JISC

Overview

The OER Sustainability through Teaching & Research Innovation: Cascading across HEIs (OSTRICH) project, led by the University of Leicester, will transfer and cascade the key outcomes of Leicester’s OER pilot project (OTTER, www.le.ac.uk/otter) to the universities of Bath and Derby. OSTRICH will enable both cascade partners to contextualise key OER lessons learnt, test and transfer OER models, leading to a sustainable approach to OER development and release. 100 credits’ worth of OERs in key priority areas will be released by each cascade partner and deposited into the project’s own repository and JorumOpen. OSTRICH’s deliverables and benefits will be disseminated across the sector and internationally.

Aims & Objectives

• Enable sustainable OER development processes at partner institutions by transferring and adapting the lessons learned and deliverables from OTTER;
• Brief partners on key issues associated with OER development, licensing and release;
• Apply and refine OTTER’s CORRE quality and evaluation framework for OERs (http://bit.ly/adVruA) at the two cascade partners;
• Release a minimum of 100 credits’ worth of materials at each institution;
• Provide a cascade model to enable partners to sustain the production and release of OERs;
• Facilitate the elaboration of draft policy documents for consideration by partner institutions;
• Evaluate the interventions;
• Generate opportunities for the dissemination of the OERs and associated findings;

Project Methodology

The Beyond Distance Research Alliance at the University of Leicester will:

• Lead, manage and ensure the successful completion of all deliverables
• Coordinate partners’ input
• Support partners in their use and enhancement of the CORRE framework (http://bit.ly/adVruA)
• Widely disseminate project outputs
• Report to the funders
• Lead contributions to funders’ support and dissemination activities.

The University of Bath will produce 100 credits’ worth of OERs in the areas of Staff Development (e-learning); Chemistry, Biology and Pharmacy; and Lifelong Learning.

The University of Derby will produce 100 credits’ worth of OERs in the areas of Staff Development, Hairdressing, and Art and Design.

Anticipated Outputs & Outcomes

Outputs:

• 100 credits’ worth of OERs at each cascade HEI, in OSTRICH repository and JorumOpen
• An OSTRICH cascade model
• Adapted versions of the CORRE framework for partners’ institutional contexts
• Draft institutional OER policy documents and guidelines
• Three dissemination events

Outcomes:

• Adoption of the concept and use of OERs at the Universities of Bath and Derby
• Institutional commitment to OERs for promotion and positioning purposes in global HE market
• New OERs in priority areas
• Enhanced capacity in the generation and release of high quality OERs
• Strong evidence-based influence on institutional and sector policy on OERs
• Increased satisfaction of students
• Dissemination nationally and internationally.

Technology/Standards

OSTRICH will adhere to general principles of sharability and interoperability through the use of standards as required by JorumOpen. The project will follow general principles of usability and accessibility, as recommended by JISC’s TechDis service.