Open educational resources enhance the quality of teaching. Continuous education of teachers about the importance of open educational resources is necessary to maximize their presence in the educational process.
(Zagreb, March 7, 2024) A panel titled "Can Open Educational Resources Improve the Quality of Teaching?" was held at the University Computing Centre of the University of Zagreb (SRCE), supporting the celebration of International Open Education Week.
During the opening discussion, Assistant Director of SRCE, Assoc. Prof. Sandra Kučina Softić, emphasized SRCE's focus on openness not only in higher education but also in science. By building open infrastructures, SRCE enables teachers and scientists to implement openness principles in their daily work. Additionally, SRCE actively promotes open education and provides education to teachers and managerial structures, fostering openness in the education system. By organizing this panel, SRCE reaffirms its commitment to bringing together representatives of its community to discuss openness and raise awareness of the importance of open education and open educational resources.
The panel discussion, attended by participants both on-site at SRCE and online, included panelists such as Prof. Mihaela Banek Zorica from the Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences, University of Zagreb; Assistant Director for Higher Education at the Agency for Science and Higher Education, Sandra Bezjak, M.Sc.; Assoc. Prof. Maja Gligora Marković, Deputy Chair of the Online Learning Committee at the University of Rijeka from the School of Medicine, University of Rijeka; Prof. Renata Mekovec, Chair of the Quality Assurance Committee at the Faculty of Organization and Informatics, University of Zagreb; and Ana Tecilazić, Ph.D., Vice-Rector for Quality at Algebra University College.
Participants agreed on the need for systematic education of teachers about open educational resources and how they can be integrated into teaching to enable active student involvement, ensure quality teaching materials, and provide the best learning experience for students. The role of managerial structures was highlighted as crucial in raising awareness of the possibilities and importance of open education and ensuring the quality of the educational process. In addition to scientific achievements, higher education institutions can also boast achievements in teaching with open educational resources. The process of ensuring the quality of teaching is at the forefront of all higher education institutions, and with a model where the student is at the center of the educational process and the increasing use of digital technologies, it is important to ensure interactivity, quality, and openness. By practicing the use of open educational resources and making their materials openly accessible, institutions are building an educational environment that is transparent, more accessible, tailored to the needs of today's students, and fostering a culture of openness. Open educational resources are included in the criteria for evaluating and accrediting online studies, but this is only the first step. Efforts should be made systematically to introduce them into all spheres of higher education. Panelists agreed on the need to regulate rules and regulations clearly regarding open educational resources, define models for financial incentives and rewards for teachers who publish their teaching materials openly, and continuously work on education to establish and nurture a culture of openness. Open education helps modernize higher education as contemporary open education is mainly achieved through digital technologies. The use of technology in education itself does not mean openness of educational materials, but it can be a key factor in accelerating that process. In this entire process, teachers, with support in the form of advanced infrastructure and education in using digital services and systems provided by SRCE, as well as expert support from librarians and IT experts at institutions, and offices and quality assurance committees at institutions, are needed to guide teachers in developing their teaching materials, using open educational resources, and publishing them openly so that other participants from the community can use, refine, or enhance existing materials.
The recording of the entire panel is available on the SRCE YouTube channel.
About Open Education Week
Open Education Week is a global initiative organized since 2012 with the aim of raising awareness of the importance of open education and its impact on contemporary learning methods worldwide. SRCE has been actively participating in it for 10 consecutive years. SRCE has been actively promoting the systematic application of open education principles, the development and application of open educational resources, and open educational practices at institutions in the higher education system. As an example and encouragement to others, SRCE's educational materials are publicly available and openly accessible. SRCE also leads initiatives to gather the community of creators of open educational resources and open education, with the aim of providing students with the best and highest quality learning experience during their studies.
