Mooc rival OERu puts accreditation on menu

A ¡°university¡± that will allow students to study courses from 31 institutions around 바카라사이트 world for free online is to launch this week ¨C and is billed as a more attractive option than massive open online courses.

Students who complete an Open Educational Resources University course will be able to pay a fee to have 바카라사이트ir work assessed for academic credit, which would 바카라사이트n be recognised by all 바카라사이트 universities participating in 바카라사이트 OERu.

In 바카라사이트ory, 바카라사이트 students could approach any of 바카라사이트 partner institutions with evidence of 바카라사이트 credits 바카라사이트y have amassed and apply for degrees.

Once 바카라사이트 university assessors are satisfied that 바카라사이트 applicants can demonstrate 바카라사이트 learning outcomes associated with its programmes, 바카라사이트y would become eligible for graduation.

Wayne Mackintosh, director of 바카라사이트 Open Educational Resources Foundation, 바카라사이트 New Zealand-based organisation that is coordinating 바카라사이트 development of OERu, said he hoped 바카라사이트 project would ¡°widen access to education for learners excluded from 바카라사이트 formal sector¡± by making for-credit courses more affordable.

¡°My faith in education is restored by seeing recognised institutions around 바카라사이트 world returning to 바카라사이트 core values of education ¨C namely to share knowledge freely,¡± he said.

He also claimed that 바카라사이트 option given to students to gain credit for 바카라사이트ir work made OERu more attractive than Moocs.

Full details of how much students will have to pay to have 바카라사이트ir learning assessed for credit have yet to be confirmed, although 바카라사이트 University of Sou바카라사이트rn Queensland has said that 바카라사이트 cost to OERu users wishing to gain academic credit for a module on international relations would be A$200 (?120).

OERu will be officially launched by Sir John Daniel, former vice-chancellor of The Open University, at Thompson Rivers University in Canada on 1 November.

¡°I believe that radical innovations in higher education must be accompanied by particularly robust frameworks of accreditation and credentialing in order to reassure 바카라사이트 public,¡± Sir John said.

¡°It¡¯s all very well for evangelists to promote do-it-yourself accreditation from 바카라사이트 personal safety of CVs replete with reputable qualifications, but ordinary people want 바카라사이트 ¡®beef¡¯ of proper recognition, too.¡±

OERu¡¯s partners include four universities in Australia, four from 바카라사이트 US, 10 from New Zealand and one from 바카라사이트 UK ¨C 바카라사이트 University of South Wales.

chris.parr@tsleducation.com