[Oer-community] In fields like OER -- Shouldn't we eat our own dog food?

[Brian Lamb]

On 2010-10-12, at 5:38 AM, Jennie Lawrence wrote:

> Hello Wayne and Everyone, 
> 
> Well briefly in reply, "In fields like OER, why is the OER Foundation charging for its information? Doesn't sound like your trying to share very well with others, or eating your own Dog Food, but trying to sell and make profit off of what is being given freely by other donor institutions.


The section of the OER Foundation that you cite does not give any indication that it is "charging for its information", much less doing so for information "being given freely by other donor institutions." I do see it trying to solicit funding from partners to sustain its activity, with an indication of "value-added services" (not "information") being provided in return. That does not seem so different than the model employed by many open source developers. 

I am not in a position to judge the funding model of the OER Foundation. Based on this email, I do not think Jennie Lawrence is either.  But in WikiEducator we have evidence of an organization that has been an active participant in the open education movement for years, promoting an unmistakably strong commitment to openness in many forms.  When I look at the WikiEducator and OER Foundation sites, all I see is freely available open content, hosted on an open source wiki platform.

Given that record, I am dismayed that such a mean-spirited accusation is made on the basis of such flimsy evidence. I cannot see how it contributes to any argument whatsoever.

Brian

---
Brian Lamb
Teaching and Learning Strategist
Centre for Teaching, Learning and Technology
The University of British Columbia
604.313.4726
http://blogs.ubc.ca/brian  http://ctlt.ubc.ca



> 
> Active partner
> Donor partner
> An Active Partner integrates OER approaches into their operations to assist in achieving their strategic objectives.
> The OER Foundation provides a number of value-added services (over and above the standard benefits) to help education institutions reduce cost, improve quality and widen access to educational opportunities using OER as determined by their partnership status:
> Bronze (US$1,000)
> Silver (US$8,000)
> Gold (US$5,000 plus staff contribution)
> Platinum (US$>10,000)
> A Donor Partner believes in the educational value of sharing knowledge freely and their contribution helps us to build sustainable OER futures. Their financial contribution forms part of our international giving campaign to support the WikiEducator/Open Education Ecosystem.
> Donor partners participate in OER Foundation activities including access to free professional development (training) and an international collaborative wiki platform. They are acknowledged on the OER Foundation website and may join in the capacity of an:
> Institution (US$200)
> School (US$50) or
> Individual (US$50)
> 
> What are OERs?
> The Internet provides unique opportunities for educators to access, use, modify, and share educational materials. Open Educational Resources (OERs), are educational materials which are licensed in ways that provide permissions for individuals and institutions to reuse, adapt and modify the materials for their own use. OERs can, and do include full courses, textbooks, streaming videos, exams, software, and any other materials or techniques supporting learning.
> 
> Thanks for letting me in, 
> -- 
> Jennie
> founding manager 
> http://the3rdgoal.org
> Skype ID: jennie.lou.lawrence
> Phone No: +1 703 666 8381
> Email: jennie at the3rdgoal.org
> 
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