cooperation towards further and extended capacity building is missing and a Recommendation should build on decades of work in developing and implementing Open Educational Resources related policies and actions.
3. It will rely on tools developed over the years that have helped to deliver Open Educational Resources criteria and procedures. The events, documents, and surveys conducted presented in this study clearly demonstrated that a majority of those most familiar with Open Educational Resources firmly support the move to a standard-setting
UNESCO har skickat ett förslag till alla länders regeringar angående rekommendationer om implementering för Open Educational Resources (OER). Regeringskansliet i Sverige har också erhålleit den och har därför nu gått ut till berörda för att få synpunkter. Jag är stolt och hedrad att direkt från Regeringskansliet blivit tillfrågad att yttra mig. Jag leder ICDEs OER Advocacy Committé och därigenom har vi bidragit till de skrivningar som nu föreligger i förslaget.
Från Regeringskansliet står det bl.a. i förfrågan:
Det politiska intresset från både denna och förra regeringen har dessvärre varit ganska svagt vad gäller OER.
Open Educational Resources (OER) are 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.
Förslaget kommer efter flera års diskussioner inom UNESCO om behovet av rekommendationer för OER. UNESCOs generalkonferens beslutade hösten 2017 att det finns ett behov
...to reinforce international collaboration in the field of Open Educational Resources (OER)” och att “a recommendation could be an essential tool to strengthen the implementation of national and international legislation, policies and strategies in this field, as well as to enhance international cooperation on the use of Open Educational Resources (OER) in support of Sustainable Development Goal 4 ‘Education’”.
Förslaget om rekommendationer om OER kommer att behandlas på Unescos generalkonferens 2019.
I enlighet med Unescos stadgar måste en preliminär rapport och ett förslag på rekommendation skickas till samtliga medlemsländer med möjlighet för synpunkter i god tid innan en rekommendation kan antas.
En rekommendation riktar sig till medlemsländerna och är ett uttryck för gemensamma ståndpunkter i en viss fråga och en uppmaning att genomföra vad som framförs i rekommendationen. Samtliga medlemsländer ska sedan rapportera om genomförandet av en rekommendation vart fjärde år till Unesco.
Jag ska lämna synpunkter på rekommendationen senast den 30 november. Sedan kommer Regeringskansliet att sammanställa samtliga inkomna synpunkter och bereda dessa innan Sveriges synpunkter skickas till Unesco i januari.
Blogginläggets idé kommer från nätverket Mötesplats OER och är främst författat av Josefine Hellroth Larsson, Ebba Ossiannilsson och Christophe Premat.. Blogposten är på svenska (The BLog is in Swedish)
Vi i nätverket Mötesplats OER vill se medvetenhet och handling från såväl utbildningsinstitutioner, museer och skolor som från ansvariga myndigheter och regering när det gäller att lyfta vikten av OER och hela öppenhetsrörelsen förespråkad av Unesco. Fritt (gratis) på nätet är en sak, men öppenhet något helt annat när det kommer till mänskliga rättigheter och social rättvisa. Det betyder att människor ges möjlighet att anpassa, dela och använda utbildningsmaterial utifrån sina egna behov och sammanhang.
I höstas (25 november 2019) antogs Unescos rekommendationer för hur medlemsstater globalt och lokalt ska arbeta med implementeringen av OER, av nästan 200 länder. Rekommendationerna går från medvetandegörande till handling, implementering, monitorering och utvärdering. Det är fem områden som prioriteras:
Utveckla kunskap och kapacitet hos intressenter för att hitta, återanvända, skapa och dela OER
Utveckla stödjande politik
Tillgodose inkluderande och rättvis tillgång till OER av hög kvalitet, till alla
Utveckla hållbarhetsmodeller för OER
Underlätta internationellt samarbete (inom alla de fyra områdena ovan)
När vi frågade Regeringskansliet (den 19 maj 2020) vad de menar med “öppen”, och om det finns några krav gällande öppenhet på de institutioner som kommer få del av dessa medel, fick vi följande svar:
När det gäller vad regeringen avser med öppen nätbaserad utbildning, så avses det som regleras i högskoleförordningen (11 kap) och anslutande regelverk. Där framgår bl.a. att:
– Med öppen nätbaserad utbildning avses utbildning som ges via internet och som är öppen för alla, utan förkunskapskrav. – Öppen nätbaserad utbildning ska knyta an till och främja den utbildning eller forskning som lärosätet redan har. – Lärosätena får anordna prov för deltagarna, sätta betyg och utfärda utbildningsintyg. – Den öppna nätbaserade utbildningen är avgiftsfri för deltagarna. – Öppen nätbaserad utbildning ger inte rätt till studiemedel.
När det gäller öppna lärresurser har Sverige inte några rekommendationer för hur lärosätena kan arbeta med öppna lärresurser enligt Unescos definition. Det är dock en intressant fråga att titta vidare på och vi tackar för inspelet.
Sverige var alltså en av ungefär 200 stater som antog OER-rekommendationerna för ett halvår sedan, och i dagsläget har Utbildningsdepartementets tjänstemän ingen plan för hur lärosätena ska arbeta med frågan, utan tackar för inspelet. Eftersom Sverige var med i konsultationen inför att rekommendationerna antogs blir vi lite förvånade över responsen. Vi ser också med glädje fram emot att kunna bistå både Utbildningsdepartementet och Svenska Unescorådet på alla tänkbara sätt inför implementeringen av rekommendationerna inom en snar framtid.
Det handlar också om att riksdagen så sent som 2019 fastslog attSverige ska vara ett digitalt framgångsland, där “öppna data” har fått ett särskilt fokus. I förslaget kan vi läsa att Sverige halkat efter vad gäller öppna data, och att landets digitalisering bland annat hämmas för att svenska myndigheter inte prioriterar området. Så verkar onekligen vara fallet när det kommer till OER, som kan räknas in i den breda globala rörelsen för öppenhet. Där finner vi också exempelvis open access, som framförallt handlar om öppenhet kring vetenskapliga publikationer, samt de 10 områdena för öppenhet som antogs 2017 i form av Cape Town Open Education Declaration.
ebba.ossiannilsson
