OERF:Join/OERF Promotional Brochure

What is the OER Foundation?
The Open Education Resource Foundation is an independent, not-for-profit organisation registered in New Zealand that provides global leadership, networking and support for educators and educational institutions to achieve their objectives through Open Education.

The Foundation is managed by an international board of directors. The OER Foundation is headquartered at Otago Polytechnic, a world leader in Open Education. Pioneering members include Athabasca University and Otago Polytechnic with additional funding support from the Commonwealth of Learning for our technical infrastructure.

The William and Flora Hewlett foundation have provided generous funding support to continue the ground-breaking Learning4Content project to provide free training to educators around the world and support innovations for OER content interoperability between Connexions and wiki-based projects like WikiEducator, and the Wikimedia Foundation projects.

The OER Foundation is assisting the New Zealand Ministry of Education in establishing a reusable and portable content intitiative for New Zealand Schools.


 * We need to clear any media and publications with Hewlett -- --Wayne Mackintosh 09:10, 19 October 2009 (UTC)


 * Yes -- we need permission for references to these agencies and clearance to use their logos. --Wayne Mackintosh 09:10, 19 October 2009 (UTC)

The OER Foundation uses Creative Commons licenses which are approved by the Free Cultural Works definition. It is also a signatory to the Cape Town Open Education Declaration.

Significant OER cost-savings
OERs are a low-cost alternative to high content development costs. Using OERs significantly reduces the cost and time associated with the design and development of teaching materials, up to a 50% savings.

Realize tangible benefits in the global OER ecosystem by:


 * Sharing OER development costs with other institutions
 * Expanding curriculum choices
 * Reducing teacher workload
 * Using blended OER learning approaches
 * Developing OER content in multiple languages (including low-cost textbooks & readers)
 * Leveraging scalable OER delivery models
 * Retaining the rights to adapt, modify and brand OER materials

Mass OER Collaboration: WikiEducator
WikiEducator is a prime example of the power of mass-collaboration for OER development, sharing and reuse. Its vision is to create teaching materials in support of all national curricula by 2015, in line with the UN's Millennium Development Goals.

The WikiEducator community is improving access to education globally by dramatically expanding the availability of free learning content. More than 11,000 educators in 110+ countries are creating OERs and sharing their experiences to improve teaching and learning around the world. Since 2007, WikiEducator has grown to a top 100,000 website and continues to record positive growth trend since its inception. It is one of the world's fastest growing and most productive wiki's in the formal education sector.

Global OER Opportunities
The OER Foundation will help you to actively participate in global OER initiatives and opportunities. The OER Foundation can also connect your organisation to global OER networks and in-country strategic partners for:


 * internationalizing programs and courses
 * localising & contextualising OERs
 * sourcing local partners for OER grants
 * researching OERs
 * innovative OER projects
 * OER community-building
 * OER textbook publishing

Global OER Leadership
We welcome you to demonstrate your organisational commitment to the social good of education, global citizenship and shared responsibility for sustainable education futures. As an international community of practice, the OER Foundation supports collaborating educational institutions to attain these goals.

Members receive:


 * Global visibility, recognition and exposure for OER leadership
 * OER thought leadership
 * Access to a global network of strategic OER partners.
 * Opportunities for OER program / course internationalization
 * Significant cost-savings for OER projects and publishing
 * Opportunities to collaborate on OER research funding and grants
 * Innovative OER learning models and scalable delivery options
 * A dedicated OER wiki production environment
 * Organizational development support, including OER staff training, coaching and community-building.

See our Frequently Asked Questions - http://www.wikieducator.org/WikiEducator:OER_Foundation/FAQs

OER Foundation Membership
OER Foundation membership is available to educational institutions, individual teaching, research or academic departments, corporate organizations, NGOs and governments. By 2012, we anticipate that 80% of OERF membership contributions will be reinvested back into commissioned OER content development for use by your institution.

We invite you to talk to us, to explore how we can work together.


 * We definitely need a better photo of WGM -- by the same token we need call-out boxes with key quotes from institutional leaders. --Wayne Mackintosh 09:26, 19 October 2009 (UTC)

A Sustainable Investment
Today's educational institutions are faced with the challenges of declining resources and increasing pressure to do more than ever.

The OER Foundation provides strategic counsel to increase OER leadership, scalability, sustainability and performance.

Our vision is to foster the development of sustainable OER ecosystems beyond the WikiEducator project, and collaborate with other OER initiatives in the education sector.

In 2010, we will be launching WikiResearcher, an international collaboration using wiki technology for research collaboration and peer-reviewed dissemination of research findings through open access publishing models.

Panel 5 - Outside Middle Panel
Contact:


 * I'm the best contact here

Fourth Street, Private Bag 1910 Dunedin 9054, New Zealand Freephone: 0800 762 786


 * I'll confirm the appropriate and best contact details before we go to print. --Wayne Mackintosh 09:17, 19 October 2009 (UTC)

Email: info at oerfoundation dot org Website: http://oerfoundation.org Frequently Asked Questions - http://oerfoundation.org/FAQs

Panel 6 - Outside Right Panel
(i.e., brochure front page)

International Centre for Open Education / OER Foundation based at Otago Polytechnic, NZ

Open Education is a sustainable and renewable resource.


 * On the front page -- we should refer to the OER Foundation --- contact details at the back --- W Mackintosh, C/O the International Centre for Open Education, Otago Polytechnic.

General comments and feedback

 * I think we can improve on our call for action. Something along the lines of -- Honouring or demonstrating your commitment to the future sustainability of education / or social good of education while ensuring quantifiable benefits for yourself. In other words you loose nothing by contributing, but gain quantifiable benefits locally. Not sure how to work this.
 * I need to read again -- but we may have elements of repetition in the brochure. Need to sleep on this.