oer world map proposal by notesmaster global
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PROPOSAL
to the
The William and Flora Hewlett Foundation2121 Sand Hill RoadMenlo Park, CA 94025
Submitted by
Notesmaster Global Ltd (07911100)95 Lynmouth Crescent, Furzton,
Milton Keynes, MK4 1JP
Title: Launching The Development of an OER World Map (Phase I)
Period of Performance: January 31, 2014 – April 15, 2014
Date Submitted: January 08, 2014
Consultants: Jason RaymondProject Facilitator, Product Owner, Lead Researcher
Dean Dundas Stakeholder Relations, Partner Relations, Researcher
Grant Amount: $25,000 US
Signed:
Principal Consultant Authorizing Official:
__________________________ ______________________________Mr. Jason Miguel Raymond Notesmaster Global Ltd (NMG)Phone: +447412279861 Phone: +447720774893Skype: jason.notesmaster Skype: notesmaster.comEmail: [email protected] Email: [email protected]
All correspondence related to the development of an OER Map: Phase I should be directed to Notesmaster Works Ltd, 95 Lynmouth Crescent, Furzton, Milton Keynes, MK4 1JP, UK.
Launching The Development of an OER World Map (Phase I). Proposal by Notesmaster Global Ltd (NMG). Forsubmission to the Hewlett Foundation by January 10, 2014. Except where otherwise noted, the content of thisreport is licensed under Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike International 4.0 (CC BY-SA 4.0)
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Organization/Institution OverviewNotesmaster Global Ltd (NMG) is a private company based in the United Kingdom, which currently focuses on education related activities in the Caribbean and parts of Southern Africa. NMG works with various Ministries of Education, examination bodies and organisations including the Open Schools in the CommonWealth Open School Association (COMOSA) to develop and maintain Notesmaster sites for the respective communities of teachers and students. This also broadens the adoption of the OER4OS (an initiative funded through a grant by the William and Flora Hewlett Foundation), as our new partners tailor these OER materials to meet the needs of their new Open Schools. Each Notesmaster site is a freely accessible elearning platform, specifically designed to facilitate the development of a global education network for secondary level students. Our approach enables students and educators, from different countries, to learn and share material, using familiar syllabus frameworks that reflect their own curriculum. Our highlevel partnerships in the Caribbean and Africa, facilitate the sharing of expertise and the inclusion of a variety of elearning methods in the Notesmaster network. These partnerships also provide prominence to our platforms in their respective markets, allowing them to benefit an increasing number of teachers and students as access to the internet improves.
NMG continues to work with a number of partners around the world to facilitate the creation and dissemination of Open Education Resources (OER). These partners include the Caribbean Examinations Council (CXC), Namibian College of Open Learning (NAMCOL), Botswana College of distance and Open and Learning (BOCODOL). Our recent work in 2013 involved support for intensive training in online content development for the creation of OER with The Gwen Lizarraga Open School, an initiative sponsored by the Commonwealth of Learning (COL).
In addition to our core focus of developing Notesmaster sites and providing support for content creation, we have also been involved in technical based consultancies. The most recent being with the Ministry of Telecommunications, Science and Technology in Antigua and Barbuda through the GATE Program in order to provide educational content for tablet devices distributed to secondary school students. Similar initiatives are expected to commence in St. Vincent and the Grenadines, Papua New Guinea and Jamaica in 2014. NMG also has previous experience developing mapping applications, including it’s Global homepage and also backend data visualisation of all registered Notesmaster users from all locations around the world. The development of an OER World Map also has crossovers with one of our current development areas which involves a visualisation of registered Educators and Organisations, including the Creative Commons content they have created on Notesmaster.
In response to the request for proposals for the development of an OER World Map: Phase I, NMG has defined a limited number of prePhase I elements in order to explore the feasibility of the proposed project and also to construct a realistic proposal. OER Atlas has been selected as the project name and a prePhase I development site is available at http://oeratlas.org/. In the event NMG’s proposal is successful, OER Atlas could evolve into the Phase I prototype/demo.
Launching The Development of an OER World Map (Phase I). Proposal by Notesmaster Global Ltd (NMG). Forsubmission to the Hewlett Foundation by January 10, 2014. Except where otherwise noted, the content of thisreport is licensed under Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike International 4.0 (CC BY-SA 4.0)
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Evidence of Institutional SupportThe board of Notesmaster Global (NMG) including the Caribbean Examinations Council (CXC), and Dundas & Associates, the two institutional members, are fully in support of a proposal being submitted on behalf of the organisation and its eventual participation in the development of an OER World Map, as requested by the Hewlett Foundation. As evidence of it’s support, NMG has already allocated resources in the form of consultant’s time and a small budget to undertake initial research and development of a prePhase I prototype, named “OER Atlas” (see Figure 1). OER Atlas was developed in order to allow NMG to practically explore the feasibility of undertaking the development of Phase I.
Figure 1: OER Atlas home page | Live Link: http://oeratlas.org/
Research activities thus far have focused on determining specific data elements including, project name, domain name, language(s), contact person and sources of data. Development activities thus far include domain name registration, basic hosting setup, WordPress setup, configuring OER categories, search field setup, country listings, creation of image assets, Google Map configurations and identification of key sources that could populate the database in Phase I. The experience gained in developing this prePhase I prototype has allowed the consultants to create a more informed proposal based on the challenges, potential issues and feedback which have been generated thus far.
Launching The Development of an OER World Map (Phase I). Proposal by Notesmaster Global Ltd (NMG). Forsubmission to the Hewlett Foundation by January 10, 2014. Except where otherwise noted, the content of thisreport is licensed under Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike International 4.0 (CC BY-SA 4.0)
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Consultants, Qualification and Roles on The ProjectNMG has assigned two consultants to the OER Atlas project. They are Mr. Jason Miguel Raymond and Mr. Dean Winthorpe Dundas. Both have many years of experience working with Open Schools in Africa and the Caribbean and also the formal schooling system throughout the English speaking Caribbean. Details of their roles on the project and qualifications are listed below:
Jason Miguel RaymondProject Facilitator, Product Owner, Lead Researcher
Career History2009 Present: Operations Director, Notesmaster Works, United Kingdom2006 2010: Information Specialist, Islington Council, United Kingdom2002 2004: Economics teacher, St. George’s College, Jamaica
Qualification History2003 2004: MSc. Internet Applications Dev., London Metropolitan University, United Kingdom2003 2004: MA. International Business, London Metropolitan University, United Kingdom1997 2002: BSc. Chemistry & Management Science, University of the West Indies, Jamaica
Dean Winthorpe DundasStakeholder Relations, Partner Relations, Researcher
Career History2009 Present: Project Director, Notesmaster Works, United Kingdom2003 Present: Director, Dundas & Associates Ltd, United Kingdom; Electoral consultants1998 2002: Marketing Director, Advance Captive Media Ltd, United Kingdom
Qualification History1994 1998: BSc. Hons Management and Marketing of Textiles, University of Manchester Institute of Science and Technology
Launching The Development of an OER World Map (Phase I). Proposal by Notesmaster Global Ltd (NMG). Forsubmission to the Hewlett Foundation by January 10, 2014. Except where otherwise noted, the content of thisreport is licensed under Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike International 4.0 (CC BY-SA 4.0)
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Focus Area for Data Collection and Rationale for its ChoiceThe objective of Phase I of the OER World Map as indicated by proposal request, is that as theproject scales, it will help teachers and learners answer the following key questions:a. What OER are available in my country?b. What OER are available in my language?c. What OER are available for grade level (X)?d. What OER are available for learning (subject)?
In order for these objectives to be realised it is necessary to categorise each OER listing by country, language, grade level and subject, and also provide relevant search/filtering fields in order to increase site usability and discoverability for OERs published to the map (see Figure 2)
Figure 2: OER Atlas main search fields | Live Link: http://oeratlas.org/
There are however some potential challenges when dealing with languages and also grade levels. The challenges associated with languages are two fold. Firstly, site navigation in the user's native language and secondly, the classification of an OER by language. Multilanguage navigation is achievable in Phase I by using free WordPress plugins, however minor languages, for example Setswana and Haitian Creole are not generally supported. The challenge associated with attempting to define grade levels on a global scale is partially addressed by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). UNESCO (2011) recognizes several levels of education in its International Standard Classification of Education system (ISCED) and this has been adapted to reflect what we believe to be workable filter/search criteria on the OER Atlas demo. However this does not account for the differences that exists between countries as they tend to have their own specific curriculum/syllabus within a particular grade level. For example, in Namibia the secondary level curriculum is centered around the JSC, UPP and NSSCH syllabi. However, in the Caribbean the secondary level
Launching The Development of an OER World Map (Phase I). Proposal by Notesmaster Global Ltd (NMG). Forsubmission to the Hewlett Foundation by January 10, 2014. Except where otherwise noted, the content of thisreport is licensed under Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike International 4.0 (CC BY-SA 4.0)
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curriculum is centered around the CCSLC, CSEC and CAPE syllabi. From our experience with the Notesmaster Project and the challenges of categorising and archiving content, for different countries and their respective syllabus/curriculum, partnerships will be required with Ministries of Education and Exam boards in order to accurately define these syllabus/curriculum. An additional challenge will be defining a set of subjects that are globally relevant and inclusive of all levels of education. The challenges highlighted thus far will require further research to understand the issues and present more refined solutions in Phase I and Phase II.
In addition to the subcategorisation of each OER based on country, language, grade level and subject, we propose that each OER can be divided into four broad categories (see Figure 2). The four broad OER categories being proposed are; Projects, Professionals, Organisations and Content. Defining these OER categories early in the project will foster a better appreciation for the project’s long term scope and allow the project to reach a wider audience beyond teachers and learners. This will help simplify the search process and improve discoverability. The rationale for this broad categorisation is summarized below:
Projects: OER initiatives and projects. These could be listed on the map and discoverable by those interested in having an overview of various global projects/initiatives or just projects/initiatives in their area.
Professionals: People who work in the OER community. These could be listed on the map with their personal profile detailing their involvement or contribution to the OER community. It is also envisioned that over time a searchable roster of OER experts from around the world could emerge based on these profile listings.
Organisations: Organisations directly involved in or supporting the OER community. These could be listed on the map and discoverable by those interested in having an overview of various global projects/initiatives or just projects/initiatives in their area.
Content: Materials and repositories used to support education that can be freely accessed, reused, modified, and shared. These can include, full courses/programmes, course materials, modules, student guides, teaching notes, textbooks, research articles, videos, assessment tools and instruments, interactive materials such as simulation, software, apps (including mobile apps) and any other educationally useful materials.
Data collected from public submissions will be limited to only that which is required to drive the mapping application and allow for ease of searching and filtering. With the exception of personal email addresses which will be used to create an account for each user to manage his/her own submissions, all other data will be publicly available and licensed under Creative Commons Attribution license (CC BY). The requirement that submissions be licensed under Creative Commons Attribution (CC BY) will need to be made clear to users so they understand that the information they submit could potentially be used by others for any purpose. This may impact the use of certain assets for example photos, company logos and other forms of media.
Launching The Development of an OER World Map (Phase I). Proposal by Notesmaster Global Ltd (NMG). Forsubmission to the Hewlett Foundation by January 10, 2014. Except where otherwise noted, the content of thisreport is licensed under Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike International 4.0 (CC BY-SA 4.0)
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Given that the vast majority of data will be submitted by the public, the process can be handled by a simple form to capture all the required information about a particular OER submission (see Figure 3 Register/log in to view Live Link). Users will need to register/log in to submit their OER listing and it is recommended that all submissions be reviewed before becoming publicly available. Going forward it is envisioned that appointed editors will engage in the periodic review and validation of submissions to help ensure that all listings on the map remain relevant.
Figure 3: OER Atlas form submission | Live Link: http://oeratlas.org/submit/?action=addnew
Launching The Development of an OER World Map (Phase I). Proposal by Notesmaster Global Ltd (NMG). Forsubmission to the Hewlett Foundation by January 10, 2014. Except where otherwise noted, the content of thisreport is licensed under Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike International 4.0 (CC BY-SA 4.0)
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Methodology, Work Plan and TimelineThe Agile development methodology will be used for the project as it provides opportunities to assess the direction of a project throughout the development lifecycle. It should be noted that our the prePhase I focus was on the development of a working model rather than the creation of comprehensive wireframes. The Phase I prototype will therefore be an iteration of the current OER Atlas website as various aspects of development, design, etc, will be continually revisited throughout the lifecycle to make incremental changes and use of free or Open Source software.
Table 1: Proposed Work Plan and Timeline
Activity Staff Hours Expected Completion Status
Choose/register Domain Names 5 December 15, 2013 Completed
Define database tables includingOER categories, search fields,location coverage, languagecoverage, subject categories,subject coverage, grade levels
180 January 05, 2014 Completed(Iteration 1)
Basic server setup, WordPresssetup, Google Maps setup andtweaking (prePhase I)
120 January 10, 2014 Completed
Proposal Doc. 90 January 10, 2014 Completed
Consultants selected and notified N/A January 20, 2014 TBC
Agreement of final work planbetween consultant(s) andHewlett Foundation staff, etc...
N/A January 31, 2014 TBC
Dedicated server upgrade/ setup,WordPress theme setup, GoogleMaps tweaking (Phase I)
150 TBC
Define and input tags 20 February 7, 2014 TBC
Setup remaining countries of theworld and setup geolocation data
25 February 14, 2014 TBC
Data source identification,validation/translation and input
250 April 11, 2014 TBC
Final report, & other deliverables 150 April 15, 2014 TBC
Launching The Development of an OER World Map (Phase I). Proposal by Notesmaster Global Ltd (NMG). Forsubmission to the Hewlett Foundation by January 10, 2014. Except where otherwise noted, the content of thisreport is licensed under Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike International 4.0 (CC BY-SA 4.0)
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Identification of Partners for Collaborative WorkThe identification and validation of key sources to populate the database in Phase II will require the involvement of researchers and partners. Existing partners including the Commonwealth Open School Association (COMOSA) and it’s various open schooling initiatives, including the Namibian College of Open Learning (NAMCOL) and the Botswana College of Open and Distance Learning (BOCODOL), have been identified as potential partners in the OER Atlas project. With particular reference to NAMCOL and BOCODOL, we currently work with these organisations through the Notesmaster Project where a number of their OER are hosted for teachers and students to find. Mrs. Frances J Ferreira, Education Specialist in Open Schooling based at the Commonwealth of Learning (COL) will act as our main point of contact with COMOSA and it’s various open schooling initiatives. Initial contact has also been made with potential partners, including the The Concord Consortium, a project which specialises in science technology engineering and mathematics (STEM) interactive resources. In addition to leveraging the expertise of our existing partners, as part of the requirements for Phase I an in depth review of existing databases and directories to identify key sources that could populate the database in Phase II, will be undertaken.
Data from similar efforts including Open Access Map, The Open University and The OpenCourseWare Consortium will also be reviewed with a view to not simply duplicating the data, but also providing additional dimensions to help describe the data to make it more discoverable. Course material currently made available on the Notesmaster network will also be listed on OER Atlas as OER Content.
Launching The Development of an OER World Map (Phase I). Proposal by Notesmaster Global Ltd (NMG). Forsubmission to the Hewlett Foundation by January 10, 2014. Except where otherwise noted, the content of thisreport is licensed under Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike International 4.0 (CC BY-SA 4.0)
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BudgetGiven a maximum budget of $25,000 US, the proposed number of staff hours, corresponding activity as well as other major budget items are detailed in the table below. It should be noted that the staff hours to develop the prePhase I demo (OER Atlas) and the basic server package to host the application are excluded as this allowed NMG to practically explore the feasibility of undertaking the development of Phase I.
Table 2: Proposed* Budget
Budget Items (Activity/Asset) Unit(s) Unit Cost (USD) Cost
Dedicated server subscription 1 $209.99 per month (billedannually)
$2,519.88
Dedicated server upgrade/setup, WordPress theme setup,Google Maps tweaking (Phase I)
250 hours $40 per hour $10,000.00
Data source identification,validation and input
220 hours $30 per hour $6,600.00
**Researching/trialling opensource mapping alternatives(Leaflet/MapQuest,OpenStreetMap, OpenLayersmore info) to replace the freeGoogle Maps API
70 hours $40 per hour $2,800.00
Final report, documentation &other deliverables
150 hours $20 $3,000.00
Total $24,919.88
*The proposed budget is a projection based on time spent researching and developing the prePhase I OER Atlas demo/prototype, which is built on the open source software WordPress.
**The Google Map API, though not Open Source is a free to use software, but with some restrictions. As the guidelines request Open Source software, then an Open Source mapping alternative from those listed above will be explored instead of the Google Maps API, should the Hewlett Foundation staff specifically require Open Source Software and not Free software for this element. Additionally, should Hewlett Foundation staff wish to proceed with exploring the Google Maps API, then the proposed 70 hours for researching open source alternatives can be allocated to data source identification and input.
Launching The Development of an OER World Map (Phase I). Proposal by Notesmaster Global Ltd (NMG). Forsubmission to the Hewlett Foundation by January 10, 2014. Except where otherwise noted, the content of thisreport is licensed under Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike International 4.0 (CC BY-SA 4.0)