OER policy as orientation for teachers
Legal uncertainties are often cited by lecturers as a key reason why the sharing of teaching/learning materials at universities has been slow to catch on. An OER policy adopted by the university management, which explicitly allows open licensing and includes support structures, offers teachers important guidance. It also promotes transparency. The process was supported by CampusDidaktik at Emden/Leer University of Applied Sciences. The twillo team’s sample OER policy, which was created under the leadership of Yulia Chalina (ELAN e.V.) in the Legal Support working area, served as a helpful support tool for the creation of the guideline in close cooperation with other active players in the field.
Rapid adoption of the directive in Emden/Leer
The prototype model OER policy was presented to the Executive Board as a template in spring 2021. The instrument was used to explore which aspects and focal points are relevant for the university. The next step was to allow room for feedback with the involvement of the relevant departments. The policy was adopted by the Executive Board in June 2021.
Helpful sample OER policy and further support
The structure of the sample OER policy was emphasized as particularly helpful: in the first part, valuable information on orientation is provided and in the second part, concrete guidelines for concretization including formulation examples are offered. From the twillo team’s point of view, it is desirable that other universities follow the example of Emden/Leer University of Applied Sciences in order to promote transparency in this context. The twillo team (Noreen Krause, TIB, info@twillo.de) will be happy to answer any questions you may have on the subject of OER policy. Further information and insights into the adoption of the OER policy at the Emden/Leer University of Applied Sciences can be found in the blog post “Promoting good teaching through openness”.