MERLOT '05: "Is There an OpenCourseWare Project In Your Future" notes

What is OpenCourseWare (OCW)? OCW Addresses the needs of informal learners, borrowing from the paradigm of formal education. It is IP-clean, not for credit, and is for non-commercial uses.

What motivates faculty to participate in OCW initiatives? An altruistic desire to enhance and increase educational opportunities for all. There are also self-interested motivators, such as the increased awareness and attention that is generated when materials of value become open and free - we're talking possible book deals, tenure, etc. For "chronologically gifted" faculty members, OCW provides a means to cement one's life's work for the benefit of future generations.

Some OCWs: Tufts, Utah State, MIT, FETP

The process of implementing OCW at your institution:

1. Recruit faculty & courses
2. Plan
3. Build
4. Publish
5. Support & Maintenance

Utah State has developed an OpenCourseWare Management System (OMS) called 'eduCommons'. John Dehlin works there and helps others implement similar initiatives at other institutions.

I'm attending the afternoon session on OCW, so there'll be another post on this topic in a few hours.