HEA/JISC Open Educational Resources case study: pedagogical development from OER practice

Staff development in the OER era: transforming practice in HE in FE Dr Philip Johnson and Craig Hammond University Centre Blackburn College

Outline
1.1 Introduction This case study considers the changes brought to staff development practices following the involvement of a provider of higher education in further education (HE in FE) in the UK-wide OER programme. The authors are employed at the University Centre at Blackburn College (UCBC) that has over 3,500 students making it one of the largest places in the country for this type of education. There has been some form of higher education within the College for over 50 years but since the mid-1990s the number of students has increased significantly following the introduction of both franchised and validated courses from institutions such as Lancaster University, University of Central Lancashire and the University of Glamorgan. UCBC represents a distinct part of the Colleges overall work and for 17 years has had its own premises on the town centre campus. Almost all of its lecturers exclusively work in this provision and while they have to adhere to the requirements of QAA and other higher education reviews there can often be a lack of congruity between their development needs and those catered for by their overall FE institution. The national growth in the numbers of students at HE in FE institutions means that more than one in ten undergraduates are being taught there (NUS Connect, 2009); this pattern is even more distinct in the US where it is estimated that community colleges teach half of the nations students [but] with a third of the resources per student enjoyed by state universities (Kamenetz, 2010, p. 86). The figure in the UK is likely to rise as a result of the Governments desire for bringing choice, encouraging competition and opening the market up to new providers (Department of Business, Innovation and Skills, 2011a). It is expected that opening the market will see FE institutions, as well as private organisations, increasing their involvement by taking advantage of the lifting of the restrictions on their current numbers of enrolled students (Department for Business, Innovation and Skills, 2011b, para. 4.16). The commitment to expand HE in FE paid no attention to advancing the lecturing role at these institutions and disregarded concerns raised almost a decade ago by the HEA. The problems reported by lecturers were reported as: high teaching workloads, limited library resources, a lack of a HE culture, the need for more scholarly activity and a lack of development opportunities (HEA Subject Centre for Information & Computer Sciences, n.d.). These issues may not be unique to this branch of the sector, but their distinctive combination illustrates the extent of its potential difficulties. The problem is intensified when the provided staff development has to take the form mandated by the broader FE college and deal with compulsory requirements such as OFSTED, child protection and membership of the Institute for Learning. The lack of guidance on matters relevant to higher learning becomes even more problematic considering that help would assist the HE in FE lecturers in their long-standing obligation for higher teaching requirements (Simmons, 2003). The subsequent negativity towards staff development is unsurprising considering the recognised importance of these opportunities: Time to release staff for development is clearly the greatest support need expressed by the colleges. Beyond the core requirement for staff development time, there is a further need for staff time in curriculum planning and development, teaching and assessment, research and reading, industrial updating and secondments, and collaborative activity with other institutions. (HEFCE, 2001, p. 11) The demands for UCBC staff development to more accurately reflect the HE environment have been regularly raised and some discretion has been won for recognising the separate needs of its lecturers. However, many aspects of the annual programme still include areas exclusive to FE and tutors HE development needs can be neglected. There are many similarities between the two divides of the Colleges work and neither should be seen as superior but the differences in the expected work can be seen in the general FE role of interpreting subject matter and modifying curricula as opposed to its origination from a HE lecturer (HEQC, 1993). The fact that the vast majority of UCBC tutors perform the instigator role in their employment illustrates the long overdue need for change. 1.2 The OER route into staff development: via roundabouts not traffic lights The Cascading Social Sciences Open Educational Resources project funded by JISC (Joint Information Systems Committee) and undertaken by C-SAP (the Centre for Sociology, Anthropology and Politics), enabled the case studys authors to work alongside four other partners from five different HEIs into the issues concerning the release and sharing of modular teaching content across four social science subject areas (HEA/JISC, 2011). The project used reflexive research methods and support for this introspection was provided from the community of practice developed by C-SAP. The cascade research resulted in the UCBC partners producing Creativity for Edupunks1 (C4E), a wiki-based resource aimed at HE in FE staff that covers issues related to identifying, locating, releasing and putting OER into curriculum. The resource seeks to sustain the reflexivity inspired by the cascade and in September 2011, following healthy interest from tutors, it was internally accredited as a UCBC staff development programme.

Please see: http://creativity4edupunks.pbworks.com.

The reasons for the tutors desire to engage with OER and to develop OEP (open educational practices) are explored by C4E and these views will be fully considered in section 3 of this case study. The perceived lack of an authentic HE culture in relevant parts of FE institutions is a long-standing problem and the growing influence of managerialist agendas is unlikely to help with its establishment. The power given to these approaches can result with institutions adopting standardised traffic light systems to monitor the alleged value of its diverse and multi-faceted work. These systems result in so-called RAG reports and despite the grubby moniker their findings can be accepted as definitive judgments on an extensive number of issues. The reports classifications of red, amber or green are derived solely from selected statistical data that is deemed capable of measuring complex processes such as the effectiveness of an individual course, student engagement and individual staff development. A verdict of red signifies a problem that can be investigated by further internal systems and despite their lack of context hindering their reliability they are nonetheless an accepted measure of worth. The reports can become so frequent that dashboard management skills can be seen as an essential part of a tutors role. However, their frequent deployment provides little assistance for understanding the quality of an institutions work; particularly when it is required to fulfil some of the accepted purposes of higher education: Universities are meant to be producers not just of knowledge but also of (often inconvenient) doubt. They are creative and unruly places, homes to a polyphony of voices. (Drew Faust, Harvard President, 2009) The implementation of traffic light systems to measure effectiveness is not confined to HE in FE as other parts of the public sector, such as the probation service, are known to conduct them on their employees (House of Commons, 2011, response to Q411). The value of the approach for institutions seeking to foster environments for developing skills of higher learning would seem low due to their complete disregard of explanations and their overly simplistic assessments. Traffic lights can be further questioned by their criminal and disciplinary associations as they have not only led to the creation of numerous offences, but have also been recognised for the implementation of processes such as the introduction of red and yellow cards in the sport of football (Wilson, 2010, p. 110). Their highly frequent use can result in Rag week or Rag mag having a very different meaning for HE in FE; one where visible conformity becomes the rationale as opposed to the display of a universitys innovative and boisterous potential. The popularity of rags ensures they are produced on students and subsequently the monitoring of statistical indicators and alleged warning signs can become a regular form of a lecturers work. The expected dashboard management would also appear to include proficiency in alchemy following repeated instructions to turn reds into greens! A metaphor relating to traffic is appropriate for institutions seeking to deliver effective educational journeys but an alternative system for regulating the flow of its work would be the use of roundabouts. These devices not only avoid stilted experiences but provide more effective ones as their use has been estimated at reducing the numbers of casualties on the roads by almost three-quarters (De Hollander et al., 2007). The roundabout concept also has added cogency thanks to the cycles of use and reuse that are such an important part of OER and the open era. The prospects of accessing new terrain were greeted enthusiastically by UCBC lecturers at two staff development events held at their institution during the cascade research. Their presence and participation was acquired despite the lack of coercion from the customary lights and the use of open methods for acquiring feedback assisted with the recording of these perceptions. The first event included an introduction to the concepts of open and OER (Johnson, 2011), with the second providing a compelling visualisation of the potential benefits for curriculum development from using OER at C-SAPs dissemination event for the cascade (Laurillard, 2011). These expressions of interest were sufficient for UCBC management to accede to the request for C4E to run as an accredited staff development programme from the next academic year. The C4E wiki could be seen as an OER about OER and used in anyway its users see fit , subject to the terms of its attribution non-commercial, share alike, Creative Commons licence. The cascade research highlighted the imposing barrier of lecturers lack of time for engaging with OER and therefore in an attempt to find space, C4E was produced with a staff development focus at the forefront of its design. This emphasis opened up the possibility of acquiring teaching remission for people engaging with the wiki with the maximum amount of remission at UCBC being 33 hours for individual tutors for this form of development. This figure shaped the wiki into 11 distinct sections of at least three hours study into the production of OER and the reflexive questions in each seek to sustain the power of the methodology experienced in the cascade. The community of practice established by this research encouraged the sharing of thoughts and ideas about OER and HE in FE. The cascades methods were therefore responsible for developing new directions and supported the belief that increased reflexivity in research is capable of leading to a dereification of the social world, and an awareness of the ever-present possibility of change. (Young, 2011, p. 3). The cascade revealed how the accessibility of the OER community facilitated collaborative experiences that were previously beyond the reach of many HE in FE tutors. The lack of collegial connection was seen to be overcome through open resources such as webinars where HE in FE tutors from across the country shared experiences regarding the challenges they face. The communicative possibilities from these and other social networking mediums offer all institutions an additional appraisal of their work in the broader academic community. They enable considered discussion of shared

issues such as HE provision being frequently seen as a problem for their overall institution (JISC, 2011). The benefits of open dialogue with a range of partners were a feature of the cascades findings: Thus through participation in the cascade project, the UCBC partners were able to have some of their assumptions challenged, such as the belief that the low level of digital literacy of their students was unique to their institutional context. Therefore, the C-SAP cascade project strove to focus more on the strengths of HE in FE sector, such as an emphasis on teaching and student satisfaction as well as high level of pastoral support for students, and potential synergies with the HE sector rather than view these sectors as diametrically opposite. (HEA/JISC, 2011, pp. 27-28)

The case study

The new era for accredited tutor-led staff development at UCBC began in September 2011 with a cohort of 24 participants on C4E, 19 of which were employed as full-time lecturers. Their employment status had to be recorded due to these tutors receipt of an hour per week teaching remission for engaging with the resource; the interest from other lecturers indicated some of its wider appeal. The numbers may appear small but approximately equated to a fifth of UCBCs full-time tutors and the resources profile was such that its approach soon began to be discussed in new validation documents and annual reports. A list of suggested dates for progressing through the wikis content is posted, but they are not mandatory and are a guide to encourage communication between participants. The resources construction allows users to select their preferred direction and levels of granularity from the eight highlighted features of the OER cycle of use and reuse. The topics each include reflective questions for the participants and the concluding three sections of the resource are spaces for the sharing of experiences of producing and disposing OER. The first topic seeks to assess the view that OER can be seen as the new university thanks to the sheer number of available resources and support from the Creative Commons licensing system. This choice was influenced by the cascade methodology that included attendance at the OER 2011 conference where such a question was presented in the opening keynote (Hall, 2011). The resources second and third sections debate whether OER can transcend financial and licensing justifications to also provide more effective learning experiences. It therefore guides participants towards OER that reflect on radical pedagogy via complete editions of texts such as Ivan Illichs Deschooling Society and Paulo Freires Pedagogy of the Oppressed. The formers use as a discrete course from the peer-to-peer university in 2011 enhanced these reflections; particularly as this educational place is reported to have acquired more than 20,000 students since its establishment in 2009 (P2PU, 2011). The next topic enquires further into the learning experience by considering the possibility of improved methods of assessment from adopting open approaches. The resource then progresses onto reflections concerning the digital abilities and expectations from contemporary students. This section therefore utilises OER that investigate conceptions such as digital natives/immigrants or residents/ visitors (Prensky, 2001; White and Le Cornu, 2011). This is followed by an inquiry into the potential from using open means of communication for shaping learning and participants are guided towards tools such as voicethread and prezi. The penultimate topic considers the use of digital images in contemporary undergraduate teaching before anarchogogy is put forward as an appropriate pedagogical approach for maximising OER potential in HE in FE. The final three sections of the wiki are reserved for the participants production of their own OER and the subsequent deposit into jorum. These parts are communicative spaces to assist with this process and the participants feedback should, among other things, establish whether this is an appropriate allocation of time to enable the participants to become OER producers as well as consumers. 2.1 The edupunk concept The sharing of an article among the cascades community of practice entitled Nevermind the pedagogues, heres edupunk had immediate attraction with the UCBC partners, not merely because of the highly evocative title but also because of its claim to represent: a new instructional style that is defiantly student-centered, resourceful, teacher- or community-created rather than corporatesourced, and underwritten by a progressive political stance. (Cohen, 2008) The term had been used a month earlier in a blog by Jim Groom, an instructional-technology specialist and adjunct professor at the University of Mary Washington. It arose out of a self-confessed rant at the commercial activities from corporations such as Blackboard. The concept was reported by one of the original theorists behind the connectivist

approach to learning, to have totally caught wind, spreading through the blogosphere like wildfire (Downes, 2008). It was though quickly criticised for lacking clarity and for being too closely aligned to the model of punk said to have been conveyed by the Sex Pistols in the 1970s. However, the term has maintained interest and published books now accompany the array of blogs that have detailed on both its death and growing popularity (Kamenetz, 2010 and 2011; Cain, 2008; Churchill, 2011). The proximity between the musical and educational interpretations of punk might be too close for some, but according to Jon Savages Englands Dreaming, a comprehensive review of punk music in the UK in the 1970s, the manner in which it overcome obstacles from the music industry, media, politicians and general public provides a rich source of reflection for potential edupunks: [It] resulted in an underground distribution and production network which turned necessity into a virtue: it was easy and cheap, go and do it. These ideals of access which have been expanded by the internet have become one of Punks enduring legacies. (Savage, 2001, p. xv) The cascade research corresponded with the widespread discontent at the increases in tuition fees and edupunk deliberations appeared a logical inquiry. C4E therefore seeks to guide its users to reflect on open opportunities such as Going to Harvard from your own bedroom (John, 2011) and Is it possible for everybody to be an autodidact, now that knowledge is so accessible online? (Ridley, 2010). The DIY approach to learning is a core feature of edupunk and this enables autodidactic teaching methods that pre-date popular culture by an appreciable length of time to be reconsidered. An example of the benefits of this approach can be found in the 18th-century teaching career of Joseph Jacotot in Jacques Rancires book, The Ignorant Schoolmaster: Five Lessons in Intellectual Emancipation (1981). There it is explained how the approach led to Jacotots students producing more than what was customarily achieved as his students provided sentences of writers not of schoolchildren (p. 4). The realisation that this complete text was freely available as an OER, plus equally provocative works from writers such as Ivan Illich and Paulo Freire encouraged the belief in the possibility of edupunk approaches. The opportunities for such reflection are rare for lecturers working in HE in FE institutions where such resources may not be available and their staff development is limited by their overall FE location. 2.2 Everything starts with an e (learning)? The challenge of competing for space in lecturers crowded worlds, digital or otherwise, dominated the resources planning and the edupunk term with its connotations to popular culture and music was considered to be a useful means of acquiring interest. The importance of localisation for OER enabled the UCBC researchers to consider building on expressions of local popular culture: The north-west of Britain is better known for its urban wastelands and decaying industries than its nightlife, but between 1989 and 1991 the otherwise unremarkable town of Blackburn became the centre of a DiY party movement Barriers between races and classes were broken down, a generation of football hooligans tuned in and chilled out, and the inner-city underclasses broke out of the ghettos and discovered a new world of potential and release. At the vortex of the storm was Blackburn (and in particular the underground party collective Hardcore Uproar).(Hemment, 1998, pp. 209-10) The music at the Blackburn parties demonstrated their OER characteristics as remixing, then known as UK sampledelia was much in evidence (Hemment, 1998, p. 214). The use of technology for repurposing data also enabled widespread building on the work of others to take place (Laurillard, 2011). The process was exemplified by Hardcore Uproars reuse of Obi Wan Kenobis retort to Darth Vader in the original Star Wars film of strike me down and I shall become more powerful than you can possibly imagine. The sample featured prominently in a recording, also called Hardcore Uproar, which in 1990 was in the UKs top 40 music chart for two months reaching a highest position of 12. The tune was subsequently reused by television producers where it became regular accompanying music for BBC sports programmes. A full length film commemorating the Blackburn experiences was released in 2010, but it has been reported that its general distribution has been delayed until clearance, costing 30,000, is acquired for the music rights (http://www.highonhope. com). The film has though been shown at some European venues and critical acclaim followed its display at the Kaunas Film Festival 2011: The first film is a delightful surprise.High On Hope,a first feature from Piers Sanderson, was made on no money, just favours, enthusiasm and sheer invention, developed and augmented from a short made in 2003 about the birth of the Acid House scene in the north of England. Blackburn, of all unlikely places, was the spawning ground. Though perhaps not so unlikely, as the film shows how in reality this music development so often seen as mostly hedonistic was actually highly political in the real sense. In the gloom of Thatchers Britain, the structures (disused mills and factories) that had first been places of hard labour for the working classes, then decaying blights on their landscapes, were reclaimed as places of uncommercial joy and self-expression. (Seacroft, 2011)

The proximity between OER and popular music and culture is further enhanced by the use of terminology such as mash up (Pegler, 2011) and the striking notion of Teacher as DJ (Wiley 2005). The examples from punk and acid house music illustrate what can be achieved from DIY approaches as both genres encouraged independent action and the breaking down of barriers. The cascade methodology enabled a belief in the potential for similar powers of invention for OER in HE in FE and its adoption of OEP (open educational practices) as reported by the OER Impact Study (Masterman and Wild, 2011) 2.3 The importance of E as well as O in OER The above statement was made in the summary of the Impact Studys findings that stated educational value to be a greater influence on use than even accessibility (White and Manton, 2011, p. 8). C4E seeks to assist with both facets of openness and as well as hosting pedagogical debate it can be used as a signposting service towards trusted OER. These additional resources should be welcomed at HE in FE institutions where the issue has been identified by the National Student Survey as the main difference in satisfaction rates between students in the different parts of the sector (NUS Connect, 2009). The reported impact of OER would suggest clear benefits to HE in FE institutions from having openly engaged staff as, The resources that their home institution owns or subscribes to no longer have to be the primary source of information for staff or students (White and Manton, 2011, p. 4). A lack of resources had a major influence on the pedagogical approach of C4E as a lack of subscription to Blackboard and other corporate behemoths limited the resonance of the edupunk catalyst. This exclusion forced alternative thinking and the empowerment from the cascades reflection plus the recognition of technologys ability to forge communities of practice, defined as a self-governed learning partnership (Wenger, 2011) enabled the creation of an approach that is more relevant to HE in FE institutions. 2.4 Anarchogogy in the UK? The first part of the term anarchogogy (that of anarcho) is extracted from and has obvious associations with the political theory of anarchism, this being a derivative of the Greek notion of anarchos, which means without rulers. The second aspect of the neologism agogy, also has its origin in Greek and is associated with the term agogos, meaning to lead as in pedagogy (to lead the child). Anarchogogy was thus coined as leading or guiding without ruling to represent an alternative approach to cascading and utilising OER and, as an approach and ethos, is geared towards reconfiguring the traditional lecturer-student hierarchy into relationships that inspire the open discovery of knowledge in preference to rigid application of predetermined boundaries. A full explanation of the concept is beyond the scope of this case study and will hopefully be published elsewhere and it is testament to the impact of OER that such opportunities now exist. The feedback from holding focus groups with UCBC students during the cascade research suggested that establishing edupunk approaches would not necessarily produce what was being sought. The two groups each consisted of ten students from across the social sciences and they were invited to undertake edupunk-influenced activity to engage with various OER repositories. The take-up of these opportunities was low and there was very little, if any, independent engagement with the OER sources and their associated materials. The students clearly expressed a need to understand a context and rationale for incorporating any such materials or activities into their existing programmes. There was a particular emphasis on their perceived value to assessment and both groups confirmed this to be the integral part of their decision as to whether OER might enhance their learning, collaboration and research experience. The impact of OER at UCBC can therefore been seen in the creation of C4E and its accredited staff development status that has signified the feasibility of doing things differently. This new direction has been supported by UCBC that has granted over 600 hours of remission for the use of the resource and these outputs have resulted in a range of additional outcomes for the participants. A significant number of both measures took place in February 2012 when thanks to the funding for this case study, UCBC staff were able to hire a local conference venue to hold an edupunk away day. This kind of event is customarily undertaken by management representatives and it therefore broke new ground by being a tutor-led event attended by 19 delegates, 15 of them being participants on C4E. The hours put in by the lecturers at the event equated to almost a fifth of their remitted time and what was learnt that day has strengthened perceptions of the desirability for DIY staff development in HE in FE.

Learning from OER

The high levels of productivity from the away day plus an earlier face-to-face group meeting of participants in December 2011 demonstrated the effectiveness of these types of meetings. The C4E creators also held several one-to-one meetings with each participant to confirm the desires for a blended experience instead of one delivered exclusively online. The majority of the reflections below were attained at the away day via different forms of OEP and revealed the feasibility of the events format. C4E collaborators who participated in the away day case study were asked to discuss and produce qualitative feedback on an array of open questions. These questions ranged from exploring why they initially chose to study on the C4E programme, and, how their experience and contributions to the C4E staff development programme has developed so far. The questions and discussions then moved on to address suggestions, constructive feedback and reflective evaluation on how the programme might be improved for future collaborators. 3.1 Learning from OER/C4E: cascading our work to others In order to get existing C4E participants together to discuss these questions, an off-campus away day was arranged so that the C4E collaborators could engage fully and, free from distractions in reflection and constructive discussion. In order to record the diversity of thoughts, experiences and suggestions, from the 19 participants, they were invited to share a C4E folder on the open resource Dropbox. Each person had a named folder (and within this, a Word document prepopulated with the questions for the day). Colleagues then typed up, edited and added to their responses throughout the day with online contributions received from people unable to attend. Initial participant feedback focused on why they chose to engage with the C4E staff development. We felt that this would be a useful starting point for providing information to others interested in making use of our insights; the activity prompted the following array of responses. Respondent 1 stated that: when I first started to teach I was shocked to see how little colleagues shared resources on the team and always felt this was a really inefficient way of working. I hoped C4E would allow me to learn from peers and pass on my own experience so that we could start to work more efficiently. I really liked the idea of lecturers coming together to share ideas, resources and experience with the overall aim of improving teaching. Respondent 2 pointed out that their initial interest was in exploring how to share, teaching and learning both in lessons (with students) and with peers from my own and other institutions if possible. Respondent 3 noted that they wanted to look towards developing: online courses for Textiles and resources, and to use Open Resources for recruitment with FE providers. I was also interested in looking at how learners use technology generally as well as OERs, and the way that other open resources are structured. Respondent 4 adopted a much more pragmatic stance, and stated that C4E offered: a much more meaningful way of engaging in scholarly activity and offered something which I could share with my level 6 students studying the Electronic Literacy module. It was also a means of finding out about new resources for teaching and learning which could not only feed into my teaching, but enable me to discuss such resources with students who are considering new forms of learning aids, new ways of learning and visual literacy, and the impact of technology on cognition. Respondent 5 offered a summary that neatly covered many of the generic areas and suggestions proposed by most, if not all, of the case study participants and noted that: I was very encouraged by the possibilities of the use of open access materials to support and inform my own, and others teaching. Additionally, to develop an understanding of the use of open resources and hopefully to enable my own development of resources for use to inform and enhance opportunities for my own students and, hopefully, the wider educational community. 3.2 Learning from OER/C4E: how might we have done/do things differently? Moving on from the area of initial engagement, questioning and discussion then moved on to explore, and, briefly document the ways in which C4E collaborators have so far actually used the C4E wiki-space/programme and its associated links and resources. We felt that this would be an effective way to begin to understand ways in which we might approach the implementation and delivery of C4E in future rotations. One participant pointed out with a common similarity to other contributors that, I have not, through time constraints, engaged as fully as I would have liked with the C4E programme (Respondent 6). Whereas Respondent 11 pointed out that:

I have spent a lot of time reading and exploring what is available via the various resources about Creative Commons licencing. I was surprised at the amount of resources available. I have also been accessing the discussion information on the C4E website in order to learn how other members of group are finding and engaging with this development. Respondent 1 stated that they had only, so far, utilised the resources to a limited extent by viewing some open sources and formulating some initial thoughts as to the nature of the materials I would hope to develop. This view was not shared by Respondent 12 who has: found some really good resources already educational tools about analysing the use and purpose of the image; also debate on Educational theory and philosophy that underpins the project is encouraging me to undertake further research. Respondent 4 indicated their approach to the concept of reuse for OER: I have looked at the links and resources and have watched some of the videos. I have also repurposed some of the links to use in my own teaching and for my own learning on my photography course. Respondent 2 continued the discussion of the attractions of OER by stating: despite the limited time available as a HE in FE lecturer, C4E has encouraged me to try new techniques by introducing new possibilities. It provides a means of sharing ideas and experience for the benefit of all. Following on from this, Respondent 14 noted that C4E has provided a valuable discursive experience on new information through open online sharing. There are no barriers to engagement. The theme was continued by Respondent 5: C4E has fostered and engendered my enthusiasm to develop new methods and approaches to my traditional subject area [Law]. The enthusiasm and interest of colleagues for the use of open resources and the cross pollination of ideas and experience within the group demonstrates its viability. Respondent 12 also commented on the use of the wiki format: I have found it useful and easy to navigate. Ive linked to some helpful discussion and resources. Its enabled me to gain understanding of the research interests of my colleagues and, its lead to cross-disciplinary collaboration and discussion with them. Regarding the OER aspirations of the staff involved in the C4E programme and what they ultimately aim to produce as a result of (and, by the end of) the programme respondents provided an impressive array of potential and embryonic ideas. The following selections of bullet pointed summaries provide a useful overview of these reflections: I plan to develop specific forums so that students can upload photos, media clips and make comments to instigate discussion (Respondent 12); I have developed a basic PowerPoint which needs further work. Im hoping to use this next academic year for future students (Respondent 5); Mahara has been developed and embedded into Moodle. Notes and guidance will be prepared to enable utilisation of mahara for the management of wbl, pdp and research modules (Respondent 14); My intention is, initially, to develop a short series of revision podcasts for my Property Law students (Respondent 4); I aim to work on the use of Creative Commons licences in terms of my own website and practice. I aim to look more broadly at the benefit from Open Resources Prison education specifically for textiles (Respondent 3); Would like to create a wiki page for contribution from multiple editors for research activities (Respondent 5); I aim to develop my expertise in C4E and utilise this facility throughout the teaching and learning on the HE provision that I manage. I plan to develop my own Open Educational Resource in terms of utilising drop box which will contain open educational resources. I plan to create a drop box resource accessible to staff when taking part in virtual staff development (Respondent 17); I aim to create a resource with Voicethread where myself and a colleague we discuss a text from a language and literature perspective. Through this we can demonstrate to students the links between our two disciplines and how they may be complementary, whilst using slightly different terminology (Respondent 15).

3.3 Learning from OER/C4E: advice and support for taking things forward Participants were then asked to provide reflective feedback on how effectively they feel that C4E is operating as a piece of staff development within the HE in FE context. This was felt to be a useful vehicle to provide advice (and therefore also produce a possible source of support) for future collaborators, practitioners or indeed managers planning for provision. Respondent 13 noted an important and commonly occurring point: Mandatory training is often the focus of staff development in the HE in FE sector. I appreciate that these are needed but this is driven by the institutional need to fulfil its criteria and targets. More work and space on material that covers creative practice and the impact of this on teaching and eliciting this in our students is needed to fully appreciate the diverse needs of our students. Linking in to this, it was also pointed out that: Although alternative types of staff development sessions are sometimes provided they may not be specific or appropriate to HE teaching. Although staff are sometimes given the opportunity to pursue more specialised training such as C4E and higher qualifications, insufficient time is allowed to really engage with these studies. (Respondent 11) Moving on to issues and comments more specific to the C4E programme itself, Respondent 12 noted that: I have attempted to edit my personal C4E page in order to write about discussions that I have had with my colleague about collaborating on an OER; however, I accidentally deleted the post and resultantly gave up! I will return to this when I have more time. Respondent 1 referred to an external issue that can also impinge on the successful engagement with C4E: I think I have found it difficult in some areas, as there seems to be a resistance within the law area for people to share their interests and materials. Im hoping to make a change in this area. Respondent 14 also considered that a change to open has significant barriers: some of the most beneficial aspects of C4E have impacted on key areas such as assessment. However, the need to comply with existing systems and perceptions of how things must be done, combined with the lack of time for genuine reflection and planning makes it virtually impossible to implement many of the strategies. Respondent 3 summarised issues the resource may have to deal with in the future as despite it being: a really liberating approach to Staff Development I found it difficult to get started I didnt feel as obviously connected with others in the group; and I struggled with the distinct lack of rules (sorry, not very punk!); I certainly benefitted from the initial faceto-face contact to establish a framework. Respondent 6 continued this thinking by expressing that they initially experienced, Techno fear both in relation to the student audience and the use of new technology, and not least of which from other members of the staff team. This issue could possibly be addressed if the views of Respondent 11 are taken on board as how C4E could be enhanced: Hands on, practical sessions that explore technology in action for me I learn best through applying these skills in practice. Accessing information via the Internet and then having to decipher and practice tasks often means that I forget the process. Finally, Respondent 7 suggested that we could benefit from More away days! This away day allowed me to get away from the normal pressures of work and purely focus on C4E without any distractions. Finding the time to do these more regularly should be factored-in. Similarly, Respondent 8 proposed that, we need more events like this case-study event today, to show the different ways to engage in OER and integrating this into tutors teaching and learning practices.

Conclusions
The cloisters of HE in FE may feel a contradictory term but an original meaning of enclosure or protected space does have some relevance considering the sectors exclusion from the general view and its continued support from politicians. It is far from unique in relying on closed working practices to perform its functions, but this case study has sought to demonstrate how engagement with the OER era can lead to a variety of change. The transformation in aspects of the lecturers manner of work and their attitudes towards teaching and learning has resulted in unprecedented events for UCBC staff development. An unpopular part of the contracted role has been converted into a space where individuals freely share their experiences of involvement in OER practice. The liberating sense of free knowledge has resulted in distinctive changes for the C4E participants who believed they attained deeper levels of pedagogical reflection as a result of their open experiences. The direct change in staff development practices has been one of the clearest signs of what promoting openness has achieved for staff at UCBC. The decision to accredit C4E provided a small amount of space for tutors and by successfully challenging the existing hierarchy they were empowered into producing their own development as opposed to passively consuming the generic and sometimes irrelevant, system provided by the institution. The edupunk term made an immediate impression and proved capable of attracting interest from busy tutors who utilised the opened-up space for considering how the new era might benefit their part of the sector. The support provided by the institution enabled its staff to collectively participate in reflexive research and to record their work in original and reusable ways. It is hoped that this evidence will encourage further support in the future. In highlighting the proximity of OER to popular culture the C4E staff development programme has inspired engagement with the open era and its virtually limitless opportunities for creativity and diversity. The institutions acceptance of tutorled staff development resulted in the recording of meaningful experiences for the participants supported by memorable events such as the away day and the cascades dissemination. Neither of these events generally occurs in HE in FE and they have bestowed C4E with credibility for sustaining its use as an effective means for enhancing relationships between staff and OER. A review of the resources progress will be conducted at the end of its first year and the participants views will be an integral part of its future planning. The interim evidence suggests the review will contain positive feedback but a critical assessment will be made of both its form and content. The review will produce its own OER and therefore open to anyone interested in alternative pedagogies or monitoring the alleged value of its work. OER practice has also enabled collaborative experiences that were previously way beyond the reach of most staff. The freedom and accessibility inherent in the open era has offered tutors forms of scholarly activity that until recently were practically inconceivable for HE in FE. The inclusive nature of OER has been seen to lead to stronger beliefs in the viability of communities of practice for otherwise isolated individuals; thereby providing the opportunity to take part in a self-governed learning partnership (Wenger, 2011). The use of guiding without leaders has been felt to be the most effective approach for maximising the potential from this newly acquired freedom and it will form the basis of future research from its cascade on UCBC students. Two further changes to a lecturers work have also been derived from open practice and both increased the flexibility of staff development responsibilities. UCBC tutors are required to annually take part in a peer observation system where pairs of lecturers from different disciplines observe each others teaching and engage in dialogue. The system is a result of a College-wide policy, but some recognition has been made of higher educations separate identity as it has been granted an alternative to the generic system based on the OFSTED method of grading. However, the practicalities of finding mutually convenient times can be difficult particularly if either tutor predominantly teaches at night or weekends. The productive nature of OER practice encouraged the C4E participants to request the inclusion of online observations in this process and the subsequent assent has now opened up numerous ways of fulfilling this requirement. The use of technological equivalents have also become accepted in other aspects of the mandatory staff development programme. The annual session on Safeguarding children and vulnerable individuals has to be undertaken by all employees of the College and perceived non-compliance will be highlighted by the relevant rag . Following several requests from staff for more flexible options, an online version was provided in 2011-12 by the organisation Marshall ACM. While the choice made attendance considerably easier, the recurring theme of confused identity was apparent from the outset, as twice in the opening minutes the resource stated it was a course for people teaching in FE colleges. C4E has not suffered from such characteristics and has instead used openness to unlock individual desires and develop deeper learning from their use and reuse of OER. It subsequently offers an open invitation to all interested parties to switch on the spotlight of open and see behind the closed doors of HE in FE.

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