{"id":15022,"date":"2026-05-21T12:00:52","date_gmt":"2026-05-21T10:00:52","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.twillo.de\/?p=15022"},"modified":"2026-05-21T12:48:28","modified_gmt":"2026-05-21T10:48:28","slug":"heres-to-open-education-twillo-is-celebrating-its-sixth-birthday","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.twillo.de\/en\/blog\/heres-to-open-education-twillo-is-celebrating-its-sixth-birthday\/","title":{"rendered":"Here\u2019s to open education: twillo is celebrating its sixth birthday!"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

twillo offi\u00adcially went live in the spring of 2020. Today\u2014six years later\u2014with more than 5,600 openly licensed teach\u00ading and learn\u00ading mate\u00adri\u00adals, over 2,200 reg\u00adis\u00adtered users, and more than 155 affil\u00adi\u00adated insti\u00adtu\u00adtions, the por\u00adtal has become a key player in open higher edu\u00adca\u00adtion in Lower Sax\u00adony and beyond. As a cen\u00adter of excel\u00adlence, twillo reaches well over 1,000 peo\u00adple from the fields of research and teach\u00ading each year with its edu\u00adca\u00adtional and advi\u00adsory ser\u00advices. Let\u2019s cel\u00ade\u00adbrate six years of open edu\u00adca\u00adtion by tak\u00ading a look back at the past and look\u00ading ahead to the present together. <\/p>\n\n

<\/figure>\n\n

How it all began: The story behind it <\/h2>\n\n

The twillo ini\u00adtia\u00adtive was launched in 2019 as part of a col\u00adlab\u00ado\u00adra\u00adtive project funded by the Lower Sax\u00adony Min\u00adistry of Sci\u00adence and Cul\u00adture (MWK) and involv\u00ading the Leib\u00adniz Infor\u00adma\u00adtion Cen\u00adtre for Sci\u00adence and Tech\u00adnol\u00adogy (TIB), the E\u2011Learning Aca\u00add\u00ade\u00admic Net\u00adwork Lower Sax\u00adony (elan e.V.), the HIS Insti\u00adtute for Higher Edu\u00adca\u00adtion Devel\u00adop\u00adment (HIS-HE), the Uni\u00adver\u00adsity of Applied Sci\u00adences Emden\/Leer, the Uni\u00adver\u00adsity of Osnabr\u00fcck (UOS), and the Stud.IP asso\u00adci\u00ada\u00adtion.
Dur\u00ading the first fund\u00ading phase (2019\u20132023), activ\u00adi\u00adties focused in par\u00adtic\u00adu\u00adlar on devel\u00adop\u00ading a reli\u00adable tech\u00adni\u00adcal infra\u00adstruc\u00adture for host\u00ading mate\u00adri\u00adals, as well as build\u00ading an active user com\u00admu\u00adnity and pro\u00advid\u00ading sup\u00adport for all legal, tech\u00adni\u00adcal, and ped\u00ada\u00adgog\u00adi\u00adcal issues related to the use of OER.
Dur\u00ading the cur\u00adrent sec\u00adond fund\u00ading phase (2023\u20132027), the infra\u00adstruc\u00adture itself, as well as the portal\u2019s advi\u00adsory and edu\u00adca\u00adtional ser\u00advices, will be com\u00adpre\u00adhen\u00adsively fur\u00adther devel\u00adoped and expanded by four con\u00adsor\u00adtium part\u00adners (TIB<\/a>, elan e.V.<\/a>, HIS-HE<\/a>, and UOS<\/a>). In addi\u00adtion, spe\u00adcial atten\u00adtion will be given to build\u00ading cross-state net\u00adworks. <\/p>\n\n

What Matters: Values and Priorities<\/h2>\n\n

The twillo team actively sup\u00adports the cre\u00adation of an open edu\u00adca\u00adtional ecosys\u00adtem at var\u00adi\u00adous lev\u00adels. Its over\u00adar\u00adch\u00ading goal is to con\u00adtribute to free and inclu\u00adsive access to edu\u00adca\u00adtion, infor\u00adma\u00adtion, and knowl\u00adedge. twillo serves both as a plat\u00adform for pub\u00adlish\u00ading OER for higher edu\u00adca\u00adtion and as a cen\u00adter of exper\u00adtise where edu\u00adca\u00adtors and learn\u00aders can receive sup\u00adport, advice, and guid\u00adance on all mat\u00adters related to Open Sci\u00adence. The prin\u00adci\u00adple of open\u00adness also applies to twillo itself: The por\u00adtal is devel\u00adoped as an open-source project, and all project mate\u00adri\u00adals are made avail\u00adable under an open license.
In terms of con\u00adtent, twillo addresses legal, ped\u00ada\u00adgog\u00adi\u00adcal, and tech\u00adni\u00adcal aspects of open edu\u00adca\u00adtional design. Open edu\u00adca\u00adtion does not develop in iso\u00adla\u00adtion from cur\u00adrent tech\u00adno\u00adlog\u00adi\u00adcal and social dis\u00adcourses. On the con\u00adtrary, it adapts dynam\u00adi\u00adcally and flex\u00adi\u00adbly to cur\u00adrent devel\u00adop\u00adments. twillo specif\u00adi\u00adcally addresses the prac\u00adti\u00adcal needs of higher edu\u00adca\u00adtion teach\u00ading. While in recent years\u2014in addi\u00adtion to the fun\u00adda\u00admen\u00adtals of work\u00ading with OER\u2014the devel\u00adop\u00adment of insti\u00adtu\u00adtional frame\u00adworks and their imple\u00admen\u00adta\u00adtion within OER poli\u00adcies at uni\u00adver\u00adsi\u00adties took on par\u00adtic\u00adu\u00adlar rel\u00ade\u00advance, in 2026 the project will place spe\u00adcial empha\u00adsis on cur\u00adrent issues regard\u00ading the legally com\u00adpli\u00adant and reflec\u00adtive use of gen\u00ader\u00ada\u00adtive AI in the cre\u00adation of OER. Fur\u00adther\u00admore, the topic of dig\u00adi\u00adtal sov\u00ader\u00adeignty is com\u00ading more into focus: that is, the ques\u00adtion of how open, trans\u00adpar\u00adent, and sus\u00adtain\u00adable infra\u00adstruc\u00adtures, tools, and work\u00ading meth\u00adods can make uni\u00adver\u00adsi\u00adties more inde\u00adpen\u00addent and capa\u00adble of tak\u00ading action. twillo is also dri\u00adving inno\u00adva\u00adtion in the area of future skills by sup\u00adport\u00ading instruc\u00adtors in inte\u00adgrat\u00ading open\u00adness, col\u00adlab\u00ado\u00adra\u00adtion, legal judg\u00adment, and a crit\u00adi\u00adcal approach to dig\u00adi\u00adtal tech\u00adnolo\u00adgies into their teach\u00ading. <\/p>\n\n

The technical side: Homepage, OERSI, and edu-sharing<\/h2>\n\n

The twillo por\u00adtal con\u00adsists of three inter\u00adcon\u00adnected com\u00adpo\u00adnents. On the twillo home\u00adpage<\/a>, those inter\u00adested in OER will find all the basic infor\u00adma\u00adtion they need to get started with OER. This includes infor\u00adma\u00adtion on the legally com\u00adpli\u00adant and\/or tech\u00adni\u00adcal prepa\u00adra\u00adtion of mate\u00adri\u00adals as OER, as well as instruc\u00adtions for pub\u00adlish\u00ading mate\u00adri\u00adals on twillo. Over 60 (blog) posts address cur\u00adrent dis\u00adcourses in higher edu\u00adca\u00adtion. Top\u00adics include the imple\u00admen\u00adta\u00adtion of insti\u00adtu\u00adtional frame\u00adworks for OER devel\u00adop\u00adment (OER pol\u00adicy), qual\u00adity cri\u00adte\u00adria suit\u00adable for eval\u00adu\u00adat\u00ading or assess\u00ading open edu\u00adca\u00adtional resources, and the legally com\u00adpli\u00adant and ped\u00ada\u00adgog\u00adi\u00adcal use of gen\u00ader\u00ada\u00adtive AI in OER devel\u00adop\u00adment. Teach\u00aders and learn\u00aders receive con\u00adcrete sup\u00adport through a vari\u00adety of prac\u00adti\u00adcal FAQs, short explana\u00adtory videos, as well as tem\u00adplates and guide\u00adlines (e.g., on the trans\u00adfer of usage rights or con\u00adsent for photo\/video record\u00adings). <\/p>\n\n

The portal\u2019s resource search inte\u00adgrates the Open Edu\u00adca\u00adtional Resources Search Index (OERSI<\/a>)\u2014a cen\u00adtral search engine for open edu\u00adca\u00adtional resources in higher edu\u00adca\u00adtion that has been jointly offered by the Uni\u00adver\u00adsity Library Cen\u00adter of North Rhine-West\u00adphalia (hbz) and the TIB since 2020. To pro\u00advide com\u00adpre\u00adhen\u00adsive search results, OERSI searches\u2014in addi\u00adtion to twillo\u2014a wide range of dis\u00adtrib\u00aduted, national, and inter\u00adna\u00adtional sources, thereby offer\u00ading access to approx\u00adi\u00admately 100,000 OERs. All plan\u00adning and devel\u00adop\u00adment is openly doc\u00adu\u00admented on the Git\u00adLab<\/a> plat\u00adform. Feed\u00adback and active par\u00adtic\u00adi\u00adpa\u00adtion<\/a> in the fur\u00adther devel\u00adop\u00adment of the ser\u00advice are wel\u00adcome. <\/p>\n\n

Both the home\u00adpage and the OERSI search are acces\u00adsi\u00adble to any\u00adone inter\u00adested with\u00adout log\u00adging in. Only when fac\u00adulty mem\u00adbers wish to upload mate\u00adri\u00adals them\u00adselves is it nec\u00ades\u00adsary to log in to the portal\u2014the edu-shar\u00ading soft\u00adware. Employ\u00adees of many uni\u00adver\u00adsi\u00adties in Lower Sax\u00adony and North Rhine-West\u00adphalia can access the por\u00adtal via sin\u00adgle sign-on using their uni\u00adver\u00adsity ID; oth\u00aders can obtain access by sub\u00admit\u00adting a request to the sup\u00adport team<\/a>. <\/p>\n\n

<\/figure>\n\n

After log\u00adging in for the first time, users are directed to their per\u00adsonal work\u00adspace. Here, they can either upload mate\u00adri\u00adals or\u2014if the mate\u00adri\u00adals are already avail\u00adable online elsewhere\u2014link to them. In addi\u00adtion, twillo offers the abil\u00adity to design inter\u00adac\u00adtive H5P ele\u00adments directly within the por\u00adtal. After upload\u00ading mate\u00adri\u00adals, users are guided through a form to enter meta\u00addata and select an appro\u00adpri\u00adate license (e.g., Cre\u00adative Com\u00admons, MIT, or Apache) for their con\u00adtent. Related mate\u00adri\u00adals can be grouped into series<\/a> or com\u00adpiled into col\u00adlec\u00adtions<\/a>. Users have full con\u00adtrol over when their mate\u00adri\u00adals are pub\u00adlished. A Dig\u00adi\u00adtal Object Iden\u00adti\u00adfier<\/a> (DOI), i.e., a per\u00adma\u00adnent iden\u00adti\u00adfier for teach\u00ading and learn\u00ading mate\u00adri\u00adals, can be requested on twillo after pub\u00adli\u00adca\u00adtion, if needed. <\/p>\n\n

\"A<\/figure>\n\n

Content: Educational and Counseling Services<\/h2>\n\n

twillo offers a wide range of free edu\u00adca\u00adtional and advi\u00adsory resources to sup\u00adport edu\u00adca\u00adtors and learn\u00aders across all areas of open edu\u00adca\u00adtion. These resources include intro\u00adduc\u00adtory courses on OER cre\u00adation, ses\u00adsions address\u00ading spe\u00adcific ques\u00adtions about copy\u00adright and licens\u00ading law, and var\u00adi\u00adous \u201cTooltimes\u201d where free soft\u00adware, tools, and ser\u00advices for open media pro\u00adduc\u00adtion are pre\u00adsented and tested col\u00adlab\u00ado\u00adra\u00adtively. Since the cre\u00adation of mate\u00adri\u00adals can poten\u00adtially be sim\u00adpli\u00adfied through the use of arti\u00adfi\u00adcial intel\u00adli\u00adgence, twillo addresses this topic exten\u00adsively through work\u00adshops and dis\u00adcus\u00adsion forums.
For indi\u00advid\u00adual ques\u00adtions, the twillo team is avail\u00adable in per\u00adson dur\u00ading the weekly online con\u00adsul\u00adta\u00adtion hour \u201ctwillo Thurs\u00adday<\/a>\u201d with\u00adout prior reg\u00adis\u00adtra\u00adtion. Alter\u00adna\u00adtively, the sup\u00adport team can be con\u00adtacted at any time via email at info@twillo.de<\/a>. <\/p>\n\n

In addi\u00adtion to the events it orga\u00adnizes itself, the twillo team<\/a> fre\u00adquently and enthu\u00adsi\u00adas\u00adti\u00adcally par\u00adtic\u00adi\u00adpates in exter\u00adnal events hosted by the OER com\u00admu\u00adnity (e.g., OER\u00adcamp<\/a>, OER im Blick<\/a>), pro\u00adfes\u00adsional con\u00adfer\u00adences (e.g., Media Lit\u00ader\u00adacy Day), and teach\u00ading sym\u00adpo\u00adsiums, offer\u00ading pre\u00adsen\u00adta\u00adtions, work\u00adshops, and oppor\u00adtu\u00adni\u00adties for dis\u00adcus\u00adsion.
A par\u00adtic\u00adu\u00adlar mile\u00adstone in 2023 was the con\u00adfer\u00adence \u201cOpen Up \u2013 Strate\u00adgies for the Dig\u00adi\u00adtal\u00adiza\u00adtion of Higher Edu\u00adca\u00adtion in Lower Sax\u00adony,<\/a>\u201d orga\u00adnized by twillo itself. The aim of the event was to fos\u00adter an under\u00adstand\u00ading of the chal\u00adlenges of dig\u00adi\u00adtal\u00adiza\u00adtion and to stim\u00adu\u00adlate dis\u00adcourse on the frame\u00adwork con\u00addi\u00adtions and incen\u00adtives for open\u00ading up dig\u00adi\u00adtal teach\u00ading mate\u00adri\u00adals. Over the course of two days, the approx\u00adi\u00admately 100 par\u00adtic\u00adi\u00adpants were offered oppor\u00adtu\u00adni\u00adties for net\u00adwork\u00ading and exchange. The pro\u00adgram ranged from keynotes and panel dis\u00adcus\u00adsions to a \u201cmar\u00adket of oppor\u00adtu\u00adni\u00adties.\u201d <\/p>\n\n

The Education Policy Arena: The twillo Team Is Getting Involved<\/h2>\n\n

With the goal of fully estab\u00adlish\u00ading the use and cre\u00adation of open edu\u00adca\u00adtional resources in higher edu\u00adca\u00adtion, twillo is in con\u00adstant dia\u00adlogue with a wide range of national and inter\u00adna\u00adtional OER stake\u00adhold\u00aders. As a mem\u00adber of the coop\u00ader\u00ada\u00adtion net\u00adwork <\/em>Through \u201cOER-Enabling Infra\u00adstruc\u00adtures and Ser\u00advices\u201d (KNOER<\/a>), twillo is actively work\u00ading along\u00adside other man\u00addated OER ini\u00adtia\u00adtives to pro\u00admote cross-state net\u00adwork\u00ading and the con\u00adsol\u00adi\u00adda\u00adtion of dig\u00adi\u00adtal teach\u00ading and learn\u00ading infra\u00adstruc\u00adtures and ser\u00advices that sup\u00adport OER. The net\u00adwork not only facil\u00adi\u00adtates the exchange of expe\u00adri\u00adences but also enables joint advo\u00adcacy at the fed\u00aderal level. This allows for the joint devel\u00adop\u00adment and imple\u00admen\u00adta\u00adtion of inno\u00adv\u00ada\u00adtive OER solu\u00adtions in higher edu\u00adca\u00adtion. <\/p>\n\n

twillo also sup\u00adports<\/p>\n\n