Since the Open Educational Resources (OER) movement began, multiple networks have emerged for educators, system leaders, and policymakers across North America. The William and Flora Hewlett Foundation helped launch some of these networks to build awareness and understanding of OER or to engage specific communities. Others emerged more organically, championed by leaders in the field. As these networks have evolved and grown in a relatively short period of time and as the field continues to change, now is a good time to take stock of how and to what extent these networks are serving the needs of key stakeholders and decisionmakers (e.g., teachers, faculty, administrators, staff) and how the field has evolved.
edBridge Partners is leading a formative evaluation for the Foundation to help clarify how and how well different networks are serving the needs of different communities, as well as whether and to what extent participation in them facilitates OER adoption and use. The results will provide leaders and organizers of networks with evidence to inform how they can adapt to continue to meet the needs of their target audiences.
This session is a key part of this formative evaluation, capturing the perspectives of North American higher education and K-12 open education leaders and practitioners on the evolution of the open education field and where it may be headed next. Participants will have an opportunity express their opinions and listen to the voices and experience of other open education stakeholders who represent a diversity of networks, approaches, and maturity of activities. The objective is to elicit rich dialogue and active listening; with each participant bringing a unique perspective, experience, and expertise to the discussion about the critical problems and opportunities that exist in their efforts to date, and to discuss their vision for the open education field going forward.
Learning Outcomes: Attendees will be able to contribute to a formative evaluation of the open education field funded by the Hewlett Foundation. Attendees will have an opportunity to share their perspectives on the open education field and its evolution over time, discuss those perspectives with others in the field and sector, and learn from a diversity of perspectives.
