OERu/Planning/Process for selecting 2nd installment of prototype courses

Considerations

 * The process for nominating and selecting the prototype courses will be guided by the principles of self-organisation. Self-organisation is a process where the structure or pattern emerges in the system without a central authority or external element imposing it through planning. Self-organisation will enable the interaction of local elements that make up the OERTen system. Consequently the organisation of the initiative is achieved in a way that is parallel (all the elements act at the same time) and distributed (no element is a central coordinator) . It is the tacit knowledge of individuals and organisations which "know" what will work in their context. A transparent process provides the OERu network with the capacity to self-organise.
 * Nothing precludes an anchor partner continuing development of their intended course contributions in parallel with these prototypes. However, the benefits for individual anchor partners are likely to increase in proportion to the areas of overlap and agreement within the network. For example, course selections which maximize credit-transfer in the network will increase the incentives and rewards for sharing the systemic costs and benefits associated with the assembly of courses because this reduces the need for local recontextualisation of a shared OERu course.
 * Designing for reuse using collaborative approaches provides the greatest opportunity for the network to overcome the reusability paradox.
 * We accept that the OERu network will need to discuss, propose and implement processes for ensuring learning pathways for OERu learners and more robust curriculum planning approaches when nominating courses for our network. However, with only 8 prototype courses under development it would appear premature to implement a constraining curriculum planning model at this time.

Qualifying criteria
Nominations which do not meet the following criteria will not be considered in the consensus poll (with the understanding the OERu partners are free to develop OERu courses in parallel with the prototypes):


 * Course design and development must be completed by 31 October 2013 so that the OERu 2013.11 meeting can review the lessons learned from the prototype phase of our collaboration.
 * The course must be accredited towards a credential at a minimum of one anchor partner, usually the contributing partner.
 * The course must not require the purchase of any textbooks or other materials that are not freely available and accessible.

Guiding considerations

 * The OERu 2011.11 meeting recommended that partners prioritise first-year level courses during the formative phases of the OERu network, but higher level and post-graduate courses will be considered.
 * Level of cross-credit potential in the network
 * Prototype nominations which could be delivered to students before the 2013.11 OERu anchor partner meeting. Experience from delivering course to OERu learners would generate more valuable information for our prototype phase.
 * Achieving an acceptable "range" within the collection of prototype courses, for example:
 * courses with potential for large enrollments worldwide but also illustrate opportunities for Long Tail Economics whereby the OERu collaboration achieves cost-effective solutions for low enrollment courses.
 * nominations which illustrate a range of viable delivery approaches without imposing any pedagogical approach.
 * Courses which are likely to generate broad interest in a variety of contexts

The process and timeline

 * 1) Submit your candidates for course nominations for the 2nd installment of prototype courses using the form below by the close of business on 28 October 2012.
 * 2) Using the criteria for prototype candidates above, we will conduct an open poll based on a rough consensus model to determine the "sense of the group" by 15 November 2012.
 * 3) Final discussion and decision on the 2nd installment of prototype courses drawing on the rough consensus poll by 30 November 2012.