OER Advocacy Workshop
Nicole Allen
Director of Open Education, SPARC
OER Policy Workshop (#OERPolicyWorks)
March 19, 2014 Warsaw, Poland
Scholarly Publishing & Academic
Resources Coalition
#oerpolicyworks
@txtbks @sparc_na
Agenda
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9:30 Overview of Day
9:45 Advocacy Basics
10:00 Overview: Campaign Development
10:15 Breakouts: Campaign Development
11:15 Break
11:30 Share: Campaign Development
12:30 Overview: Campaign Strategy
12:45 Lunch
Scholarly Publishing & Academic
Resources Coalition
#oerpolicyworks
@txtbks @sparc_na
Agenda
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13:45 Breakouts: Campaign Strategy
14:30 Share: Campaign Strategy
15:15 Overview: Campaign Communication
15:30 Breakouts: Campaign Communication
16:15 Share: Campaign Communication
16:45 Evaluation and next steps
17:00 End
Scholarly Publishing & Academic
Resources Coalition
#oerpolicyworks
@txtbks @sparc_na
Goals
• Learn an effective model for developing
campaigns
• Begin planning your own policy
campaign
• Exchange ideas and receive feedback
with other participants
Scholarly Publishing & Academic
Resources Coalition
#oerpolicyworks
@txtbks @sparc_na
Deliverables
Each country should have a (mostly) complete
campaign outline. There are two options:
• Written on worksheets, which we’ll
photocopy before you leave
• Google doc:
http://sparc.arl.org/resource/oerpolicyworks
Scholarly Publishing & Academic
Resources Coalition
#oerpolicyworks
@txtbks @sparc_na
Advocacy Basics
Scholarly Publishing & Academic
Resources Coalition
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Advocacy
To take actions or make arguments to
advance (or deter) the passage of a
policy, or implementation of a policy.
Scholarly Publishing & Academic
Resources Coalition
#oerpolicyworks
@txtbks @sparc_na
Policy
“A definite course or method of action selected
from among alternatives and in light of given
conditions to guide and determine present and
future decisions.” (Merriam Webster Dictionary)
Scholarly Publishing & Academic
Resources Coalition
#oerpolicyworks
@txtbks @sparc_na
Policy
“A definite course or method of action selected
from among alternatives and in light of given
conditions to guide and determine present and
future decisions.” (Merriam Webster Dictionary)
Scholarly Publishing & Academic
Resources Coalition
#oerpolicyworks
@txtbks @sparc_na
Policy vs. Program
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Resources Coalition
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Policy vs. Program
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Resources Coalition
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@txtbks @sparc_na
Policy vs. Program
Scholarly Publishing & Academic
Resources Coalition
#oerpolicyworks
@txtbks @sparc_na
Policy vs. Program
Scholarly Publishing & Academic
Resources Coalition
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@txtbks @sparc_na
Policy Forum
The system in which a policy operates
— federal/state/local government,
institution, corporation, etc.
Scholarly Publishing & Academic
Resources Coalition
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Decision Makers
Entities in charge of making the
decision to pass a policy (or how to
implement a policy).
Scholarly Publishing & Academic
Resources Coalition
#oerpolicyworks
@txtbks @sparc_na
Stakeholders
Outside entities affected by a policy’s
implementation.
Scholarly Publishing & Academic
Resources Coalition
#oerpolicyworks
@txtbks @sparc_na
Typical OER Stakeholders
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Students
Professors/Teachers
Colleges/Universities/Schools
Bookstores (for Higher Ed)
Publishers
Scholarly Publishing & Academic
Resources Coalition
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@txtbks @sparc_na
Part 1: Campaign
Development
Scholarly Publishing & Academic
Resources Coalition
#oerpolicyworks
@txtbks @sparc_na
Campaign Development
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Status Quo
Problem
Vision
Solution
Barriers
Scholarly Publishing & Academic
Resources Coalition
#oerpolicyworks
@txtbks @sparc_na
Status Quo
The way things are now.
Scholarly Publishing & Academic
Resources Coalition
#oerpolicyworks
@txtbks @sparc_na
Defining Status Quo
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Who selects content?
Who purchases content?
Where does the funding come from?
Do all students have access to content?
Is content up to date?
Is content locally relevant?
Does content support teaching & learning?
Scholarly Publishing & Academic
Resources Coalition
#oerpolicyworks
@txtbks @sparc_na
Example: Status Quo
• Who selects content?
– Individual professors
• Who purchases content?
– Individual students***
• Where does the funding come from
– Students themselves, with support from
public & private grants and loans
• Do all students have access to content
– No, many skip or delay buying books
Scholarly Publishing & Academic
Resources Coalition
#oerpolicyworks
@txtbks @sparc_na
Example: Status Quo
• Is content up to date?
– Generally yes, but in some subjects can be 34 years out of date
• Is content locally relevant?
– Generally relevant to Americans, but not
always to local areas
• Does content support teaching & learning?
– Generally the quality is good, but the
problem is that students can’t afford access
Scholarly Publishing & Academic
Resources Coalition
#oerpolicyworks
@txtbks @sparc_na
Problem
What is wrong with the status quo?
Scholarly Publishing & Academic
Resources Coalition
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Example: Problem
• The cost of textbooks has risen rapidly, leaving too many
students unable to afford their materials. The result can be
lower grades, longer time to graduation, and student debt.
• Textbook companies can drive up prices because students
are a captive market, and professors are not always aware
that more affordable options are available.
• The largest companies are curtailing the benefits of
technology by putting heavy restrictions on digital materials
and blocking innovators from entering the market.
Scholarly Publishing & Academic
Resources Coalition
#oerpolicyworks
@txtbks @sparc_na
Vision
How would the world look if the
problem didn’t exist?
Scholarly Publishing & Academic
Resources Coalition
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Example: Vision
• Technology makes it possible to distribute information
to a worldwide audience at virtually no cost, and to
enable new, better ways of teaching and learning. OER
is the most effective way to leverage that potential.
• In a perfect world, higher education would make
widespread use of OER expanding affordable access
to textbooks, enabling instructors to adapt materials to
improve teaching, and supporting new sustainable
publishing models.
Scholarly Publishing & Academic
Resources Coalition
#oerpolicyworks
@txtbks @sparc_na
Solution
What specific change or series of
changes could bring the world closer to
your vision?
Scholarly Publishing & Academic
Resources Coalition
#oerpolicyworks
@txtbks @sparc_na
Example: Solution
• The key to solving the problem is to get more
professors to seek, consider and adopt OER.
• Specifically for that to be possible, professors need
both high quality content and support for
identifying, reviewing and adapting it to their
course.
Scholarly Publishing & Academic
Resources Coalition
#oerpolicyworks
@txtbks @sparc_na
Barriers
What customs, policies, behaviors, or
entities stand in the way of your
solution?
Scholarly Publishing & Academic
Resources Coalition
#oerpolicyworks
@txtbks @sparc_na
Example: Barriers
• Lack of funding or expertise to provide the kind of
support faculty need to transition to OER
• Uneven availability of high quality ready-to-use
open textbooks
• Faculty perceptions that OER are low quality
• Limited awareness of OER at colleges and
universities
Scholarly Publishing & Academic
Resources Coalition
#oerpolicyworks
@txtbks @sparc_na
Breakout Groups
Fill out the Campaign Development form for the
situation in your country.
Google Docs/Downloads:
http://sparc.arl.org/resource/oerpolicyworks
Scholarly Publishing & Academic
Resources Coalition
#oerpolicyworks
@txtbks @sparc_na
Share
Tell the group what you came up with for
Campaign Development.
Google Docs/Downloads:
http://sparc.arl.org/resource/oerpolicyworks
Scholarly Publishing & Academic
Resources Coalition
#oerpolicyworks
@txtbks @sparc_na
Part 2: Campaign
Strategy
Scholarly Publishing & Academic
Resources Coalition
#oerpolicyworks
@txtbks @sparc_na
Campaign Strategy
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Policy Proposal
Target
Goal
Timeframe
Allies/Opposition
Resources
Influencers
Strategy
Tactics
Scholarly Publishing & Academic
Resources Coalition
#oerpolicyworks
@txtbks @sparc_na
Policy Proposal
What policy will you propose to
implement your solution?
Scholarly Publishing & Academic
Resources Coalition
#oerpolicyworks
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Types of OER Policy *
1. Invest resources explicitly in the
creation or adoption of OER
2. Inject open licensing into systems
that create educational resources
3. Endorse or call for OER
4. Remove barriers to OER
* This is a working theory, let’s see if it holds true outside the U.S.
Scholarly Publishing & Academic
Resources Coalition
#oerpolicyworks
@txtbks @sparc_na
Policy Ideas
• Funding OER pilot programs
• Diverting textbook funding to develop/deploy
OER instead
• Open licensing policies for materials created
by professors or with public funds
• Adding OER to strategic plans
Scholarly Publishing & Academic
Resources Coalition
#oerpolicyworks
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Example: Policy Proposal
• Federally-funded grant program to support the
creation, improvement and adoption of OER.
Scholarly Publishing & Academic
Resources Coalition
#oerpolicyworks
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Target
Who is the specific decision maker, or
group of decision makers, that has the
power to pass your policy proposal?
Scholarly Publishing & Academic
Resources Coalition
#oerpolicyworks
@txtbks @sparc_na
Target Ideas
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National government (incl. ministers)
Provincial/local governments
Leaders of schools/universities
Funders of research/development
Scholarly Publishing & Academic
Resources Coalition
#oerpolicyworks
@txtbks @sparc_na
Example Target
• Generally, U.S. Congress
• Specifically, members of the House and Senate
committees that work on higher education
Scholarly Publishing & Academic
Resources Coalition
#oerpolicyworks
@txtbks @sparc_na
Timeframe
When do you seek to pass your policy
proposal?
Scholarly Publishing & Academic
Resources Coalition
#oerpolicyworks
@txtbks @sparc_na
Example: Timeframe
• In this case, we want to get the bill attached to the
“reauthorization” of our Higher Education Act, so
the timeframe will be dependent on that.
Scholarly Publishing & Academic
Resources Coalition
#oerpolicyworks
@txtbks @sparc_na
Goal
Your policy proposal put in terms of a
target and a timeframe. “Get [target] to
[pass policy proposal] by [timeframe].”
Scholarly Publishing & Academic
Resources Coalition
#oerpolicyworks
@txtbks @sparc_na
Example: Goal
• Get the U.S. Congress to pass a grant program
funding the creation, improvement, and use of
open textbooks when it passes the Higher
Education Act reauthorization bill.
Scholarly Publishing & Academic
Resources Coalition
#oerpolicyworks
@txtbks @sparc_na
Allies/Opposition
What people and organizations are on
your side? Who is against you?.
Scholarly Publishing & Academic
Resources Coalition
#oerpolicyworks
@txtbks @sparc_na
Example: Allies
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Student organizations
Other OER Groups: Creative Commons, etc.
Senator Durbin, Congressman Hinojosa
A few college groups
Open textbook publishers
Faculty groups?
Scholarly Publishing & Academic
Resources Coalition
#oerpolicyworks
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Example: Opposition
• Publishers, incl. companies and trade associations
• Politicians who oppose federal spending
Scholarly Publishing & Academic
Resources Coalition
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Resources
What resources – including money,
manpower, connections, etc. – do you
and your allies have available?
Scholarly Publishing & Academic
Resources Coalition
#oerpolicyworks
@txtbks @sparc_na
Example: Resources
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Hewlett Foundation grant
SPARC reserve budget
100+ U.S. SPARC library members in 45/50 states
Good contacts with the press
Open Access Working Group (OA coalition)
Legislative action software
Scholarly Publishing & Academic
Resources Coalition
#oerpolicyworks
@txtbks @sparc_na
Influencers
What entities and ideas can influence
your target to make the decision you
want them to make?
Scholarly Publishing & Academic
Resources Coalition
#oerpolicyworks
@txtbks @sparc_na
Example: Influencers
• American voters, specifically those in the
states/districts of our targets.
– Students/Parents
– Professors
– Colleges
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The press
Powerful members of Congress
In some cases, the Administration
Campaign donations
Scholarly Publishing & Academic
Resources Coalition
#oerpolicyworks
@txtbks @sparc_na
Strategy
The theory for how you can achieve
your goal.
Scholarly Publishing & Academic
Resources Coalition
#oerpolicyworks
@txtbks @sparc_na
Common Strategies
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Persuade target
Incentivize target
Put pressure on target
Hold target accountable
Scholarly Publishing & Academic
Resources Coalition
#oerpolicyworks
@txtbks @sparc_na
Example: Strategy
Demonstrate a broad base of constituent support for
the idea of textbook affordability and open textbooks
to incentivize – and in some cases pressure –
members of the House and Senate education
committees to support the OER program’s inclusion
in the Higher Education Act, which will ultimately lead
to its passage.
Scholarly Publishing & Academic
Resources Coalition
#oerpolicyworks
@txtbks @sparc_na
Tactics
The specific actions you take to
execute your strategy.
Scholarly Publishing & Academic
Resources Coalition
#oerpolicyworks
@txtbks @sparc_na
Tactic Tips
• Best process is to brainstorm all possible tactics,
then pick the ones that fit with your resources,
then fit them into your timeline.
• We won’t have time for that today, so just outline a
few that you think are most important.
Scholarly Publishing & Academic
Resources Coalition
#oerpolicyworks
@txtbks @sparc_na
Example: Tactics
• Work with coalition to organize student resolutions
and letters and in key states/districts.
• Generate media coverage on the issue.
• Build relationships with target offices.
• Organize educational briefing on Capitol Hill.
• Work with bill sponsors to reach out to targets and
convince them to support the bill.
Scholarly Publishing & Academic
Resources Coalition
#oerpolicyworks
@txtbks @sparc_na
Strategy or Tactic?
Organize presentation to faculty to
educate them about OER.
Scholarly Publishing & Academic
Resources Coalition
#oerpolicyworks
@txtbks @sparc_na
Strategy or Tactic?
Persuade educators to make their
teaching materials available as OER.
Scholarly Publishing & Academic
Resources Coalition
#oerpolicyworks
@txtbks @sparc_na
Strategy or Tactic?
Hold publishers publicly accountable for
their excessively high profit margins to
change their practices.
Scholarly Publishing & Academic
Resources Coalition
#oerpolicyworks
@txtbks @sparc_na
Strategy or Tactic?
Organize a coordinated twitter campaign
to launch an OER portal.
Scholarly Publishing & Academic
Resources Coalition
#oerpolicyworks
@txtbks @sparc_na
Breakout Groups
Fill out the Campaign Strategy form for the policy
proposal you are most interested in.
Google Docs/Downloads:
http://sparc.arl.org/resource/oerpolicyworks
Scholarly Publishing & Academic
Resources Coalition
#oerpolicyworks
@txtbks @sparc_na
Agenda
13:45 Breakouts: Campaign Strategy
14:30 Share: Campaign Strategy
15:00 Overview: Campaign Communication
15:15 Breakouts: Campaign Communication (incl.
15 min break)
• 16:00 Share: Campaign Communication
• 16:45 Evaluation and next steps
• 17:00 End
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Scholarly Publishing & Academic
Resources Coalition
#oerpolicyworks
@txtbks @sparc_na
Share
Tell the group what you came up with for
Campaign Strategy.
Google Docs/Downloads:
http://sparc.arl.org/resource/oerpolicyworks
Scholarly Publishing & Academic
Resources Coalition
#oerpolicyworks
@txtbks @sparc_na
Part 3: Campaign
Communication
Scholarly Publishing & Academic
Resources Coalition
#oerpolicyworks
@txtbks @sparc_na
Campaign Communication
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Audience
Frames
Message
Materials
Scholarly Publishing & Academic
Resources Coalition
#oerpolicyworks
@txtbks @sparc_na
Audience
Who is your campaign oriented
towards? The target or someone who
influences the target?
Scholarly Publishing & Academic
Resources Coalition
#oerpolicyworks
@txtbks @sparc_na
Example: Audience
There are two key audiences for our campaign:
• SPARC member librarians
• Target Congressional offices (equivalent to
members of the public)
Scholarly Publishing & Academic
Resources Coalition
#oerpolicyworks
@txtbks @sparc_na
Frames
What pre-existing themes does your
audience associate with the topic?
Scholarly Publishing & Academic
Resources Coalition
#oerpolicyworks
@txtbks @sparc_na
Example: Frames
Good frames:
• Textbooks, and higher ed in general, are expensive.
• Student debt is a big problem.
• Education is important for the economy.
• Technology can solve problems.
Bad/problematic frames:
• You get what you pay for.
• If it’s too good to be true, it probably is.
• MOOCs are the cutting edge.
Scholarly Publishing & Academic
Resources Coalition
#oerpolicyworks
@txtbks @sparc_na
Message
The case you make to your audience.
Scholarly Publishing & Academic
Resources Coalition
#oerpolicyworks
@txtbks @sparc_na
Message Structure
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Hook (Something that interests the target)
Problem (Connect the hook to the problem)
Solution (Why OER)
Action (Why your policy proposal)
• Short message
• Long message
Scholarly Publishing & Academic
Resources Coalition
#oerpolicyworks
@txtbks @sparc_na
Message Tips
• Use your list of frames and your list of influencers
• Include key facts
• Explain things using language your audience will
understand
• Use active, colorful language
Scholarly Publishing & Academic
Resources Coalition
#oerpolicyworks
@txtbks @sparc_na
Example: Tiny Message
Textbook costs are out of control and America can do better.
It's time to unleash the power of technology through free open
textbooks.
Scholarly Publishing & Academic
Resources Coalition
#oerpolicyworks
@txtbks @sparc_na
Example: Short Message
Textbook costs are out of control and are driving students
deeper in debt. America should capitalize on today’s
technology to make textbooks affordable and better for
students. The most effective model is open textbooks, which
are free online to students and available for anyone to use,
adapt and share. Support the Affordable College Textbook Act
to expand the use of open textbooks at more campuses,
reducing costs for students and supporting more innovative
models for educatio.
Scholarly Publishing & Academic
Resources Coalition
#oerpolicyworks
@txtbks @sparc_na
Example: Long Message
• Hook: Everyone knows that college costs are skyrocketing
and student debt has become a big problem.
• Problem: Textbooks are a significant contributing expense.
Students spend $1,200 per year, and many skip or delay
buying textbooks because the cost is too high. The
traditional textbook system continues to drive up costs,
stifling competition and taking advantage of students.
• Technology has the potential to solve this problem, but only
if we go about it the right way. Much of the existing digital
content has legal and technical restrictions that prevent
everything we’re used to doing on the Web – reading free,
copying, sharing, editing, etc.
Scholarly Publishing & Academic
Resources Coalition
#oerpolicyworks
@txtbks @sparc_na
Example: Long Message
• Solution: The most effective model to unlock the
potential of technology is Open Educational Resources, or
“OER.” OER are academic materials that are distributed
free online with copyright permissions for everyone to
freely use, adapt and share the content. Students can
access OER at no cost, professors can tailor the material
to suit their course, and print copies can be made at a
low cost.
• OER is widely available in many subjects, and if more
professors start to leverage it, students would save 80100% on textbooks. Studies also show that OER supports
better grades because all students have access.
Scholarly Publishing & Academic
Resources Coalition
#oerpolicyworks
@txtbks @sparc_na
Example: Long Message
• Ask: The challenge is that professors are not always
aware of options like OER. The key is to provide more
support on campus.
• For this reason, we are asking you to co-sponsor the
Affordable College Textbook Act. This bill would fund
campus pilot programs to create, improve, and expand
use of OER. These pilots would directly reduce costs for
students, and any materials they create would be freely
available to the public too. The bill would also reduce
costs in the long run by enabling sustainable, competitive
business models to develop.
Scholarly Publishing & Academic
Resources Coalition
#oerpolicyworks
@txtbks @sparc_na
Materials
How you communicate your message
to your audience
Scholarly Publishing & Academic
Resources Coalition
#oerpolicyworks
@txtbks @sparc_na
External Materials
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Fact Sheet (2 page max)
Myths and facts sheet (2 page max)
Primer (longer, if your audience wants it)
Webpage
Infographic or related images
List of “further reading”
Op-Ed or good news clippings
Scholarly Publishing & Academic
Resources Coalition
#oerpolicyworks
@txtbks @sparc_na
Internal Materials
• Talking points for meetings with targets
• Q&A for meetings with targets
• Document summarizing the campaign
strategy, tactics and timeline
• Document summarizing the campaign
message, frames and audience
Scholarly Publishing & Academic
Resources Coalition
#oerpolicyworks
@txtbks @sparc_na
Breakout Groups
Fill out the Campaign Communications form for
your campaign.
Google Docs/Downloads:
http://sparc.arl.org/resource/oerpolicyworks
Scholarly Publishing & Academic
Resources Coalition
#oerpolicyworks
@txtbks @sparc_na
Share
Tell the group what you came up with for
Campaign Communication.
Google Docs/Downloads:
http://sparc.arl.org/resource/oerpolicyworks
Scholarly Publishing & Academic
Resources Coalition
#oerpolicyworks
@txtbks @sparc_na
Evaluation &
Next Steps
Scholarly Publishing & Academic
Resources Coalition
#oerpolicyworks
@txtbks @sparc_na
OER Advocacy Workshop
Nicole Allen
Director of Open Education, SPARC
OER Policy Workshop (#OERPolicyWorks)
March 19, 2014 Warsaw, Poland
Scholarly Publishing & Academic
Resources Coalition
#oerpolicyworks
@txtbks @sparc_na