DS4OERS WS/About



This section provides information about the  online course.

Origins of the course
The course was originally developed as part of the Partnership for Open, Distance and Flexible Learning (ODFL),   a 5-year project (2020 – 2025) funded by the New Zealand Ministry of Foreign Affairs & Trade to support enhancing capacity and efficiency of education sectors in the Pacific through greater use of innovative delivery mechanisms and technology.

The Commonwealth of Learning (COL), together with the Pacific Centre for Flexible and Open Learning for Development (PACFOLD) are implementing the initiative.

About the DS4OERS online course
 was developed by the UNESCO Chair in OER at the OER Foundation for the Pacific Partnership for Open, Distance and Flexible Learning.

This instance of the course was remixed for the Samoa Knowledge Society Initiative in partnership with the Samoan Ministry of Education Sports and Culture and the UNESCO Office for the Pacific states.

What will I learn?
In this short online course you will:


 * Discuss and reflect on why open matters in education with Pacific teachers
 * Review what constitutes an Open Educational Resource (OER)
 * Apply knowledge of the six Creative Commons open licenses including legal remix compatibility for derivative works and requirements for attribution.
 * Search for openly licensed images and audio for reuse.
 * Gain hands-on experience in using Free and Open Source Software packages to remix content, images and produce audio graphics for use in your classroom.

What's involved
This is a hands-on, activity-based course in which you will complete:


 * 1) Enabling activities covering: what constitutes an OER, Creative Commons licensing, attribution, and remix compatibility.
 * 2) Four digital skills learning challenges to develop teaching resources for use in the classroom:
 * 3) * Open image challenge
 * 4) * Vector chart or diagram remix challenge
 * 5) * Static audio graphic remix challenge
 * 6) * Lesson plan challenge

Certification options
Participants who successfully achieve the six digital badges summarised below for the DS4OERS course will receive a PDF Certificate of Completion.

Prerequisites
Any teacher is free and welcome to participate in this course. The course will be conducted in English. We recommend that you have:


 * Access to a personal computer for 3 – 5 hours per week
 * Basic computer skills (saving files in different formats, setting up and deleting folders, starting programs, etc.)
 * Access to the internet for 3 – 5 hours per week while working online on the course.
 * Basic skills in navigating websites using a browser
 * Ability to install, or have access to a colleague or friend to help you install Free and Open Source Software programs (we will provide links to free downloads of the software).