International Journal of Open Educational Resources Volume 2, Issue 1, Fall 2019/Winter 2020 | Page 63

Advancing an Open Educational Resource Initiative through Collaborative Leadership
and efficiencies operate differently in
each of the models. For example, when
individual faculty members adopt OER
for class use, they will likely experience
greater freedom, greater risk, and less
efficiency in the process. On the other
end of the spectrum, the institutional
and networked levels offer more controls
(less freedom), while also granting
greater efficiencies and economies of
scale. Judith and Bull did not advocate
for a particular model over another, but
rather argued that the relative strengths
and weaknesses should be taken into
consideration when launching an OER
initiative. It is likely that several of these
models would need to operate simultaneously
for an OER initiative to build
momentum and become part of the
fabric of an institution. Faculty who
are currently using OER materials in
their classrooms can be invited to help
spread awareness of campus OER programs
at the institutional level. Statewide
resources can be used to help
bring greater efficiency to the work at
an individual campus.
Furthermore, it is valuable to conceptualize
the project of OER adoption
as a series of smaller, strategic initiatives
along the path of OER implementation.
Organizing an OER workshop or securing
a large-enrollment course for a pilot
study are distinct projects that contribute
to the greater vision of large-scale
institutional support. The process of
adopting OER in a single class requires
planning, preparation, and assessment,
just as a long-term OER implementation
project would. A five-step lifecycle
for assessing, analyzing and finding,
reviewing, redesigning and adopting,
implementing, and evaluating OER
programs presented by Walz (2015, pp.
27-28) helps outline critical stages of
OER planning and adoption. It is crucial
that OER strategic planning take
place in the short- and long-term and at
both individual and institutional levels.
In their depiction of OER strategic
planning, Jung et al. (2017b) presented
an “OER implementation model”
that has proven to be a helpful guide
for the authors’ development of a working
OER group from the ground up
at UMBC. The five stages described
include: 1) the analysis phase, 2) the
adoption phase, 3) the optimization
phase, 4) the evaluation phase, and 5)
the stabilization phase. Each phase outlines
specific action items and priorities.
For example, the analysis phase is comprised
of a set of 10 priorities, including
determining a mission and vision
for the OER initiative, “[e]stablishing
an OER initiative task force,” outlining
a time frame, and taking stock of the
resources and partners needed (p. 79).
The adoption phase then moves from
the planning stage to milestones, such
as developing a project budget, implementing
an OER pilot study, and assimilating
OER into the learning management
system used on campus. Further
optimization, evaluation, and stabilization
phases resolve the work needed
to secure OER implementation in the
long-term (pp. 80-82). This practical,
action-oriented framework proved extremely
useful in helping the authors
conceptualize both the long-term vision
and the immediate tasks needed to
initiate a successful OER collaboration.
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