Tom Caswell

Listen. Share. Learn.

Category: Policy

  • A Big Day for Open Policy

    Today was a big day for open policy, with important hearings in the Washington State House and Senate on measures requiring open licensing of courseware developed with state funds. State Representative Reuven Carlyle sponsored the House bill (along with a number of other representatives), and testified at both hearings. The Senate companion bill was sponsored by Senators Tom, Hill, and Frockt.

    It is notable that even though there was significant opposition to the bills from the universities, everyone supported using and sharing open resources. The concerns centered around *how* to go about implementing an open policy. Today’s conversations are well worth watching for anyone interested in these arguments or considering similar legislation. A quick summary:

    EDIT: Cable Green posted a good FAQ on the bills.

    Consensus:

    • Broad support for quality open textbooks in higher ed. (several universities said they are “all in” for open textbooks)
    • Everyone supports the spirit and intention of sharing open educational resources

    Concerns raised at hearings:

    • Mandatory nature of policy (and how to track compliance)
    • Impact on faculty’s ability to publish in peer reviewed articles (and further impact on faculty P&T and retention)
    • Copyright vetting and copyright liability burdens on faculty

    Tonight I’m thinking of the Ghandi quote David Wiley used almost a year ago: “First they ignore you, then they laugh at you, then they fight you, then you win.” I’ve been through the first three stages. The final stage we are in, the winning part requires a lot of listening, especially to faculty who are interested in OER but have different ideas about implementation.

    Regardless of what happens to these two bills, one thing is clear: Open Educational Resources are moving into the mainstream. It’s time to expand educational opportunities for all. No more waiting. It’s time to share.

  • Reflections on Educause Institute

    This week I’m attending the Educause Learning Technologies Leadership Institute in Portland, Oregon. The first couple of days have focused on sharing research-driven best practices in communication and relationship building. Making the case to higher administration. The buzz word at this event is “leaderful.” I’m still trying to define it, but I’m pretty sure we’ll all leave the Portland Double Tree wanting to be more leaderful.

    Not surprisingly, most of the examples used so far deal with changes, upgrades, and other issues surrounding Learning Management Systems. This is useful to my eLearning team at SBCTC because we are at the start of a major LMS transition. How we communicate about these LMS changes is key to making a successful transition. Paul Fisher’s explanation of the 5 factors to adoption from Everett Rogers’ Diffusion of Innovation:

    • Relative advantage – How much does the innovation improve over the previous generation?
    • Compatibility – How easily can the innovation be assimilated into an individual’s life?
    • Complexity or Simplicity – How difficult is the innovation to adopt?
    • Trialability (ease of experimentation) – How easy is it and what is the risk of experimentation?
    • Observability – How easy is it to share the benefits of the innovation within your network?

    Paul also talked about the power of politicking — of having the “meeting before the meeting.” He said that one of his most effective strategies involves showing up to as many informal gatherings and other events as possible to take the temperature of his constituents on important issues. That way he already knows where his constituents will come down on the issues before critical meetings take place. That’s the power of politicking.

    I have also come to realize that even when I attend events that have nothing to do with open education, that subject always comes up at my table for some reason. Maybe it’s me. I often come away from dinner with a couple of business cards from people who want to start sharing their educational materials more openly. Yeah, I’m pretty sure it’s me.