OPAL Clearinghouse OPAL also recognises the importance of keeping abreast of ongoing OER developments. In addition to the guidelines, the OPAL initiative has also set up a clearinghouse of OEP best practices;11 this is a dynamic platform where individual organisations can describe and submit their own OEP and other data. Examples include: the Finnish AVO and SOMETU (Avoimet Verkostot Oppimiseen – Suomen eOppiMiskEskus avaa ovet uusille TUulille oppimisessa) Open Networks for Learning initiative, CCCOER (Community College Consortium for OER), LORO (Languages Open Resources Online), LeMill community, the OLnet initiative, and the SCORE (Support Centre for Open Resources in Education) initiative, to name a few.12 These “best” practices demonstrate the rich landscape of OEP and evidence the ways in which different communities (at both national and discipline levels) are being encouraged and supported to better use and integrate OER across formal and informal learning contexts.
OPAL Awards The importance of incentives and rewards to promote the use and take-up of OER was a key finding from the analysis of the enabling factors in OER initiatives. As a result, OPAL has developed an awards scheme for quality and innovation through OEP. These awards recognise outstanding achievements in the fields of OER policy, promotion and use, providing exposure and recognition for successful OEP that have improved quality and innovation in educational organisations. There are three categories of OPAL awards: 1. Bodies that influence policy — defined as any global, regional or national body or organisation providing the political or financial conditions or resources for, or encouraging or promoting excellence in, open educational practices through policy, funding, research, lobbying or technical developments. 2. Institutions — defined as institutions with a policy of encouraging OEP through the provision of resources, time allocation and support for (i) development of OER, (ii) sharing of knowledge, (iii) peer review, (iv) training courses and (v) participation in research and development, and which motivate professionals through internal recognition and require adherence to standards of openness and sharing of work. 3. Learning contexts — defined as learning professionals producing OER, sharing their work, and being actively involved in peer review, possibly also motivating and inspiring colleagues; and where they successfully incorporate student feedback and imbue their students with an understanding and appreciation of openness, which involves their students reworking, repositioning and publishing their own work. Award winners receive significant international exposure through the OPAL Initiative website and publications, and through the networks of each of the consortium members, including the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), the ICDE and the European Foundation for Quality in E-Learning (EFQUEL). They also receive a unique logo and animated graphic for self-promotion.
121