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  • Quality assurance bodies’ and other stakeholders’considerations for OER policy

Key policy questions include:

  • Are QA and accreditation agencies aware of the IPR and copyright challenges posed by digitization of content, and the variety of open licences available to help to deal with these challenges?
  • What processes are currently in place to assure the quality of learning materials used in higher education? Do they take into account the wide range of types of learning materials and the different purposes for which – and/or the different contexts in which – they are used?
  • In what respects do current policies either encourage or hinder the use of learning materials and in particular any OER?
  • What QA and accreditation processes should be introduced to safeguard quality but encourage constructive change through the adoption of OER?
  • Can a QA body pronounce on the quality of learning material outside of the context of the course in which it is used?

Illustrative case studies:

  • Can quality assurance be outsourced?

Related toolkits:

Examples of national policies:

Questions to think about:

  1. Do you agree with the above assessment by the QAA?
  2. What conditions pertain in your own country regarding use of ‘bought in’ resources in accredited programmes of study?
  3. Does use of a prescribed textbook published outside the institution (often outside the country) constitute a ‘bought in’ resource?
  4. How might the QAA concerns best be addressed by StudyNow?