Open Education for a Better World

International studies identify a lack of preparation and training in OE usage. However, the problem is to build the capacity to use OE as a tool to solve social problems. The OE4BW educational program allows its mentees/project developers to develop an advanced understanding, while addressing specific challenges in the areas of capacity and community building in OE.

The OE4BW mentoring programme is at the forefront of combining OER and SDGs and helping create a more personal approach towards building OER that can inform, educate and present value in new ways. The OERs have to address at least one of the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), from ending poverty to a range of social needs including education, health, equality and job opportunities, while tackling climate change and preserving our environment.

It is a half year-long programme which is organised in a sustainable way as it takes place fully online for students from all backgrounds, regions and continents with the potential and desire to employ Open Educational Resources to solve large scale and relevant problems important in relation to today’s global landscape.

New project developers and new communities will require technical and media knowledge, educational content, pedagogical and didactical principles, social and psychological aspects, new organization and value-added models, strategies, and the potential paths for the organizational change, relevant policies, and legal aspects.

In addition, OE projects occur in a social context, requiring a social justice component. Many formal programs are inaccessible for students from the global South, underdeveloped countries, and underrepresented communities. Furthermore, leaders and their projects may not be properly connected to others. A critical mass of leaders in open education is fundamentally important to start making global changes.

The OE4BW addresses educational pathways, network development, and improved outcomes for open education in meaningful ways. From new participants to next-generation leadership, the program accelerates personal, professional and educational development.  Together, it creates new networks of first-time participants, mentors, coordinators, advisors. In particular, by creating networks of new participants, OE4BW strives to build inclusivity in the OE movement.

Outcome 1: Improve the communications infrastructure of OE4BW and staff capabilities

Enhance communication and collaboration among the developers, mentors, hub coordinators, and alumni of the OE4BW mentorship program through the customized MiTeam platform.

Outcome 2: Strengthened networks and new topical hubs

Support participants to physically join the OE4BW yearly final event EDUSCOPE in 2022, projected as a live event.

Outcome 3: Research the assumptions, practices, and results of OE4BW

Investigate the respective impacts and results of OE4BW. Provide research results as a basis for further improvement. Use qualitative and quantitative analysis through surveys/questionnaires of the OE4BW participants to determine the programs’ current impacts on society and connection to SDGs.