The social impact of open learning:
the case of OpenLearn
Professor Andy Lane
Director, OpenLearn, The Open University UK.
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Why make our content open?
• A growing momentum behind open content worldwide
• Open content consistent with the University’s commitment to
social justice and widening participation in Higher Education
• Can be a way of building markets and reputation
• Can be a test bed for new e-learning developments and offers an
opportunity to research and evaluate them
• We can learn more about the University’s business model
• It can be a way of drawing in materials from other organisations
• It can provide the basis for world-wide collaborations over the
development and dissemination of supported open learning
Some initial major concerns
• Giving away the ‘family silver’ – what about the market value
of content?
• Inappropriate use of the content – what will others do with
it?
• Threatening student recruitment – why will they pay for what
they can get free?
• Problems of implementing licensing agreements for courses
and programmes – will we lose revenue?
• Long-term sustainability – who pays for making content
open?
The OpenLearn stages
• A feasibility report agreed by VC’s Executive, Academic Board
and Council mid 2005 to undertake a pilot project
• Hewlett granted $200k to help cover $700k scoping work in
late 2005 for a two year pilot (stage 1)
• $8.9m grant from William and Flora Hewlett Foundation for two
year pilot costing $11m in total, 2006-8 (stage 2)
– Formation of a programme team to achieve pilot goals and
participation in the open content global networks
– Joined Open Courseware Consortium
• Continue with OpenLearn ($1.2m) but embed policy and
practices into existing systems and processes and seek more
funding, 2008-9 (stage 3)
Major aims of stage 2
• Enhanced learning experiences for users of open content (self
study content plus open learning environment);
• Greater involvement in higher education by under-represented
groups and empowerment for various support networks that
work with them;
• Enhanced knowledge and understanding of open content
delivery, how it can be effective, and the contribution it can
make to further development of e-learning;
• Enhanced understanding of sustainable and scaleable models
of open content delivery.
What have we done so far?
Major features of OpenLearn (1)
• Study units consisting of multiple media assets:
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Text assets as XML or PDF
Audiovisual assets as MP3 files
Images as jpg files
Flash animations
• An Open Learning Environment using OSS (Moodle +)
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Forums and Learning Journals
Learning Clubs
Rating and Tagging
Video conferencing (FM)
Knowledge maps (Compendium)
FlashVlogs
Activity records
Major features of OpenLearn (2)
Open content from both OU and users:
• Samples from current courses or support materials as XML plus
other media (450+ Units representing 5500+ hours, 400+
embedded AV items = 30+ hours)
• Main texts from discontinued courses as XML stub plus pdfs (30+
units of 8000+ hours)
• Collaboration areas for groups (30+ with new and reworked
content)
• New and reworked units from individual users (300+ hours)
• Knowledge maps (50+ with some user generated)
• Public Videoconferences (100+ most user generated)
• Learning journal and forum posts (8000+ all user generated)
• Public Vlogs (new)
• Learning clubs (some user generated content)
Who are the users?
• Individual self learners (over
2.5 million visitors and 80,000
registered users) around the
world (160 countries)
• Individual and groups of
educators around the world
• Lifelong learning groups in the
UK wanting informal study
• Educational and other
organisations for collaboration
and staff development
And what happens to the content?
• Accessed and used the online by
browsers and registered users
• Added to online by registered
users
• Referred to from another VLE or
website
• Taken away and used elsewhere
The open content takeaway
User behaviour with content
• Over 2000 FM video conferences booked
• Over 4,000 Compendium downloads, over 400 knowledge map
downloads and over 40 uploads
• Over 5000 forum postings
• Over 2000 learning journal entries
• Over 10,000 units printed per month
• Many thousands of content downloads
• Growing number of Learning Clubs (new)
• Some translations into Catalan, Portuguese, Spanish, Chinese
• In situ editing of units by educators
• Collaboration zone for groups to add their own content
• Content now also found on or via YouTube, NetVibes, Flickr,
MySpace as we and others spread it around
User feedback
Allows me to explore subject areas to see if I'd
like to study them further.
OpenLearn helped me to prepare myself and get used to
the idea of studying with Open University. I have since
enrolled at Open University as a result. I think OpenLearn
is a fantastic resource and I look forward to watching its
continued development and growth. Thank you.
Probably the best on-line resource for
language learning I have come across.
I believe OpenLearn is a brilliant concept. It
challenges traditionally held views about
education. OpenLearn IS the way teaching &
learning need to be. Free. No boundaries.
Web-based, self-paced, 365-24-7,
collaborative.
I am currently in the Army on a 6 month tour
in Iraq. It has been difficult for me to get
computer access consistently but when I have
been able to go on open learn I have enjoyed
the opportunity. The purpose of my learning
is mainly self development but also work
related.
I think OpenLearn is the best thing ever
I wish it had happened a long time ago
What registered users want
• ‘Volunteer students’
– More content
– More interactivity
– Assessment opportunities
• ‘Social learners’
– More tools
– Multiple media
Widening participation
• Introducing black and ethnic
minority students to learning
• Providing learning to prisoners at 15
prisons
• Developing thinking skills for
Openings students
• Supported over 300 registrations on
Openings courses
• Partnership with Unionlearn
National and regional partnerships
There are partnership activities in
all OU regions e.g.
• Sussex Lifelong Learning Project
• University of the Third Age
• Western Vocational Lifelong
Learning Network
• OpenLearn micro sites for Wales
and Scotland
International partnerships
There are a number of
international activities we are
linked to:
• Working with OCW Consortium,
EADTU, Open Polytechnic NZ
• Informal partnerships with
Commonwealth of Learning,
UNISUL in Brazil
• TESSA (Teacher Education in
Sub Saharan Africa)
• Research led ventures
Business and community
engagement
• OpenLearn is featured on and
links through to OU’s
Continuing Professional
Development website
• Supporting OU R&D work with
professional bodies
• Helping transform Plymouth
City Council Children’s Services
into a Learning Organisation
• Changing relationships with
publishers.
Information, advice and
guidance
• Integrated into advice given in new
Study with the OU website and
prospectuses
• Already approx. 50% of Student
Registration and Enquiry Service
(SRS) staff refer students to
OpenLearn
• Educational and careers advisers
in the Regional/National Centres
recommend OpenLearn for
prospective and continuing
students
Marketing
• Lead generation – 4,500+ prospectus
enquiries
• Decision support for students
• Conversion tool – 6,000+ registrations
• Loyalty mechanism – repeat visitors and
business
• Marketing 2.0: Personal, relevant, free,
valued, open
• Viral content supporting low-cost/no-cost
marketing strategy
• Social media marketing
Reputation
 Subject of over 30 international
traditional press articles and 700 blog
posts
 Presented extensively internationally
 OU recognised as leading player in
OER movement worldwide alongside
MIT, Carnegie Mellon etc
 OU content widely cited in other VLEs
e.g. Leeds College of Art and Design,
University of Delhi, OpenEcoSystem,
NativeEnglishOnline
 Actively promoted to large
organisations, opening doors to
relationships with Sky, Microsoft etc
 OpenLearn has been recognised by IP
experts to be pushing boundaries
 10 award short listings – innovation
and public service
Strengthening research bids
• EduShare. 700k Euros: Asia-Link
Programme, the European Commission
• The Project on Open Content for
Knowledge Exposition and Teaching
(POCKET). £200k: JISC
• Staff improvement in distance education
for Caribbean, African and Pacific
universities (SideCap). 747k Euros:
ACP-EU Cooperation Programme in
Higher Education (EDULINK)
• Research publications available at
http://kn.open.ac.uk/public/workspace.cf
m?wpid=6087
Conclusions
• OERs attract people/organizations because they can do
something with them
• Many people/organizations want more than just the content - a
relationship with other users or the University
• OERs are being assessed against the OU’s own mission and
strategic priorities for tangible and intangible benefits
• OpenLearn has been run as an action research project with
constant developments and continuous evaluation
• Educators need strong commitment and continued support over
long periods to rework or create new resources
• Being involved in networks has been essential
• OER work needs to align with both day to day and longer term
activities
• Need to look for new business models … advertising, value
added services, disaggregated services?
Acknowledgements
Images provided by flickr contributors
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http://www.flickr.com/photos/thomashawk/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/83287853@N00/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/daviddmuir/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/mmoorr/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/evisibility
http://www.flickr.com/photos/melanieandjohn/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/chough/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/mshandro
http://www.flickr.com/photos/xploded/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/freakdiver/
• http://www.flickr.com/photos/pcf5/collections/72157606297459266/
• http://www.flickr.com/photos/callumscott2/280532292/sizes/o/
• http://www.flickr.com/photos/2create/2495142635/