OLI: Cathy Casserly

I made some shorter notes for this talk as we are involved in the area – but Cathy always manages to introduce new examples and latest data and is great at making connections as she knows what everyone is up to. (And my battery is running out so this post is just before the talk finishes!)

Cathy presents the corresponding primer for OERs to match the information about Learning Sciences already presented. OERs are inspired by open source and a belief that education is part of the common good. Investment in human capital creates a positive multiplier. OER came out of UNESCO workshop in 2002 and has become the dominant label for those working in the field.

Cathy referred to the study that was funded at CMU – 8 weeks online with better results than 15 weeks conventional.

The example used for OPLE was about data gathering in the field. The project seemed rather like the TEL-PI at the OU. Cathy also mentioned the data that Steve Godwin is analysing to pick out the interests of people actually using OpenLearn – the interest in the content, assessment and interactivity. New skill sets include the need to recognise “try, fail and try again”. As an example of the changes in school looking at Hellerup School with a YouTube. Interestingly the video talked about modelling the school as a future workplace – which is very relevant to the work we are doing on our new IET building. The contrast is with current teaching as teaching in “boxes”.

Cathy then connected with the Learning Sciences research to develop deep research, design principles, assessment innovation to link with the OER collaboration, diversity, and ways to tap into the wisdom of the masses.

Herb Simon: One finds limits by pushing them.