TEN YEARS OF OER IN CHINA
A Legal and Technical Perspective
Dr. Stewart Cheifet
University of Nevada, USA
Creative Commons China Mainland
WHY IS AN AMERICAN SPEAKING
ABOUT OER IN CHINA?
• 1970
– NAEB Distance Learning K-12
• 1985
– PBS Telecourse Project for Colleges
• 2001
– Original Internet Host for MIT OCW
• 2004
– Consultant to CORE
• 2006
– Advisory Board of CC China Mainland
TEN YEARS OF OER IN CHINA
I.
II.
III.
IV.
V.
General Background on OER in China
Legal Issues for OER in China
Technology Issues for OER in China
Review of Specific OER Projects
Future Challenges for OER in China
General Background on
OER in China
IMPORTANCE OF OER IN CHINA
• 209 million registered students in schools
• Strong institutional support
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Ministry of Education
Ministry of Culture
Ministry of Science and Technology
Major Universities
Academic Institutes
Libraries
Non Governmental Organizations
China Open Resources for Education (CORE)
EVOLUTION OF OER IN CHINA
• “Open Education” initially referred to distance
learning or education “without the limit of
time and space” – 1995
• MIT in the U.S. launches their OCW Project
which redefined Open Educational Resources
as Open Course Ware - 2001
THREE CATEGORIES OF OER
CONTENT PROTECTION/OPENNESS
1. Educational Resources not protected by
copyright laws – in the public domain.
2. Educational Resources protected by
Copyright Laws but under provisions which
allow for free use and/or re-use (e.g.,
Creative Commons licenses)
3. Educational Resources that are guaranteed
for free public use by government policy
ACADEMIC RESEARCH
INTEREST IN OER
• “Open Educational Resources” becomes a
keyword in the China National Knowledge
Infrastructure website
• “Open Educational Resources” is used as a
keyword in online Chinese databases such as
Chinese Journal Full Database (CJFD)
• “Open Educational Resources” is used in the title
of research papers in CJFD
• “Open Educational Resources” is the subject of
online research articles
– 50 papers in 2009; 114 papers from 2003 - 2009
TOPICS OF INTEREST IN OER PAPERS
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Barriers to Open Education
Operational Issues in OER Implementations
Legal and Copyright Issues
Need for Adequate ICT Support
Pivotal Role of Open Internet
Appropriate Technical Sharing Mechanisms
Various OER Platform Models
HOW CHINA DEFINES OER
• Based on original definition from the Hewlett
Foundation
1. “Teaching, learning and research resources in
the public domain or released under licenses
which allow free use and repurposing.”
2. “Full courses, course materials, textbooks,
videos, tests, software or other educational
tools, materials or techniques.”
REFINING DEFINITION
OF OER IN CHINA
• Open
– Free access to educational materials and the right to
repurpose and adapt these materials for enhanced
future use
• Education
– For students, for teachers, and for those working on
courseware content creation
• Resources
– Not only actual course materials but also software,
publishing tools, standards, licensing protocols, and
content management platforms
HIGH LEVEL VIEW OF
OER IN CHINA
• Expansion of OER Components
– Developed by Professors Zhao Guodong and Jiang
Zhongjiao at Peking University
• OER in China consists of five elements
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
Open access educational content
Open standards and protocols
Open source tools and software
Open source course management systems
Open sharing communities
Legal Issues for OER in China
LEGAL ISSUES RELATED TO
OER IN CHINA
• Three relevant legal documents affect the
ability to open access and reuse of intellectual
property in educational setting
1. Chinese Constitution
2. Copyright Laws of the PRC
3. Education Laws of the PRC
LEGAL ISSUES RELATED TO
OER IN CHINA
• The Constitution of the PRC
1. Specific references to supporting educational
endeavors
2. Encouragement of education through
independent study
3. Specific support of “the freedom to engage in
scientific research, literary and artistic creation
and other cultural pursuits”
LEGAL ISSUES RELATED TO
OER IN CHINA
• Copyright Laws of the PRC
– Sources of Chinese intellectual property law are:
1. Copyright Law of the PRC
2. Regulation on the Protection of the Right to
Disseminate Information
3. Regulation on Protection of Computer Software
4. International Treaties
LEGAL ISSUES RELATED TO
OER IN CHINA
• Education Laws of the PRC
1.
2.
3.
4.
General Education Law
Vocational Education Law
Compulsory Education Law
Higher Education Law
• In general, Education Laws support OER concept
but language is not clear on exactly what is
allowed and what is not allowed
– Special problems in defining OER rules related to
digital and online educational materials
THE BALANCE OF LEGAL RIGHTS
FOR THE OER COMMUNITY
• Content Creator versus the Content Consumer
– What does “open” in OER really mean?
– What are the rights of “free access”?
– What are the rights of content creator?
• Failure to protect creators inhibits incentives for
creativity
• Failure to protect consumers right to open access
inhibits the transfer of knowledge
LEGAL APPROACHES TO
SUPPORTING OER IN CHINA
• Educational Content & Copyright Laws
– Many exceptions
– “Short” works or “small quantity” of copyrighted
works may be used without the author’s
permission – “fair use”
– Applicable to national education programs
– Applicable to distance learning environments
– Some payment may be required – standard not
clear
LEGAL APPROACHES TO
SUPPORTING OER IN CHINA
• The Creative Commons Solution
– Alternative to traditional copyright law
– Creative Commons licenses are in full compliance
with Chinese law
– Creators of OER content may apply a variety of CC
licenses to their works
– Chinese law protects private CC arrangements in
support of OER
Technology Issues for
OER in China
TECHNOLOGY INFRASTRUCTURE
FOR OER IN CHINA
• Successful Internet-based OER depends on
adequate technology infrastructure
– ICT (Information Communications Technology)
• In very large developing country like China,
infrastructure support is uneven
• Result is OER focused in higher education and
in the larger, formal school environment
TECHNOLOGY INFRASTRUCTURE
FOR OER IN CHINA
• Internet Development Statistics Report
– 420 million regular Internet users in China in 2010
– Increase of almost 400% in five years
– 110 million users in 2005
• Internet User Penetration
– 32% Internet penetration in 2010
– 8% Internet penetration in 2005
TECHNOLOGY INFRASTRUCTURE
FOR OER IN CHINA
• Growth in Internet Content Creation
– CN Domain Names in December 2009
• 232 million
– CN Domain Names in June 2010
• 250 million
– Growth rate of 8% in just six months!
• 30% of Internet users are students
– Distribution of Internet Usage among Students
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40 % high school
28 % junior high school
23 % college level
9 % elementary school
TECHNOLOGY CONTENT
USAGE IN CHINA
• What do Chinese citizens use the Internet for?
– Downloading Music 83%
– Accessing News 80%
– Using a Search Engine 76%
– Instant Messaging 72%
– Online Gaming 70%
– Downloading or Streaming Video 63%
– Email 56%
– Education ???
ICT SUPPORT FOR OER
IN COLLEGES & UNIVERSITIES
• Installations of Classroom Technologies
– 2010 Survey of 257 Colleges & Universities
Available Classroom Technology
Percentage
Network Connectivity
76 %
Computers in the Classroom
67 %
Video Projection System
68 %
TV Broadcasts Available
27 %
Interactive White Board
27 %
Teaching Feedback System (Clickers)
24 %
Automated Video Recording System
28 %
ICT SUPPORT FOR OER
IN UNIVERSITIES
• Adoption of Wireless Campus Network (Wi-Fi)
– 2010 Survey of 257 Colleges & Universities
Wi-Fi Capabilities
Percentage
Campus Wide Coverage
10 %
Partial Campus Coverage
27 %
Wireless Network Under Construction
11 %
Plans for Campus Wireless Network
41 %
No Wireless Network or Plan
8%
No Information Available
3%
ICT SUPPORT FOR OER
IN UNIVERSITIES
• Enterprise Resource Planning Tools (ERP)
– Use of Resource Management Software
Software Management Tool
Percentage Use
Library Management
21 %
Financial Management
20 %
Course Management
19 %
Student Management
18 %
Personnel Management
15 %
Online Course Selection
4%
Scientific Research Management
3%
ICT SUPPORT FOR OER
IN UNIVERSITIES
• Communication & Training Tools for Education
– 2010 Survey of Colleges & Universities
Available Tools
Percentage
Email Service for Teachers & Staff
18 %
Network Access in Dormitories
18 %
ICT Training Available for Teachers
15 %
Courseware Website Design/Construction Services for Teachers
15 %
Courseware Design & Production Services for Teachers
14 %
Email Service for Students
13 %
Video Conferencing Systems
7%
ICT SUPPORT GROWTH
FOR OER IN UNIVERSITIES
• Support and Promotion of OER Movement
– Use of Various Open Educational Tools/Resources
OER Tools and Resources Being Used
Percentage Use
Various E-Learning Platforms
54 %
Open Courseware Specifically
38 %
Hybrid or Blended Learning Systems
30 %
Blogs
24 %
E-Portfolios
22 %
Wikis
16 %
Apple i-Tunes University
7%
ICT SUPPORT GROWTH
FOR OER IN UNIVERSITIES
• Technology Specifically in Support of OER
– Growth Over Past Five Years
Use of Online
Teaching Platforms
Percentage
2005
Percentage
2010
Currently in Use
33 %
61 %
Constructing System
0%
32 %
No Plans or No Response
67 %
7%
TECHNOLOGY PLATORMS IN CHINA
SUPPORTING OER
• All OER projects are in digital format
• Available via computer or online
• Require software tools for design, storage and
publishing
• Four primary platforms in use for OER:
1.
2.
3.
4.
Open Courseware Web Sites at Universities
Open Course Management System Sites (CMS)
Open Video Courseware at Universities
Open Courseware Built on E-learning Solutions
TECHNOLOGY PLATORMS IN CHINA
SUPPORTING OER
1. Independent Open Course Websites
developed at Chinese Universities
– Developed & maintained by individual teachers
– Teachers needed ICT skills
– Tools used such as FrontPage, Netscape
Composer, Dreamweaver, Access Data Base
TECHNOLOGY PLATORMS IN CHINA
SUPPORTING OER
• Often just PowerPoint slides on line
• Basic elements were:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
Course Introduction
Teacher Details
Teaching Program or Syllabus
Online Forum
Experiments Handbook & Guide
Reference Materials
• Limitations of those tools were storage capacity and
ability to easily update and share new information
TECHNOLOGY PLATORMS IN CHINA
SUPPORTING OER
2. Open Course Websites Built on Course
Management System (CMS) Software
– Tools Used
1.
2.
3.
4.
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Blackboard
Moodle
Sakai
Individually developed content management systems
Most common in large well-known universities
Used mostly by younger teachers
Openness seen as enhancing reputation/research
Main advantage: Fewer technology skills required
TECHNOLOGY PLATORMS IN CHINA
SUPPORTING OER
• Common features of CMS based Courseware
Functionality
Application
Communication
Discussion forums, email, chat, whiteboard
Productivity
Calendar, bookmarks, reports, help
Student Involvement
Collaboration, networking, portfolios
Course Delivery
Tests, grading, student data
Administration
Authentication, authorization, registration
Content Development
Design tools, sharing & reuse, course templates
TECHNOLOGY PLATORMS IN CHINA
SUPPORTING OER
3. Open Video Courseware
– Enabled by new video capture tools
– Peking University innovator in video courseware
– Popular Video Creation Tools
1. Adobe Connect Pro
2. Apple Podcast Producer
3. Echo 360
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Captures lectures audio/video and PowerPoints
Functionality enables easy online publishing
Accessible via computer or smart mobile devices
Use of video increases student learning motivation
TECHNOLOGY PLATORMS IN CHINA
SUPPORTING OER
4. Open Courseware Designed with
Rapid E-learning Tools
– Newest platforms that simplify and speed up the
process of open courseware content creation
– Most common platforms
1.
2.
3.
4.
Raptivity Software
Adobe Captivate
Adobe Authorware
Articulate Rapid E-Learning Studio
– Advantages are lower cost and ease of use
TECHNOLOGY PLATORMS IN CHINA
SUPPORTING OER
• Features of common Rapid E-learning Tools
Product
Functionality
Technical Capabilities
Raptivity
Software
Pre-built templates,
interactivity, easy design
interface
Exports in Flash, stand
alone course or import
into other courses
Adobe
Captivate
Speedy course creation,
interactivity, no
programming skills
needed
Branching scenarios,
online quizzes, enables
software demonstrations
Adobe
Authorware
Visual authoring tools,
meets corporate training
standards
Supports rich media
content integration
Articulate Rapid
E-learning Studio
Presenter, Quizmaker,
Engage, Video Encoder
All components are
integrated, navigation
and assessment tools
Specific OER Projects in China
SPECIFIC OER PROJECTS IN CHINA
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
Chinese Quality Course Project
China Open Resources for Education (CORE)
Educational Resources in the Public Domain
National Culture Information Resource Sharing
Science Data Sharing Project
Center for Contemporary Cultural Studies
China NGO 2.0
Kong Bohua TCM School
SPECIFIC OER PROJECTS IN CHINA
9. National Science Library Institutional Repository
10. Songshuhui Community
11. Xiamen University Institutional Repository
12. Qiji Scientific Literature Repository
13. Social Learning Lab Community
14. Chinese Journal of Lung Cancer
15. International Journal of Agricultural and
Biological Engineering
SPECIFIC OER PROJECTS IN CHINA
Project
Main Features
1. Chinese Quality Course
Project (CQC)
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Based on MIT OCW Model
US $ 7 million budget
6,500 courses completed
959 campuses using
2. China Open Resources for
Education (CORE)
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Focus on adapting MIT OCW courses for
China
Translates MIT courses into Chinese language
Also uses courses from Tufts, Utah State,
Johns Hopkins
•
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3. Educational Resources in
the Public Domain
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Ancient Chinese texts digitized and made
available online
Large repository of out of copyright content
More than 100 classical works now available
SPECIFIC OER PROJECTS IN CHINA
Project
Main Features
4. National Cultural
Information Resources
Sharing (NCIRS)
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Project of the Ministry of Culture
Focus is remote underserved rural areas
Managed by public libraries
Digitizes cultural content
28 provincial access centers
5. Science Data Sharing
Project (SDSP)
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Gather scientific data from government and
private science programs
Establish 50 data sharing networks on various
topics
Energy, environment, medicine, IT,
meteorology, earthquake engineering
•
•
SPECIFIC OER PROJECTS IN CHINA
Based on Creative Commons Licenses
Project
Main Features
6. Center for Contemporary
Cultural Studies (CCCS)
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Focus on Chinese cultural studies
News, reviews, courseware
Articles in Chinese and English languages
7. China NGO 2.0
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Develop social networking literacy
Online training workshops
Tools taught include RSS, blogs, micro-blogs,
wikis, SEO
8. Kong Bohua TCM School
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Open courseware for training students in
Traditional Chinese Medicine
New comprehensive text available free online
•
SPECIFIC OER PROJECTS IN CHINA
Based on Creative Commons Licenses
Project
9. National Science Library
Institutional Repository
(NSL-IR)
Main Features
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10. Songshuhui Community •
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11. Xiamen University
Institutional Repository
•
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Hosts scientific monographs
Non-commercial use only
Works can be downloaded, reused and
repurposed
Derivatives allowed only with permission
Popular science articles
Professional editors
Volunteer authors
Helps authors negotiate terms for commercial
use
Serious academic works, journals, theses,
scholarly presentations
Provides domestic and international access
SPECIFIC OER PROJECTS IN CHINA
Based on Creative Commons Licenses
Project
12. Qiji Scientific
Literature
Repository
Main Features
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13. Social Learning
Lab Community
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A Chinese Wikipedia for science subjects
Focus on academic theses and research papers
Now adding Chinese translations of foreign language
content
Only content contributor can make changes to posted
articles
Focus on Internet technology and social media in
particular
Geared toward academic community and teaching
methods and principles
Runs a wiki for knowledge sharing
SPECIFIC OER PROJECTS IN CHINA
Based on Creative Commons Licenses
Project
14. Chinese Journal of Lung
Cancer
Main Features
•
•
•
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15. International Journal of
Agricultural and Biological
Engineering
•
•
Academic online journal
Published bimonthly
Covers original laboratory research and clinical
investigations
Covers prevention, etiology, pathology,
epidemiology, therapies.
Peer reviewed online and print academic
journal
Sponsored by US based overseas Chinese bioagricultural engineering organizations
Future Challenges for
OER in China
FUTURE CHALLENGES FOR
OER IN CHINA
• Financial Support
– Senior faculty have most resources but least interest
– Junior faculty have most interest but fewest resources
– Debate over private versus government funding
• Network Access
– Most OER courses available only over CERNET, the
academic network run by the Ministry of Education
– User schools must pay access fees
– International access both in and out require additional
fees
FUTURE CHALLENGES FOR
OER IN CHINA
• Quality Standards
– Top professors are not willing to share their materials
– Participants are often less experienced faculty
– Professors may put their name on courseware for
recognition but do not get involved in the process
– Faculty resist large class sizes that result from putting
courses online
– OER sites are not well maintained and often are
unavailable and/or not updated
– Too much focus on the esthetics of the OER web sites
rather than on the educational content and pedagogy
FUTURE CHALLENGES FOR
OER IN CHINA
• Limited Openness
– Uncertainty regarding open status of much course
content
– Conflicts between nominal government policy of
openness and de facto copyright restrictions
– Majority of faculty who create OER courses do not
want their content available for re-use, modifications
or repurposing
– Many OER sites limit access to browsing and viewing
but prevent downloading
– Some universities try to limit access to OER materials
to students of those universities
FUTURE CHALLENGES FOR
OER IN CHINA
• Public Awareness & Promotion
– OER concept is not widely known outside academic
and library circles
– Basic concept of openness and sharing has not gained
broad public support
– Government needs larger role in promoting
advantages of OER
– Access needs to be opened up to self-learners, rural
areas, and the disadvantaged
– Alternative access needs to be provided to
populations without Internet connectivity
FUTURE CHALLENGES FOR
OER IN CHINA
• Increased Interaction between Teachers and
Students
– Content creators need more input from content
users
– Optimal choices for resource content format such
as text versus video versus audio
– Help centers to deal promptly with problems
– Feedback mechanisms to enable two-way
communications between students and teachers
FUTURE CHALLENGES FOR
OER IN CHINA
• Adopting Web 3.0 Technologies
– Semantic web
– Personalization
– Artificial intelligence
– Improved search
– Filtering out unwanted search results
– Improved learning efficiency
– Social media tools
FUTURE CHALLENGES FOR
OER IN CHINA
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
Financial Support (Sustainability)
Network Access
Quality Standards
Limited Openness
Public Awareness and Promotion
Increased Student Teacher Interaction
Web 3.0 Technologies
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
• Thanks to the following for their research
paper “Open Educational Resources in the
People’s Republic of China” which
contributed to this presentation:
– Dr. Chunyan Wang
• Renmin University of China
– Dr. Guodong Zhao
• Peking University
TEN YEARS OF OER IN CHINA
A Legal and Technical Perspective
Dr. Stewart Cheifet
University of Nevada, USA
Creative Commons China Mainland