Advancing the Recommendation on Open Educational Resources (OER)

This UNESCO Chairs Seminar, held online on 30 November 2023, gathered insights and recommendations on how Open Educational Resources (OER) can be leveraged for sustainable development in Africa. It was held within the framework of Operational Strategy for Priority Africa Flagship Programme 4 (FP4): "Harnessing new and emerging technologies for sustainable development in Africa"

Ms  Zeynep Varoglu, Senior Programme Specialist in the UNESCO Communication and Information Sector provided a comprehensive overview pertaining to the 2019 Open Educational Resources (OER) Recommendation. Her focus was on elucidating its significance as a comprehensive framework, particularly in supporting Africa's utilization of new and emerging technologies for sustainable development, establishing its connections with the evolving landscape of emerging technologies. This presentation underscored the potential synergy between OER and the dynamic sphere of innovative technologies.

Dr Glenda Cox, UNESCO Chair in Open Education and Social Justice, University of Cape Town, South Africa has contributed significantly to the implementation of Open Educational Resources (OER) in South Africa. Her insights encompass various considerations like the link between OER, social justice and digital public goods. By integrating OER into educational practices and institutions, educators contribute to the advancement of social justice by breaking down barriers to quality education and promoting inclusivity, diversity, and empowerment within learning environments. She underlined that the power of open education lies not only in the product (accessible content) but especially in the process (making the content). The process includes pedagogical shifts and is an enabler for cultural and political justice.

Professor Moeketsi Letseka, UNESCO Chair on Open and Distance Learning, University of South Africa, Professor of Philosophy of Education and Editor-in-Chief of Africa Education Review has been focusing on educational access and equity in South Africa.  He highlighted the difficulty of having OER in mother tongue languages in South Africa - that counts at least thirty-five indigenous languages twelve of which are official languages of the country. He also made the link between Open Educational Resources (OER) and Open Access (OA), their synergy lies in quality, visibility, ease of access, and of course cost. He emphasized the importance of addressing disparities in education, especially in historically disadvantaged communities.          

Ms Michela Pagano, Associate Project Officer, Unit for Technology and AI in Education, Future of Learning and Innovation Division, UNESCO, presented the Global Digital Library initiative as a best practice example of implementing the 2019 OER Recommendation. The Global Digital Library is an initiative by the Norwegian government and various partners aimed at providing free and open digital reading resources for children in multiple languages. Thee GDL offers storybooks, educational resources, and learning materials that are accessible online and can be downloaded for offline use. Collaboration between initiatives like the Global Digital Library and broader OER movements can enhance the accessibility and diversity of educational resources available globally, contributing to more inclusive and equitable education for learners of all ages and backgrounds. For example,  UNESCO worked with the Government of Ghana for translation in local languages and supported user testing in schools that is user driven, learner-centred and experience based.

Dr Tel Amiel, UNESCO Chair in Distance Education, University of Brasilia, introduced the audience to how Brazil has been actively working on initiatives to promote the use and creation of OERs to support its educational system. Since 2011, a federal bill encourages the use of OER.

The Brazilian government has been emphasizing the importance of open access to educational materials, encouraging educators to create, share, and adapt OERs to improve the quality of education across the country. In the open university of Brazil all resources and faculty presentations are published with open access after 2019. It is important to keep in mind though that OER policy is not just about licensing but making sustainable changes in the education system. It englobes open practices with creation and sharing. Dr Amiel also mentioned the OER Policy Game and how it brings technical, pedagogical and legal aspects of OER policies together, identifying gaps and a reasonable priority list.

Dr Lazarus D.K Dokora, Lecturer, Department of Languages & Communication Skills, Bindura University of Science Education, Zimbabwe and Dr Amunga Hellen, Lecturer, University of Nairobi & ICIE African Chapter Vice-Representative, Kenya, presented their paper on Empowering Indigenous Education: bottlenecks, achievements and insights. Technology can be instrumental to support OER implementation in Africa and develop the material that is usable in the educational sector although 38% do not have access to the internet.

Within the context of Indigenous Knowledge Systems they suggest some practices as key to successful implementation of OER and related technologies for quality education in the Global South - an inclusive approach as opposed to pilot schemes must be fostered. Contextualization and localization of OER and not only translation can make OER more inclusive and accessible and there is still a lot of progress to be made.

This UNESCO Chairs Seminar built awareness and enthusiasm towards mainstreaming OER and implementing the OER Recommendation in the African continent.