OERu/Strategic plan 2014 - 2017/Strategic plan 2015 - 2017/Single page version

Message from the Chair of the Open Education Resource Foundation

Established in 2009, the Open Education Resource Foundation (OERF) is an independent, not-for-profit organisation that provides leadership, international networking and support for educational institutions to achieve their strategic objectives using open education approaches.

OER universitas (OERu) is a flagship initiative of the Foundation aimed at widening access to more affordable education using OER. The Foundation is coordinating the development of the OERu network comprising an innovation partnership of universities, polytechnics, colleges, and non-teaching agencies from six major regions of the world. The implementation of the OERu is also a designated project of the UNESCO / Commonwealth of Learning OER Chair network.

The constitution of Foundation directs the charity to support the adoption and implementation of OER for the benefit of the education institutions and the learner communities they serve. Consequently, the OERF subscribes to the principles of open philanthropy and open governance for its operations and projects. All planning activities of the Foundations' initiatives are conducted according to the principles of transparency. True to our commitment of open planning, the Foundation launched an open consultation process in May 2014 for the development of the OERu strategic plan encouraging feedback and inputs from OERu partners and the open community. The OERu Management Committee has been instrumental in providing oversight in progressing the operational priorities for 2014 identified during the 2013 international meeting of OERu partners and preparing inputs for progressing the successful implementation of the strategic plan.

The performance targets for the strategic plan were discussed and calibrated during the 3rd meeting of OERu partners in Hobart in November and tabled for consideration by the OERu Council of Chief Executive Officers. The final version of the plan was tabled and approved at the December meeting of the OERF Board of Directors to ensure alignment of the Foundation's own strategy with the OERu Strategic Plan 2015- 2017.

The open and consultative development of this three-year strategic plan represents a significant milestone for the OERu collaboration. Through the activities of the OERu, the OERF is well on track to achieving a fiscally sustainable model for widening access to more affordable education especially for those learners who are currently excluded from the formal education sector.

Executive summary

The OERu has implemented an "evergreen" strategic plan which is a live public document which can be tweaked and refined as new information concerning changes in the internal and external environment come to hand. Evergreen planning affords the OERu the opportunity to respond with agility to new strategic opportunities and allows for nimble responses where corrections in strategy need to be made.

The strategic plan is reviewed annually at the OERu partners meeting drawing on the outputs of the active working groups for the corresponding period of review. The strategic plan provides the framework for annual reporting. Each year the strategic goals are reviewed, operational priorities for the forthcoming year are identified and key performance indicators for the plan are recalibrated.

Annual report 2014

A key recommendation arising from the proposal for action "Getting it done" at the 2^nd meeting of anchor partners in Canada, was to establish institutional responsibility beyond the individual course contributions to progress completion of key components and processes required for the successful implementation of the OERu. The need for a multi-year plan with concrete targets was highlighted to hold the network to account for the implementation of agreed targets.

During 2014, the OERu network trialled an organisational model comprising a number of working groups and established an OERu Management Committee to provide oversight and coordination of activities in progressing identified operational priorities. A number of partner institutions including Charles Sturt University, Kwantlen Polytechnic University, the OERF, Thomas Edison State College, Thompson Rivers University, the University of Southern Queensland, the University of Tasmania and the University of Wollongong took on additional responsibility to convene the activities of the working groups supported by volunteer members from across the OERu network.

The OERF, through the strategic planning working group identified a number of operational priorities for 2014 with corresponding targets and commenced an open consultation process to develop a multi-year strategic plan for the OERu.

The subsections of the 2014 annual report have been prepared by the conveners of the working groups focusing on three components: the aims and objectives, main outputs and recommendations for 2015 and the future.

2014 Operational priorities

Introduction: At the November 2011 founding meeting of OERu anchor partners, we agreed a Bachelor of General Studies as the inaugural credential; and aimed to develop 3 prototype courses during 2012 / 2013 in time for the launch meeting in November 2013. Before the launch, we completed: Regional Relations in Asia and the Pacific (University of Southern Queensland), Open Content Licensing for Educators (Otago Polytechnic), Art Appreciation and Techniques (Thompson Rivers University) plus a bonus micro Open Online Course (mOOC), Scenario Planning for Educators (University of Canterbury) which we were able to run in parallel mode with full fee registered students studying with free OERu learners. In short, we achieved our initial targets.

Summary of progress on selected project activities

The OERu planning portal keeps a record of all the initiatives and activities in the logic model, including:

• As requested by the OERu Council of CEO’s, the open strategic planning consultation progressed on on schedule.
• Membership recruitment: To date, five new partners have confirmed joining the OERu international partnership. We are lagging a little behind our target to achieve ten new partners by the end of 2014.
• Programme Development: To date 31 full course equivalents have been nominated. We now have two full programmes on the table. (Graduate Diploma in Tertiary Education and a Postgraduate Diploma in Disaster Risk Studies.) This means that the OERu will have two additional credentials and a foundation for streaming, for example the Bachelor of General Studies with a specialisation in Vocational Education.
• Google Summer of Code (GsoC) peer evaluation project - the alpha release was tested and the beta version was completed by the "pencil down" date of 11 August 2014.
• The OERu technical infrastructure for hosting courses is based entirely on open source software. This offers unique opportunities for the OERu to build a community source model for partners to contribute to technology innovation for the benefit of the network. To date, the University of Southern Queensland is the only partner contributing to our community source effort. We aim to achieve 1 FTE equivalent contribution in kind spread across the network of institutions by the end of 2014.
• Design and development of Academic Volunteers International got off to a good start with extensive brainstorming of ideas for the design, but this project is currently stagnant.
• OERu Management Committee and associated working groups have been established, and two series of meetings have been completed. More details are available via Quicklinks.
• Course site design project - to develop a CSS framework for responsive design to improve the presentation layer of OERu courses on mobile devices based on the OERu website theme plus the ability for OERu partners to customise the theme for local branding. Project is on track.
• A course sprint is planned for mid-September so partners can work together in finding out how to develop courses for OERu and to build capability in digital skills for collaborative OER development.

Conclusion: Overall, we are making good progress. The strength of the OERu network is in the rigour of our planning combined with a healthy dose of openness.

Report from the OERu Management Committee

The OERu Management Committee (OERuMC) was established during 2014 to provide managerial and operational oversight over the implementation and coordination of the activities of the OERu working groups recommended at the 2nd meeting of OERu partners in November 2013. The OERuMC also aims to seed activities which may be required for the OERu network to achieve the outcomes for which it was established.

Mode of operation

Following the OERF's commitment to open governance and transparent planning approaches, the meetings of the OERuMC are broadcast live so that any member from the OERu or open community can attend meetings and contribute using the microblog backchannel. The agendas, recordings of the meetings and minutes are published openly on WikiEducator thus maintaining a public digital record of decisions.

The OERuMC comprises the conveners of the active working groups and is chaired by the Director of the OERF. The selection of the conveners for the individual working groups are guided by the principle of meritocracy where the conveners have demonstrated expertise in the focus area of the working group or have demonstrated experience in the OERu community. Staff members from OERu partners are free to join any of the working groups as part of their staff time contribution to the network. Decision-making is informed by a rough consensus model relying on the strength of the argument underpinned by the principles of engagement of the OERu network rather than an absolute count of votes. As the OERuMC is assembled from active working groups, this means that once the objectives of the working group have been achieved, conveners will not be required to continue service on the OERuMC thus enabling rotation of volunteer contributions to the management of the OERu as a dynamic, needs-driven structure.

Currently, the OERuMC is represented by the conveners of eight working groups determined by the recommendations of the OERu 2013 partners' meetings and guided by the published 2014 operational priorities:

1. Strategic planning working group
2. Curriculum and programme of study working group
3. Course design and development partner manual working group
4. Course approval and quality working group
5. Credit transfer and course articulation working group
6. Technology working group
7. PLAR portfolio working group
8. Marketing, recruitment and communication working group.

Summary of main outputs

During 2014, three OERuMC meetings were convened approximately every four months. The OERuMC has agreed on its aims, objectives and modus operandi. The OERuMC meetings considered progress reports of the individual working groups and established target outputs in preparation for the 3rd meeting of the OERu anchor partners. Details are available in the corresponding reports of the working groups.

Future perspectives

The OERuMC will continue in its current form to coordinate progress of the activities of existing and future working groups. To date, all the conveners of the OERuMC reside in time zones which have been amenable for synchronous meetings. However, the group will need to consider solutions for working across twenty four time zones as conveners from different regions join the OERuMC in the future. The OERuMC model has evolved as a pragmatic response to the need to coordinate activities of the OERu network using an open planning model. The structural and operational design of the OERuMC will need to be reviewed as part of the input evaluation of the implementation of the OERu.

Report of the strategic planning working group

The aim of the strategic planning working group is to coordinate the consultative development and corresponding documentation for the OERu Strategic Plan 2015-2017 and to guide its implementation.

Composition of the group and liaison with associated network structures

The strategic planning working group comprises four members of the OERF Board of Directors (Robin Day, Wayne Mackintosh, David Porter and Jim Taylor) and the Chair of the OERu Council of Chief Executive Officers (Alan Davis).

A key function of the strategic planning working group is to liaise with associated structures of the OERu network including the:

• Executive Committee of the OERu Council of Chief Executive Officers representing executive leadership of the OERu partner institutions.
• OERu Management Committee on the development of the sub-components of the strategy and implementation of the operational priorities of the collaboration.
• Board of Directors of the OERF to ensure alignment between the high level strategy of the Foundation and the OERu strategic plan.

Main outputs

Two formal meetings were convened during March and August 2014 respectively and members of the working group communicate regularly. In the absence of a strategic plan directing activities for the current year, the working group published the 2014 operational priorities to guide the work of the OERu network this year. additionally, the strategic planning working group launched the 2014 audit of course nominations in May 2014, which rendered thirty one full course equivalent nominations exceeding the anticipated target of twenty courses.

The team also coordinated the establishment of the strategic planning portal on WikiEducator in May 2014 publishing a number of strategic goals and corresponding objectives derived from the 2nd meeting of OERu partners for the open consultation process, culminating in the online SCoPE synthesis seminar convened during August 2014. Collectively, the strategic planning portal has generated +4,000 page views indicating that the draft plan has been consulted. Commentators have provided constructive feedback which has been incorporated into the refinements for the current version of the plan.

The working group prepared a summary of progress on the 2014 operational priorities which was included in the letter from the Chair of the OERu Council of Chief Executive Officers distributed to the Vice-Chancellors and Chief Executives of the OERu partners in August 2014.

The key recommendation of the strategic planning working group is that the OERu Strategic Plan 2015-2017 should be implemented as an evergreen and living document whereby the plan will be adapted and re-calibrated each year at the annual OERu meeting of partners in response to the dynamic open and higher education environment.

Future perspectives

Feedback from the mid-year summary of progress on the 2014 operational priorities indicates that this was well received by the Vice-Chancellors and Chief Executives. The strategic planning group recommend that a mid-year progress report for the Chief Executives be instituted as an annual milestone for the annual operational plan.

The working group recommends the inclusion of high level, three-year targets in the strategic plan recognising that with an evergreen approach, strategic goals and corresponding objectives may change over the duration of the plan. The annual iteration of the Strategic Plan will incorporate key performance indicators and corresponding outputs for the forthcoming year to guide operational priorities each year of the plan which will be revisited at the annual partners' meetings.

Report of the Curriculum and Programme of Study working group

Aims

The aims of the working group are to:

• Develop a clear degree structure with streams and exit points whilst still providing for student flexibility and choice
• Develop pointers to universities that can grant the whole Bachelor of General Studies degree
• Develop clear marketing about cost of assessment and degree (and support where appropriate)

Objectives

The working group has the following objectives:

• Develop a clear degree structure with levels, streams and exit points whilst still providing for student flexibility and choice
• Develop clear pointers to universities that can grant the whole Bachelor of General Studies or equivalent degree.
• Agree solutions for communicating degree pathways, cost of assessment and degree completion for prospective OERu learners.

Summary of main outputs

The working group met once in May 2014 via Google Hangouts and have conducted follow-up business via email. Our mapping in November 2013 of partner’s initial suggested subjects showed some clear streams within a Bachelor of General Studies including foundation skills: business/IT; professions/vocations; global citizen/international issues. At the postgraduate level there is a clear stream in Education especially of course open education and higher education. This mapping needs to be repeated based on the updated list of subject offerings.

The working group has recently conducted a survey of the now greatly expanded partners to determine how many have a Bachelor of General Studies and how many can accept for credit the current OER list of subjects on offer. The results will be discussed at the Partners Meeting in Tasmania in November.

Recommendations for 2015 and the future

In 2015 our priorities will be to continue efforts in building a coherent programme of study and to agree solutions for communicating degree pathways, cost of assessment and degree completion for prospective OERu learners.

Report of the Course Design and Development Partners Manual working group

Aims

The partners manual aims to:

1. provide existing and new partners joining the OERu with the information they need to maximise the benefits of membership and participate actively in the operations of the OERu network.
2. incorporate guidelines and suggestions for course design and development incorporating exemplars of "best practice".

Objectives

1. Agree to the scope and objectives for the partners manual
2. Determine the table of contents for the partners manual
3. Collaboratively author the first draft of the OERu partners manual.

Summary of main outputs

1. Multiple online meetings held with project team led to consensus around scope, contents and objectives for partners manual.
2. Content completed with the following elements, much of it compiled from (linked to) other areas of the OERu wiki.
   1. Overview of the OERu including membership criteria, logic model, planning pages, how to become a partner, and FAQ about the organization.
   2. Links to important communication channels e.g. mailing lists
3. Features of OERu courses including:
   1. Overview of, and informational links to, open content details and requirements
   2. Elements of a complete course
   3. Information on credit options
   4. How to consider learners with multiple aims in learning design
   5. Suggestions to work in collaboration.
4. Information on how to make course contributions.
5. Design and development of OERu courses including:
   1. Team composition
   2. Development tools (with multiple references to WikiEducator tutorials and OERu course style guide)
   3. Collaboration and communication
   4. Resources
   5. Learning design for open courses

Recommendations for 2015 and the future

1. Pilot with small group of new members for feedback and improvements
2. Create small ongoing maintenance group

Report of the Course Approval and Quality working group

Aims

• Design and implement a streamlined process for nominating OERu courses which contributes to building the OERu programme of study incorporating a peer review element for feedback.
• Develop quality instruments for both the design and review OERu courses that include minimum quality standards and essential inclusions for OERu courses
• Develop a streamlined process of approving nominated OERu courses which use the quality instruments, as well as guidelines for open and early sharing of ideas to support collaboration, re-use of materials and multiple credit pathways via OER partners.

Summary of progress in 2014

The Course Approval and Quality Workgroup consists of 13 members from 9 partner institutions across 6 countries. The chair convened 4 virtual meetings with 2 agendas (26/27th June and 13/14th August) to accommodate members in different timezones. After an orientation to the issues, the group moved rapidly to look at a 2 pronged approach to quality documentation and processes. The first is to review, modify and build on the "OERu design blueprint" which should embody the elements seen to be essential to quality course development. The second is to review and modify for OERu purposes the eAlberta Quality Framework for online courses. The group feels that the former can be used to ensure quality whilst new subjects are being developed, and the latter as an after-the-event quality checklist for course which already exist including the basis of a developing OERu course review cycle. The group noted the importance of communicating early regarding course Learning Outcomes with a view to facilitating internal discussions regarding collaboration, credit transfer and re-use in local contexts.

Main outputs

1. Annual Course Development Hub website- provides links and encourages clear and regular communication between partners with regard to upcoming subjects. Provides links to concise overviews and timelines, and links to the active "OERu Course Quality Planning Blueprints". A current example of an active Blueprint is here.
2. "OERu Course Quality Planning Blueprint" - an online, wiki based template that can be used as is or with modifications to suit partners preferences. The "Blueprint" brings together the items that need considering and inclusion for a quality OERu course. It guides the development of new subjects. It is brief and can be scanned by OERu partners with a view to stimulating communications with the project team and local stakeholders with regard to suitability for local re-use and credit.
3. "OERu Course Quality Review Guidelines" - for use retrospectively ie in periodic quality review cycles. .

Recommendations for 2015 and the future

The instruments need to be refined by using them with the next batch of new courses to be developed. Frequency of review for existing courses needs to be discussed. A schedule of when existing courses need to be reviewed by needs to be considered. It would also be timely to review options for centrally posted call for EOI for subjects needed (ie a call for courses to be developed, rather than developing a process that relies solely on partners to nominate based on capacity or local priorities)

Report of the Credit Transfer and Course Articulation working group

Aims

• To develop an implementation guidelines document to inform credit transfer and course articulation decisions for the OERu network drawing on the remix scenarios published in the Report on the Assessment and Accreditation of Learners using OER.
• To implement an OERu Transnational Qualifications Framework modelled on the Transnational Qualifications Framework developed by the Commonwealth of Learning for mapping OERu courses according to level and type of qualification.
• To establish foundations in the design of the OERu credit transfer and course articulation guidelines with future scalability in mind to enable the network to implement systems like the British Columbia Council on Admissions and Transfer (BCCAT).
• To specify the minimum requirements related to credit transfer and course articulation for inclusion into the quality standards for an "OERu designated" course (for example, acceptable OERu standards for validating student identity and assessment design and practice).

Objectives

• Develop a glossary of terms to support clear OERu communication across national boundaries.
• Consultative development of OERu guidelines for credit transfer and course articulation.

Summary of main outputs

1. Decided to start with survey of partner institutions currently offering and/or developing OERU courses; one institution assigned per working group member
2. Four simple questions re: ability to transcript student outcomes
   • Is your OERu course being offered for credit at your own institution?
   • If yes, can you provide a transcript for students who are not enrolled in a credential program at your university?
   • Can you offer a summative assessment for students who do not register for the course with your institution?
   • If you can provide such a summative assessment, can you put it on a transcript for transfer to another institution?
3. Obtained responses from Otago Polytechnic, Thompson Rivers University, Thomas Edison State College, Athabasca University, North West University and Institute of Technology Sligo. Still pending are responses from working group members assigned UNISA, Kwantlen Polytechnic, University of Southern Queensland.
4. Results so far: several courses being offered for credit through partner universities, student can receive summative assessment and grade can be transcripted (for a fee) for students not enrolled in program at that institution (Otago, TRU, Thomas Edison, Athabasca).
5. Have basis for model to recommend to CEO meeting.

Recommendations for 2015 and the future

Model OERu’s Credit Transfer and Course Articulation guidelines on those used by TRU, as the most flexible and comprehensive model available.

Report of the Technology working group

Project team

Sarah Lambert (University of Wollongong); Wayne Mackintosh (OER Foundation); Jim Tittsler (OER Foundation); Timothy McCallum (University of Southern Queensland); Tim Klapdor (Charles Sturt University); and Brian Lamb (Thompson Rivers University).

Aims

• accommodate the needs and desires of the course development workgroup
• maintain scalable, secure, cost-effective infrastructure for collaborative course authoring and delivery
• interoperate with partner institution legacy systems, ideally federating similar systems
• share open data formats, sources, and services to the greatest extent possible
• deliver content in a variety of formats, including mobile (maintain separation between content and rendering)
• implement solutions for customised local branding and theming of shared content resources
• adapt to the increased importance of audio and video

Objectives

• make significant improvement to the webpages as used for course delivery to OERu students
• develop the OERu delivery platform up to the same professional standard as the OERu public website
• find ways to make it easier for individual designers and non-technical academics to use the OER technologies especially WikiEducator

Summary of main outputs

2014 has seen significant progress in terms of lowering the barriers to participation in WikiEducator for course development, and in professionalising the look of the OERu course delivery websites. Significant progress has been made in enhancing the content development and delivery capacity for OERu, particularly with respect to mobile-friendly, customizable theming and design. A snapshot approach was implemented, in which a bullet-list outline of the course pages in the wiki is used to produce a responsive design course site. USQ developed videos demonstrating how responsive design web sites could be created using Microsoft Excel Spreadsheets and MediaWiki. A professional graphic design team (newSplash) was commissioned to develop responsive CSS look and feel that mirrors the OERu website. This framework will be customisable, so partners could develop their own branding for remix and reuse of any OERu course content for their own full-fee students. The most recent iterations of the framework demonstrate enhanced aesthetic appeal and navigation. (More iterations here.)

The WikiEducator MediaWiki environment was updated to version 1.23, SSL enabled, the discussion software upgraded to be more robust, and the Visual Editor was successfully implemented. This was an important step in getting non-technical users feeling comfortable using the wiki for course development, and equals progress on our objective to lower the barrier of entry for designers getting into the wiki.

The WikiEducator Peer Evaluation extension is a minimalistic tool that lets one use peer evaluation and self evaluation techniques for wiki based content. This project was started as part of Google Summer of Code (GSoC) 2014 for the Open Education Resource Foundation supporting the WikiEducator and OERu initiatives.

Recommendations for 2015 and the future

There has been encouraging progress on the technical outputs of the OERu. The next logical step would be to widen participation and input from technically skilled staff in OERu partner organisations. This would enable us to make some progress towards a "community source model" and meeting needs that it is hoped this model could address. It has been a struggle to find any interested developers either within the partner institutions or the wider community. Some of these needs might be partially addressed by an inventory from partners to identify possible existing tools and capacity. In the coming months, there will need to be an appraisal involving the wider OERu partner community to articulate working aims that reflect needs and a realistic appraisal of what is possible.

Report of the Marketing, Recruitment and Communication working group

Aims

1. To create, deliver and communicate the value of OERu study for prospective learners

2. To support the effective recruitment of new OERu partners

3. To improve OERu member relationship management guiding interactions of the OERu with its member institutions

Objectives

1. To recruit a small team of marketing professionals from OERu member institutions to support the activities of the marketing, recruitment, and communication working group.

2. To review and improve existing marketing and recruitment materials.

3. To identify strategies for future student recruitment

Summary of main outputs

The 2014 target for recruitment of new institutional partners is close to being achieved.

A range of strategies for recruitment of students to courses have been tried with varying degrees of success.

More work is required to convey the benefits of OERu study to targeted populations of students.

Recommendations for 2015 and the future

This working group requires more members with expertise in marketing and recruitment.

It is proposed that partner institutions draw upon the skills of their marketing professionals for advice on effective promotion of OERu.

The existing working group could be sub-divided into two groups, one specifically concerned with student recruitment and marketing, the other charged with determining and enhancing effective communication strategies between existing partners but more importantly to the wider global community.

An overarching action plan for recruitment of both additional partners and students should be developed.

Report of the PLAR portfolio course working group

Aims

• To develop an OERu course or process on how to prepare a portfolio for PLAR or otherwise document prior learning, including possibilities for credit recognition at partner institutions using the OERu model.

Objectives

• To determine a process for evaluating the possibility of a general OERu policy governing the assessment of prior learning and/or leveraging it toward completion of academic requirements
• To link the work of this Working Group to the work of the credit transfer and course articulation Working Group
• To evaluate the options for offering a course or other process for the assessment of prior learning.

Summary of main outputs

• Few as of yet, due to transition of convener in recent months--group has not had a formal meeting to date.
• Resolved to discuss general approach for this Working Group as an agenda item at the OERu meeting in Hobart.

Recommendations for 2015 and the future

Work to review PLAR courses offered by Thomas Edison State College and Thompson Rivers University, as well as Learning Counts course offered by CAEL.

Strategic plan 2015 - 2017

The OERu is a social philanthropy enterprise.

It's core charitable mission is to widen access to more affordable tertiary education using open education approaches for learners, who for lack of funds or lack of provision in their home countries, will not have the privilege of a higher education.

The OERu is founded on the principles of sustainable philanthropy, that is, to design an OER ecosystem which is fiscally self-sustaining without reliance on third-party donor funding to achieve its aims of social inclusion in higher education. The OERu provides free learning opportunities using high-quality online courses assembled from OER and open access materials and learners pay a reduced fee for formal assessment towards credible degrees. The core infrastructure of the OERu is funded through nominal membership contributions from partner institutions and the recurrent cost for providing assessment services at OERu partner institutions for formal academic credit is recouped through a fee-for-service model.

The OERu is also "smart philanthropy", because partner institutions can improve efficiencies on campus through mainstream reuse and integration of OERu courses.

Overview

The implementation of the OERu is structured according to the following three distinct phases:

1. Prototyping (2012 – 2013). At the 1st Meeting of Founding OERu Anchor Partners hosted at Otago Polytechnic in November 2011, the network agreed to develop three prototype courses to inform planning and decision-making in preparation for the launch meeting at Thompson Rivers University in October and November 2013.
2. Developing the OERu Programme of Study (2014 – 2016). During this phase the network will focus on assembling courses for a coherent programme of study leading to a Bachelor of General Studies including supporting technologies and associated processes for efficient course design and delivery.
3. Scalable implementation (2017 – ). Expanding the OERu programme of study to support mainstream integration of open education approaches at partner institutions based on the collaborative operation of a fiscally self-sustaining network without reliance on 3rd party donor funding.

We have a vision

The overarching aim of the OERu network is to be recognised as a credible and innovative provider of quality education using open educational resources. Quality assurance and institutional accreditation through accredited partners are the cornerstones of the OERu innovation partnership.

Vision of the OERu

We envision a world where all learners have affordable access to higher education.

Mission of the OERu network

Members of the OERu network demonstrate their public service missions through the provision of alternate pathways to credible credentials using open education approaches.

We have a plan

Strategic Goal	Strategic objectives
Goal 1 Develop a coherent OERu programme of study with defined learning pathways and exit credentials	Recruit the minimum number of partners for a fiscally sustainable OERu network Improve community engagement for OERu planning, implementation, technology innovation and technology integration Diversify external funding sources for OERu strategic and research projects
Goal 2 Improve processes for efficient OERu operations that underpin academic quality at scale	Develop, implement and maintain operational guidelines for OERu quality assurance, credit transfer and course articulation Improve communications and build capability to expand roles for distributed and networked leadership to implement the OERu Continue and expand the CIPP monitoring and evaluation of the OERu implementation
Goal 3 Achieve a fiscally sustainable and scalable OERu network	Develop product for a coherent OERu programme of study Develop guidelines and implement procedures for building the OERu programme of study incorporating alternate pathways (streams) Develop and implement procedures for streamlining the nomination of OERu courses and supporting design documentation
Goal 4 Foster innovation through pilot projects which demonstrate the viability and strategic opportunities for the OERu network	Identify, design and implement OERu pilot projects to inform future improvements and innovations in the OERu model

Goal 1: Develop a coherent OERu programme of study with defined learning pathways and exit credentials

The OERu network achieves a coherent programme of study when:

• OERu learners can complete a Bachelor of General studies (or equivalent credential) at a number of OERu partner institutions
• OERu learners can choose alternate pathways (streams) of study
• OERu learners can transfer or apply credit from OERu courses for alternate qualifications at the majority of OERu partners
• Additional programmes of study with corresponding exit credentials are available for OERu learners.

Objective 1: Develop product for a coherent OERu programme of study

Plan targets	Key performance indicator
2014 Baseline	32 full course equivalent* nominations (75% undergraduate) 3 full course equivalents* completed for delivery 2 additional programmes (Graduate Diploma in Tertiary Education & Postgraduate Diploma in Disaster Risk Studies). 42% of OERu teaching partners have nominated at least 1 course (29% of OERu partners have already nominated their 2-course contribution with 10% of the OERu partners exceeding the 2-course requirement).
2015 Operational target	Develop idealised degree structure prioritising 1st year of OERu study to inform course nominations. Complete 10 full course equivalents* for delivery by 30 June 2015 Complete additional 15 full course equivalents* by 31 December 2015 80% of OERu teaching partners have nominated their 1st course contribution. 15 new full course equivalent* nominations during 2015. 1 additional programme leading to alternate exit credential (over and above the Bachelor of General Studies).
2017 Strategic target	80 full course equivalent* nominations (cumulative) by 31 December 2017 50 full course equivalents* completed for delivery 50% of OERu partners have nominated their 2nd course contribution. 3 additional programmes (cumulative) leading to alternate exit credentials (over and above the Bachelor of General Studies).
Risk: Without sufficient product to complete a meaningful programme of study, OERu will not be attractive to learners (or future partners) * A full course equivalent refers to the component subjects which together form a programme of degree study and typically range from 120 to 200 notional hours of learning depending on the local system. OERu partners may divide full courses into sets of micro courses of approximately 40 to 50 notional learning hours to facilitate virtual mobility across international boundaries.

The OERu exceeded its 2014 operational priority target to nominate 20 full course equivalents. However progress on assembling OERu courses has been slow, in part delayed by technology developments to generate a customisable and mobile friendly theme mirroring the design of the OERu website and the consultative development of processes, documentation and training to support the open design and development of OERu courses. These infrastructure pieces are now in place and progress with the development of product is now a high priority for the network.

A diverse array of courses have been nominated, including two additional programmes of study: Graduate Diploma in Tertiary Education at Otago Polytechnic and the Postgraduate Diploma in Disaster Risk Studies at North-West University. The network needs to significantly increase the number of courses at the 1st year level in the short term which will form the foundation for building a coherent programme of study (currently only 19% of the nominations are 1st-year level courses).

Strategic approach

1. Assemble courses from existing OER and open access materials rather than developing from scratch.
2. Promote the "textbook zero" model adopting high quality open textbooks to scale rate of development incorporating engaging activities into the learning pathways which guide learners through the OERu courses.
3. Open and collaborative development publishing design blueprints and draft materials on WikiEducator encouraging peer-review and support from the OERu community.

2015 Operational considerations

1. Adopt appropriate but flexible project management solutions to schedule and monitor course development progress in achieving the OERu network's targets.
2. Conduct 2015 audit of new course nominations during the first quarter of 2015.
3. Schedule an open "course sprint" focusing on building digital skills for collaborative OERu course design and development aiming to expand the cadre of staff in the OERu network to scale future product development.
4. Consider strategies which will maximise tangible return on investment for individual partners leveraging the value and diversity of the OERu international partnership, for example:
   • Diversify curriculum of partner institutions through collaborative development and shared delivery of low enrolment courses which would not be cost-effective for individual partners to develop on their own.
   • Consider courses and delivery approaches which build on the international diversity of the network, for instance, courses in indigenous and inter-cultural studies or the ability to attract international OERu learners to add marketable value to local full-fee courses by incorporating OERu mOOCs into the local delivery model.

Objective 2: Develop guidelines and implement procedures for building the OERu programme of study incorporating alternate pathways (streams)

Plan targets	Key performance indicator
2014 Baseline	Bachelor of General Studies agreed as inaugural credential of the OERu. Tentative streams identified during 2nd meeting of OERu partners. Results of partner survey on the Bachelor of General Studies and probable articulation of existing nominations.
2015 Operational target	Publish and idealised degree structure with pathways (streams) to achieving the Bachelor of General Studies (or equivalent credential) or optional exit credentials from OERu partner institutions to better inform course nominations and course development. Establish general education component for 1st year of study
2017 Strategic target	Pathways of study towards the Bachelor of General studies implemented and communicated effectively to prospective OERu learners.
Risk: Learners will not consider the OERu as a viable alternative for higher education study if they can't see pathways to achieving a degree.

Bootstrapping the assembly of the OERu programme of study is a catch 22 because in the absence of a critical mass of courses, it is a challenge to derive pathways of study to inform nominations for future course development. The OERu is working from "both ends" namely bottom-up nominations for a smorgasbord of courses in the short term and working in parallel to develop top-down guidelines contributing to clear pathways of study.

Strategic approach

1. Work within the existing degree structures and policies of partner institutions to ensure credible exit credentials.
2. Maximise opportunities for sustainable course articulation within the network.

2015 Operational issues

1. Consultative development of an idealised degree structure to inform future course nominations.
2. Prioritise the 1st year of study building on the wide adoption of a general education component in the OERu Bachelor of General Studies.
3. Consider a focused working group to assemble guidelines for the foundation / 1st year of study at the OERu.

Objective 3: Develop and implement procedures for streamlining the nomination of OERu courses and supporting design documentation

Plan targets	Key performance indicator
2014 Baseline	Initial call for prototype courses, consensus poll and decision. 2014 call for nominations and current list of OERu nominations 37% of OERu partners have assigned an administrator for their pages on the OERu Content Management System.
2015 Operational target	Review process and lessons learned from previous nomination calls. Develop and publish streamlined process for course nominations and supporting design documentation. 100% of OERu partners assign an administrator for their pages on the Content Management System.
2017 Strategic target	Streamlined process for ongoing OERu course nominations and design implemented
Risk: OERu courses nominated by partners do not contribute meaningfully to the achievement of the strategic goals of the network. Closed design models contribute to unnecessary duplication of effort, restrict efficient reuse of OERu courses and constrain diversified services for assessment.

To date, the OERu has used the following process for nominating courses:

1. Publish the call for nominations and suggested criteria on the wiki planning portal with a suggested due date.
2. Call for nominations and reminders are distributed via the partner's email planning list.
3. Online form and corresponding wiki page is used to publish nominations received.
4. OERu partners are invited to complete the short course summary which is published on the OERu public website. (OERu partners assign a local administrator who are provided with editing rights on the OERu content management system to maintain their course and partner pages.)

Strategic approach

1. Autonomy of OERu partners to manage their own partner and course descriptions on the OERu public website.
2. Encourage open development of design documentation to minimise duplication of effort, leverage cooperation in the network and diversify the range of assessment services.

2015 operational issues

1. Design system for streamlining OERu course nomination process taking future scalability into account.
2. Consider proposals for ensuring OERu website information is maintained and updated (for example published dates of course delivery).
3. Consider appropriate solutions for assuring quality of public information on the OERu website.

Goal 2: Improve processes for efficient OERu operations that underpin academic quality at scale

The OERu operates efficiently at scale when:

1. Agreed and approved guidelines and corresponding processes ensure the quality of its courses to maximise reuse, credit transfer and course articulation within the network;
2. Adequate resources and professional development opportunities are available to support the needs of course design and development for the OERu model and capability development needs of partner staff for collaborative open design approaches;
3. Appropriate organisational structures, communication channels and regular meetings support the needs of the network to successfully implement the OERu strategic plan and operational priorities for the corresponding year;
4. Ongoing monitoring and evaluation informs the design, process and product of the OERu collaboration.

Objective 1: Develop, implement and maintain operational guidelines for OERu quality assurance, credit transfer and course articulation

Plan targets	Key performance indicator
2014 Baseline	Initial review of eCampusAlberta quality guidelines by Course Approval and Quality working group completed Selected partner survey on credit transfer completed by Credit Transfer and Course Articulation working group with basis to recommend credit transfer guidelines for the network. Baseline survey of OERu partners with Bachelor of General Studies (or equivalent degree) including plausibility assessment of credit transfer of existing course nominations completed. Average credit transfer rate of 50% of nominated OERu courses towards institutions which have a Bachelor of General Studies (or equivalent credential) is probable.
2015 Operational target	Finalise OERu guidelines for credit transfer and course articulation targeting 30% adoption by OERu partners by end of 2015* Develop recommendations for system to coordinate and communicate credit transfer and articulation pathways to OERu learners. Develop recommendations for system to communicate degree pathways and pricing models for services (summative assessment and other value-added partner services.) Develop guidelines and recommendations for measuring OERu learner satisfaction. Publish and adopt OERu quality guidelines.
2017 Strategic target	80% of OERu partners adopt credit transfer and course articulation guidelines. All OERu course developments meet the minimum quality assurance guidelines. Achieve an average credit transfer rate of 60% of all OERu courses towards institutions who have a Bachelor of General Studies (or equivalent credential).
Risk: In the absence of agreed standard processes for credit transfer and course articulation credit transfer rates will decrease while increasing the average cost for design, development and delivery of OERu courses. Poor quality OERu courses will tarnish the reputation of the OERu and its partner institutions. *Adoption means that the appropriate OERu executive manager signs off that OERu credit transfer and course articulation guidelines align with local policy partner policy protocols.

Strategic approach

1. The OERu partners retain decision-making autonomy regarding all aspects of summative assessment, local OERu credit transfer and course articulation.
2. The OERu partners retain decision-making autonomy regarding the pricing of related services.
3. The OERu focuses on operating within existing institutional policies minimising the need for policy change at partner institutions.
4. The OERu does not prescribe or dictate pedagogical models encouraging diversity yet generating opportunities for reuse and improved efficiency for local offerings on campus.

2015 operational issues

1. Progress consultative development of minimum quality standards required for successful design and development of OERu courses to maximise reuse potential within the network without dictating pedagogical design.
2. Engage registrar level input and initial sign-off of the credit transfer and course articulation guidelines by a representative sample of OERu partners.
3. Develop systems to co-ordinate and communicate pathways of study and credit transfer options to OERu learners.
4. Agree process and systems to communicate the cost of related services to OERu learners.

Objective 2: Develop, implement and maintain resources to support partners for effective engagement in the OERu network

Plan targets	Key performance indicator
2014 Baseline	Initial draft of OERu partners and course development manual published on the wiki for review. 30% of resources for digital skills for collaborative OER development completed to support OERu partner course sprint.
2015 Operational target	Review, refine and publish OERu partners and course development manual (incorporating critical friend review from a number of new OERu partners) Complete digital skills for collaborative OER development and run pilot offering during 2015. Establish working group / task force for new OERu partners and new staff joining collaborative OERu activities.
2017 Strategic target	Induction programme for staff for new OERu partners implemented.
Risk: Staff at OERu partners do not have the necessary skills or experience in open design resulting in duplication of effort and increased cost for local assembly of OERu courses.

Strategic approach

1. Open and authentic "work-based-learning" approach to gaining experience and developing capability in the OERu network.

2015 operational considerations

1. Accelerating the rate for skills and knowledge acquisition for OERu partner staff to contribute meaningfully to the OERu global collaboration.
2. Widening participation from OERu partner staff for effective engagement in the OERu network.

Objective 3: Improve communications and build capability to expand roles for distributed and networked leadership to implement the OERu

Plan targets	Key performance indicator
2014 Baseline	8 working group conveners 2 national OERu partner meetings during 2014 (Australia and New Zealand)
2015 Operational target	Establish regional / national OERu hubs aiming to achieve 4 regional / national OERu meetings Expand OERu community leadership roles (and corresponding buddy system to mentor new community leaders.)
2017 Strategic target	OERu leadership roles formally recognised by OERu partner institutions as part of mainstream activities.
Risk: Over reliance on a small number of individuals because the OERu does not have a succession planning strategy in place to identify and develop capability and individuals to assume leadership roles in the OERu international partnership curtailing potential to scale the collaboration.

Strategic approach

1. A leadership model informed by the principles of meritocracy.
2. Learn by doing approach where prospective community leaders build capability by working with more experienced OERu collaborators.

2015 operational considerations

1. Consider recommendations for establishing regional OERu hubs (Goals and objectives, how the should function and liaise with the OERu structures.)
2. Identify leadership gaps and corresponding proposals to expand and support new community leadership roles.

Objective 4: Continue and expand the CIPP monitoring and evaluation of the OERu implementation

Plan targets	Key performance indicator
2014 Baseline	Context, Input, Process, and Product (CIPP) model adopted as evaluation framework for the OERu implementation Context evaluation completed Australian Digital Futures Institute commissioned to conduct Input evaluation.
2015 Operational target	Collaborative review of the survey items for the input evaluation Conduct input evaluation survey and selected qualitative interviews Publish input evaluation report.
2017 Strategic target	Process evaluation of OERu implementation.
Risk: OERu decision making is not informed by the evolution of the project disregarding evidence for agile and responsive implementation planning.

Strategic approach

1. Evidence-based monitoring and evaluation of the OERu implementation.
2. Agile and responsive implementation planning.

2015 operational considerations

1. Consider and review the appropriateness of the OERu structural and procedural designs for achieving future success.

Goal 3: Achieve a fiscally sustainable and scalable OERu network

The OERu network is fiscally sustainable and scalable when:

1. The membership fees from contributing partners cover the central infrastructure costs for hosting free content and related technology support services without reliance on 3rd party donor funding;
2. OERu partners assemble courses using open textbooks, OER and open access materials thereby reducing costs for full-fee students on campus and opening parallel pathways for assessment-only services for OERu learners;
3. OERu partners recoup recurrent cost for assessment-only services, generate new revenue for value added services and deploy OERu courses for local delivery at near-zero cost;
4. The OERu network diversifies revenue sources to support strategic projects for the benefit of its partners; and
5. The network achieves a critical mass of active engagement from staff at OERu partners through, for example: contributing to the planning and implementation of the OERu by establishing a small community source model for technology innovation, and progressing the implementation of Academic Volunteers International.

Objective 1: Recruit the minimum number of partners for a fiscally sustainable OERu network

Plan targets	Key performance indicator
2014 Baseline	36 contributing OERu partners
2015 Operational target	50 contributing partners by 31 December 2015
2017 Strategic target	55 contributing partners by 31 December 2017
Risk: Without a sustainable revenue stream to cover centrally hosted services required for free delivery of courses to OERu learners the network will need to divert valuable resource time to securing third party funding sources which do not provide a viable long term solution.

Established in May 2009, the OERF has built a solid financial model and foundation for achieving a fiscally sustainable OERu collaboration. Currently, approximately 72% of the operational costs of the OERu collaboration is recovered through membership fees. During the inception years of the OERu initiative, the generous funding support from the William and Flora Hewlett Foundation has enabled the OERF to achieve the critical mass of OERu partners for a viable international partnership. The OERF has also received nominal financial support from the Commonwealth of Learning equating to approximately 7.5% of the annual operational cost of the OERu project.

The OERF has pursued additional project and contract work to reduce the cumulative deficit during its formative years. However, this contract work contributes to unwelcome mission drift by utilising scarce resources for projects not directly related to the implementation of the OERu. Fortunately, the OERF is forecasting that by the end of the 2014 fiscal year, it will wipe out the accumulated deficit to commence the 2015 - 2017 strategic plan without any debt burden, unlike a number of the commercial MOOC start ups which will need to recoup multi-million dollar investments from venture capital funding.

As an independent non-profit organisation, any surpluses must be reinvested back into charitable activities for the benefit of the OERu network. While the generation of any surpluses is not a major focus during this consolidation phase of the OERu plan, should the recruitment of new members exceed our targets these funds could be, for example, reinvested in commissioning the assembly of OERu courses or contributions to additional support for the OERu infrastructure.

Strategic approach

The strategic approach for the OERu 2015-2017 plan is to:

1. Contain operational costs for the central OERu infrastructure to around US$200,000 per annum for the duration of the plan;
2. Achieve break even for operational costs from OERu membership fees without reliance on 3rd party funding with a small margin to compensate for unforeseen membership attrition;
3. Avoid reliance on 3rd party funding for OERu operational expenditure.

Open technology principles

The OER Foundation provides a centrally hosted technology service based on open source software for the collaborative development of OERu courses and delivery at no-cost to the learners. The costs of hosting this infrastructure is funded through OERu membership fees. We subscribe to the following principles:

1. All learners should have unrestricted access to all course materials without the need for password access.
2. To maximise reuse across the network we encourage partners to develop courses using the WikiEducator content repository. In cases where partner institutions choose to host courses using their own delivery technologies, they are responsible for the full costs of hosting these resources for all OERu learners.

2015 operational considerations

1. Establish a working group to support the OERF with membership recruitment (or maintain this portfolio as part of the Marketing, Recruitment and Communication working group).
2. Seek advice and support from the OERu Council of Chief Executive Officers on achieving recruitment targets and the achievement of operational priorities.

Objective 2: Improve community engagement for OERu planning, implementation, technology innovation and technology integration

There are three components to the community engagement objective:

1. Improve active partner and community engagement with the capability to support open planning and implementation of the OERu
2. Build a sustainable community source model to support technology innovation of OERu systems and integration with extant campus-based systems
3. Design processes and support mechanisms for the establishment and operation of Academic Volunteers International (AVI).

Plan targets	Key performance indicator
2014 Baseline	80 participants on the OERu partners planning email list 267 participants on the open OERu community email list 27% of partners represented in active working groups 0.075 FTE contribution in kind to OERu community source technology innovation (i.e 1.5 days per month spread across the network). 14% of OERu partners with membership on the OERu technology email list Outputs of SCoPE planing seminar for AVI and concept user stories completed.
2015 Operational target	150 participants on the OERu partners planning list by 31 December 2015 (i.e. approximately 4 members per partner institution). 350 participants on the open OERu community list 80% of OERu partners having at least one institutional representative participating in an active working group as part of their 0.2FTE contribution by 31 December 2015 0.5 FTE contribution in kind to OERu community source technology innovation (i.e. 10 working days per month spread across the network) 30% of OERu partners with membership on the OERu technology email list Develop recommendations for tracking learners accessing OERu course materials AVI Process design framework to communicate activities where volunteer help is needed and to coordinate volunteers.
2017 Strategic target	250 participants on the OERu partners planning list by 31 December 2015 (i.e. approximately 4 individuals per partner institution) 500 participants on the open OERu community list 90% of OERu partners having at least one institutional representative participating in an active working group as part of their 0.2FTE contribution by 31 December 2015 1 FTE contribution in kind to OERu community source technology innovation (i.e. 20 working days per month spread across the network) Incremental implementation of AVI initiatives.
Risk: Unnecessary duplication of effort in the absence of tacit knowledge and experience gained through active participation in the OERu planning and implementation process and material constraints holding back technology innovations for the network.

OERu website

The OERu is distinctively open and this is a key point of difference of the network. The OERu uses open educational resources (OER) and open access materials supported by open educational practices (OEP). Open licensing is a precondition for OERu courses guiding learners to open access materials. There are two additional dimensions of openness which can be leveraged for the strategic advantage of the OERu network:

1. The technology infrastructure of the OERu is based entirely on open source software generating opportunities for building a community source model whereby partners could contribute open source coding time for technology innovation and seamless integration into the local institutional delivery platforms.
2. The open design approaches and transparent planning model of the OERu implementation can contribute to considerable efficiency gains for the network. However, many staff at our partner institutions are not experienced with open planning processes and open collaborative design models.

Strategic approach

1. Incremental design is the preferred modus operandi to ensure agility of the OERu network.
2. Open communication with a transparent public record of decisions aims to build community and facilitate long term sustainability.
3. To scale capability development the OERu advocates a "pay it forward" model, where the beneficiaries of new OERu skills are encouraged to repay their learning by helping a new community member in the future.

2015 operational considerations

1. Increase OERu partner representation on the active working groups.
2. Undertake an inventory of partner institutions to identify open source skill sets within the network and corresponding activities to nurture the development of a community source model.
3. Implement activities to promote capability development of partner institutions in open planning methodologies.
4. Promote OERu community building.
5. Devise induction and support mechanisms for new OERu partners.
6. Progress the Academic Volunteers International process framework to communicate OERu needs and to coordinate active involvement of the volunteer community.

Objective 3: Diversify external funding sources for OERu strategic and research projects

The OERu is a unique international charitable collaboration. The network draws its strength from our international diversity, currently with thirty six partner institutions from six global regions of the world working at the contemporary nexus of OER, open online courses and virtual mobility towards more affordable credentials. Our network generates opportunities for diversifying funding sources from the international donor community for strategic projects. In addition, our commitment to open data and open planning provides attractive opportunities for research funding to inform and facilitate the implementation of the OERu.

Plan targets	Key performance indicator
2014 Baseline	Zero baseline for collaborative OERu projects
2015 Operational target	US$200,000*
2017 Strategic target	US$400,000* (cumulative)
Risk: Strategic development in the following areas will be curtailed: Achieving a critical mass of baseline courses designed for international reuse for formal academic credit; technology innovation for collaborative delivery in parallel mode; and research to inform the implementation of the OERu model * The quantum refers to the amount, not necessarily the OERF as recipient as we encourage partners to prepare funding proposals for OERu projects

The OER and open access movement has made considerable progress producing a large and impressive inventory of OER, open textbooks and open access research outputs. However, there are few courses incorporating a range of pedagogical elements for independent study which are designed for reuse for formal academic credit across multiple institutions and international boundaries, and which are published under open licenses and editable file formats. The OERu model provides fertile ground to attract seed funding to assemble a critical mass of reusable university level courses designed for cross-border education which could support the OERu priority of rapidly developing product for the OERu collaboration.

The availability of OER is no longer a significant issue. The modern challenges include:

• providing collaborative ways for educators to adapt and extend existing resources; and
• providing a federated, networked delivery model that allows institutions to share their course offerings.

A central repository or even a network of repositories is not enough. A federated system either in the cloud, or more excitingly built within the user's browser (pulling resources and functionality from around the Internet) would permit student identity to persist across courses and allow educators to aggregate the elements and services upon which they base their "course." The web platform has the adaptability and extensibility to allow a component model to be developed that would exceed the capabilities of existing resource standardization attempts.

Strategic approach

1. Focus collaborative grant proposals on strategic projects which build future capability for the implementation of the OERu and the international OER ecosystem without creating dependencies for ongoing operational expenditure.
2. Support research funding proposals that use OERu open data and publish findings under free cultural works approved licenses.
3. Encourage open and transparent development of collaborative OERu funding proposals.

2015 operational considerations

1. Establish mechanisms for coordinating the development of OERu strategic initiatives and supporting associated research projects that could attract external funding.
2. Identify strong candidate projects for external funding.

Goal 4: Foster innovation through pilot projects which demonstrate the viability and strategic opportunities for the OERu network

OERu pilots are projects which are implemented by one or more OERu partners designed to prove the viability of new approaches and technologies that improve efficiency or serve as a proof of concept for innovations or new business services enabled by the disaggregation of services in the OERu model.

The OERu innovation pilots for demonstrating viable solutions for the future are successful when:

1. Succeed in reducing cost, widening access or improving quality of the OERu delivery model;
2. Tangible benefits which individual partners can extract from the OERu network increase.

Objective 1: Identify, design and implement OERu pilot projects to inform future improvements and innovations in the OERu model

Plan targets	Key performance indicator
2014 Baseline	SP4Ed prototype embedding mOOC for full-fee registered students studying in parallel with free OERu learners. 2014 Google Summer of Code project to develop peer evaluation prototype Concept idea for OERu credit-bearing course on how to develop a portfolio for Recognition of Prior Learning
2015 Operational target	Progress the implementation of 2 pilot projects Identify 1 new high-priority pilot project for implementation
2017 Strategic target	4 OERu pilots successfully completed
Risk: OERu does not leverage incremental design to keep abreast with a volatile and rapidly changing higher education market.

Strategic approach

1. The OERu subscribes to a design-based research approach where pilots are conceptualised and implemented iteratively in authentic settings.
2. Project steps are informed by a series of Probe (making a change), Sense (review), Respond (act) cycles so that each iteration is small enough to fail but when aggregated help to inform overall decision-making.

2015 Operational considerations

1. Progress the collaborative design and development of a credit bearing OERu course on how to develop a Recognition of Prior Learning Portfolio
2. Initiate the design and development of an OERu micro-course which can be used by two or more OERu partners as part of delivery to full-fee students studying in parallel with free OERu learners.
3. Consider and select viable candidates for two potential OERu pilot projects. (Possible candidates: OERu course to prepare learners for the College Level Examination Program (CLEP); OERu solutions for automated assessment, eg collaborative development of a shared assessment bank; Adaptive learning prototype as mechanism for OERu learning support; Other?)

Calibration of OERu operational targets for 2015 and beyond

Work in progress, expect frequent changes. Help and feedback is welcome. See discussion page.

(: Note: Design page to facilitate easy re-calibration of operational targets)

How we measure progress

At the OERu 2011.11 meeting of founding anchor partners it was proposed that the project evaluation be guided by the Context, Input, Process and Product Evaluation (CIPP) model (see Stufflebeam 2007) with the aim of facilitating decision making and providing input into the structure of the OERu project framework as it evolved. The following diagram developed by Stone and Lane (2012) provides a comprehensive yet succinct overview of how the CIPP Model can inform the four major decision phases of the project cycle:

The essential focus of each of the four phases of the CIPP model was described by Stufflebeam (1971) as follows : “Context evaluation serves planning decisions by identifying unmet needs, unused opportunities and underlying problems that prevent the meeting of needs or the use of opportunities ; Input evaluation serves structuring decisions by projecting and analysing alternative procedural designs; Process evaluation serves implementing decisions by monitoring project operations; Product evaluation serves recycling decisions by determining the degree to which objectives have been achieved and by determining the cause of the obtained results” (p. 268). Source: Stufflebeam, D. L. (1971). The use of experimental design in educational evaluation. Journal of Educational Measurement, 8(4), 267-274.

The Context Evaluation of the OERu was successfully completed in 2012. A summary of the results is available on Slideshare.

While the current focus is on the input evaluation phase, it is important to acknowledge that the context of the OERu project is continually evolving.   Based on his analysis of different decision making settings, Stufflebeam (1971) would probably have classified the OERu context as “neomobilistic” demanding decisions that involve large innovative efforts aimed at solving significant problems.   The OERu project is complicated further by the gradual addition of new partner institutions, each of which is at a different stage of designing and developing their particular contributions. 

Fortunately, the input evaluation focusses on decisions associated with the resources, tools and methods available for achieving OERu goals across institutional settings and is therefore able to accommodate institutional diversity.  Coordinated by the Australian Digital Futures Institute at the University of Southern Queensland, the team of Dr. Xiang Ren and Professor Mike Keppel, has delineated a list of draft questions for the input evaluation to enable feedback and refinement prior to, and during,  the forthcoming 3rd meeting of OERu partners in Hobart from 6-7 November, 2014.  The outcomes of such stakeholder consultation will lead to the implementation of a survey of OERu partner institutions early in February 2015, followed by in depth interviews with selected representatives from each of the OERu Working Groups. It is anticipated that the Input Evaluation Report will be available for circulation and comment by 30 April 2015.  The input evaluation findings will assist partner institutions to devise a pragmatic program strategy that is economically, socially, politically, and technologically feasible. This work will also lay the foundation for subsequent process and product evaluations.