New Zealand Open Source Virtual Learning Environment Project - A Case Study in Achieving National Development Goals using Open Educational Resources

Richard Wyles
E-Learning Department at The Open Polytechnic of New Zealand

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     Last modified: August 6, 2006
     Presentation date: 11/02/2006 10:00 AM in ST Windsor B
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Abstract
The purpose of this paper is to explore the political economy of open source and open educational resources, by presenting an overview of cogent case study examples that address each of the sub-themes outlined, within an over-arching framework of inter-related initiatives.

The New Zealand Open Source Virtual Learning Environment (NZOSVLE) Project is a consortium-based project, involving twenty higher education institutions, with NZ Government funding focused on developing open source application software for education. The project team adopts, adapts and contributes back code to selected open source communities - currently with a specific focus on Moodle, ELGG and EPrints.

As part of the overall project, Eduforge (www.eduforge.org) was developed to encourage project collaboration. Eduforge is an open access environment designed for the sharing of ideas, research outcomes, open content and open source software for education, and hosts over 100 projects in education from throughout the world.

The growth of the open source movement in education presents developing countries with an opportunity to escape from technological dependence, while also providing a catalyst for innovation and self-determination in distance and technology-mediated learning initiatives. This work is changing approaches to ODL strategy, professional development for tutors, and engagement with learners.