UNESCO Joint Policy Forum on Mainstreaming Open Educational Practices (OEP) forum
23.11.2011
Alona Senishch, who works at the Aalto ECON Department of Communication, participated in UNESCO Joint Policy Forum on Mainstreaming Open Educational Practices (OEP) in the context of higher education, which was held Nov. 14 2011 in Paris. The forum brought together educational professionals, organizational leaders and policy makers from around the world to examine the results of Open Educational Quality Initiative (OPAL) and Content Creation Excellence through Dialogue in Education (CONCEDE) projects that promote innovation and quality in higher education OEPs.
The year 2011 is marked with an increased attention towards Open Educational Practices (OEP) in the context of higher education both in EU and globally. On the 14th of November UNESCO held a Joint Policy Forum on Mainstreaming OEP at its headquarters in Paris. Finland was represented by Tapio Koskinen (Aalto Pro) and Alona Senishch-Chmilevska (Department of Communication).
Alona shares hew experience of attending the forum: “Being someone who uses Open Educational Resources in classroom and wonders what resources for learning will look like in decades to come, I felt privileged being invited to participate in such meaningful event which aimed at establishing Guidelines for Mainstreaming Open Educational Resources (OER) in Higher Education. The forum brought together educational professionals, organizational leaders and policy makers from around the world to examine the results of Open Educational Quality Initiative (OPAL) and Content Creation Excellence through Dialogue in Education (CONCEDE) projects that promote innovation and quality in higher education through open Educational practices (OEP).
Being a registered member of OPAL (http://www.oer-quality.org/) Aalto is seen as a supporter of Open Educational Resources (OER) movement. One of the “grand” samples of OER at Aalto is Le-Mill project run by TAIK since 2006 (http://lemill.net/). On a smaller scale, Open Educational Practices exist as individual initiatives at different schools and departments of Aalto and it is vital to bring these practices together if Aalto aims to succeed in mainstreaming OEP at institutional level.”
Next year, UNESCO hosts the biggest OER event of the decade – 2012 World Open Educational Resources Congress in Paris that will also celebrate the 10th anniversary of the 2002 UNESCO Forum that created the term OER. UNESCO welcomes all those interested to attend the congress in June, 20-22, UNESCO HQ, Paris, France. For more information please contact alona.senishch [at] aalto [dot] fi.