OE Global 2018

The International Council for Open and Distance Education, (ICDE, www.icde.org) and Open Education Consortium, (OEC, www.oeconsortium.org) both have a proud history in building up and promoting Open Education in all parts of the world.

Based on joint observations and analyses, ICDE and OEC will facilitate a sharp, engaging panel discussion on moving OER from the margin to mainstream – aiming for the tipping point. Panellists will include members of the ICDE Executive Committee and the OEC Board of Directors. We will interrogate the challenges and solutions to the large scale adoption and use of OER around the world.

The adoption and use of Open Educational Resources (OER) have been shown to increase student retention, support student learning, and reduce costs for students and educational institutions. An OECD report (2015) claims that OER is a catalyst for innovation. While the uptake of OER is increasing around the world, still a minority of faculties, educational institutions, stakeholders and governments aim for full incorporation of OER into mainstream education.

Significant initiatives have been started by ICDE and OEC members around the world but the situation in many countries is worrying.

The 2nd World Open Educational Resources (OER) Congress, 18-20 September, Ljubljana, Slovenia, organized by UNESCO called for action: “From Commitment to Action”. To that end, it adopted the “Ljubljana Action Plan”.

Six months after this important event, the question for all involved in the movement for open is: How can we take the best from OER, including its innovative potential and move OER mainstream?!

This question will be asked to pannelists and audience in an interactive way and each one will be invited to brainstorm and suggest a few critical measures to move OER mainstream.

This proposal responds to the track Policies & strategies for Open Education.