Training Course Team Members and Supporting OER Development: The Instructional Designer’s Perspective

Abstract

This paper describes the author’s perspectives on the training and support provided to Course Team Members in Botswana and Zambia during the development of print-based Open Education Resources (OER). These teams produced Grades 11 and 12 OER in Commerce, Human & Social Biology, Geography, Mathematics and Physical Science. The paper discusses the project’s contribution to development and transformation of education provision. It also reviews the nature of the assigned tasks, the target audience, the implementation of the tasks and the challenges and lessons learned. The lessons learned regarding timeframes, the importance of in-country support structures like the Country Management Committees and Team leaders, the availability of required resources from the onset and the vital role played by committed team members will hopefully guide implementation of other similar or future projects. The author’s central conclusion is that despite the challenges, the training has contributed to the teams’ understanding and application of crucial components of open and distance learning and the development of print-based OER. This is evidenced by the progressive improvement in the quality of the draft units, the final completion of all the prescribed units and the positive comments from team members about their competence. The project has also enhanced the consultant’s knowledge and skills on print-based OER development and the use of technological platforms like Basecamp to support and communicate with participants. // Paper ID: 309