International workshop on policy for OER and less used languages
How can OER enhance the position of less used languages on a global scale?
International Council for Open and Distance Education (ICDE) and the LangOER network in partnership with the OpenCourseWare Consortium (OCWC) are organizing a face-to-face workshop to be held as an open session from 13:30 – 15:00 on Friday, 25 April.
The event will deliver input to the assessment of the situation for open educational resource around the globe with particular reference to less used languages.
Definitions
Less used languages are languages such as Norwegian, Swedish, Slovenian, Xhosa and Zulu which find themselves needing to contend with a fast evolving educational landscape currently dominated by English. Less used languages also include regional and minority languages.
Open Educational Resources (OERs) are defined by UNESCO as any type of educational materials in the public domain or with an open licence. The nature of these open materials means that anyone can legally and freely copy, use, adapt and re-share them.
Scope
Focus on:
- What is the situation when it comes to OER and less used languages?
- What issues arise from that situation - and how could they be met?
- Also with reference to:
- How can OER enhance the position of less used languages on a global scale?
- What policies are favourable to the uptake of quality OER and quality open educational practices in less used language communities?
The workshop will provide input to a working policy paper on OER and challenges and opportunities for less used languages in a global, European, Nordic and national perspective.
Participants
Participants invited to give a short intervention in the workshop should be prepared for a 2 – 5 minutes presentation describing the situation for OER in less used languages in his/her country or region, and suggest which issues that arises from that situation.
Practical information
13:30 -15:00, Friday, 25 April 2014
- The workshop will consist of a series of prepared interventions of 2-5 minutes each, followed by discussions
- The language of the workshop is English
Organizers
The workshop is organized by ICDE and the LangOER network in partnership with the OCWC.
More information on LangOER, supported by the European Commission Lifelong Learning Programme, OER and less used languages:
More information on ICDE: http://www.icde.org/en/about
More information on OCWC: http://www.ocwconsortium.org
Workshop coordinator: Gard Titlestad (Secretary General, International Coucil for Open and Distance Education) and LangOER, Titlestad@icde.org
The LangOER project is funded with support from the European Commission. This communication reflects the views only of the author, and the Commission cannot be held responsible for any use which may be made of the information contained therein.