Chang School at Ryerson University becomes OERu’s first university partner from Ontario, Canada
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The G. Raymond Chang School of Continuing Education at Ryerson University has joined OERu becoming the first teaching institution from Ontario, Canada to join the international network of partner institutes collaborating to provide more affordable education using open educational resources (OER).
The Chang School of Continuing Education is Canada‘s foremost provider of university-based adult education supporting over 70,000 enrolments through a combination of online and in-class learning.
“Ryerson University has been inspired by the concept of Open Education for decades. Joining OERu is a critical component of our responsibility to make education accessible to everyone.“
~Dr. Marie Bountrogianni, Dean of The Chang School
Increased capacity for OER creation and adoption has become a key priority for Ontario, with the province providing successive rounds of funding in support of OER production and reuse administered by eCampusOntario, who is also a partner of the OERu network. Ryerson University has participated in a number of these funded projects.
“The OERu is delighted to have a leading educational innovator from Ontario joining our international innovation partnership,” said Dr. Wayne Mackintosh, Director of the OER Foundation and UNESCO-ICDE Chair in OER. “This partnership creates tremendous potential for expanding micro-credentialing opportunities in adult education through the OERu.”
“We are very pleased and excited to see The Chang School of Continuing Education at Ryerson University join the OERu network. The Chang School’s ideas about online learning, game-based learning and adaptive learning are always on the leading edge. We expect the Chang School will add an extra measure of creativity and innovation to the OERu network,” said Dr. David Porter, CEO of eCampusOntario.
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| 2017 OERu partner's meeting |
Representatives from Europe, the Middle East, North America, and Oceania recently met at The Chang School and ICDE World Conference on Online Learning in Toronto for the annual series of OERu international meetings. The OERu partners finalised plans for launching a 1st year of study early in the new year based entirely on open online courses in which learners can participate for free. OERu partners provide affordable assessment services leading to exit qualifications in business studies and arts.
The OERu charitable network is well positioned to turn the vision of affordable higher education into reality for learners around the world who cannot afford conventional university education.