Process for OER Search Requests

From openmichigan

Open Content Identification Services: 

This activity can help to significantly reduce the time required to develop new programs or courses or to update existing ones. We will conduct targeted searches across several OER search engines and repositories. As part of this service, we will also post requests to a public, online space for academics to solicit relevant OER. Through the online facility, anyone worldwide may create or respond to a request.Network members can also assist us by directing us to relevant, good quality OER that we can add to our growing database of resources. In responses, we provide details about where and how we searched for relevant open content so that individuals can build their own search skills for locating OER. 

Inventory of OER Requests:

• African Health OER Network: http://openmi.ch/request-health-OER
• Excellence in Higher Education for Liberian Development: OER for Engineering and Agriculture - EHELD  http://openmi.ch/oer-search-request-eheld
• Other: http://openmi.ch/oer-request-francis-uganda

Process for responding to OER Search Requests

1. Submit request through through an online form (if health: http://openmi.ch/request-health-OER, if engineering: http://openmi.ch/oer-search-request-eheld) or email to the Open.Michigan team

2. Send an email to the submitter acknowledging that the request has been received and give an estimated response time (normally 2 - 4 weeks)

3. Create a Google Spreadsheet to aggregrate results and to divide search responsibilities (e.g. http://openmi.ch/health-oer-request54-results, http://openmi.ch/L3RUkx, http://openmi.ch/oer-request-MUSPH). The document should be publicly viewable/commentable and editable by open.michigan@umich.edu and openmichigan.video@gmail.com.   

4. Decide which open content websites to search from http://openmi.ch/-ContentSearch. For health, some of our commonly used websites include:

• http://openmi.ch/request-health-OER (look at previous requests; sometimes there's overlap. There is especially will be for public health. I think we had an earlier request for health economics).
• http://open.umich.edu/education/
• http://www.oercommons.org/ (filter by audience-level and by license)
• http://www.merlot.org/merlot/advSearchMaterials.htm (Search Creative Commons only)
• http://ocwconsortium.org/courses
• http://oer.avu.org/
• http://www.open.edu/openlearn/
• http://www.open.ac.uk/africa/heat/heat-resources
• http://unow.nottingham.ac.uk
• http://www.mededportal.org

5. Notify information services colleagues of request to see if available to provide support by search deadline. (general: publishing assistants for Open.Michigan;for health: South African Institute for Distance Education, Taubman Health Sciences Library, OER Commons; for engineering: UMich Engineering Library). Decide who will search which websites.

6. Update GoogleDoc with search results, For each resource we include: Title, Type, (e.g. course, video, book), Search Engine Used, Authoring Institution, Year, License/Terms of Use (should be Creative Commons that allows derivatives or public domain), Link

7. Using the openmichigan Bit.ly account, create a short URL for the request and the results in the Google Spreadsheet (http://openmi.ch/health-oer-request54, http://openmi.ch/health-oer-request54-results)

8. If health, post a link to the Google Doc as a comment on the page for the original request at http://openmi.ch/request-health-OER

9. Send an email to the submitter with the search results
10. Send out tweet from Open.Michigan account with link to results and ask others for additional suggestions
11. If health, include the request in quarterly African Health OER Network newsletter (http://openmi.ch/healthoernetwork-newsletter) to see if we can additional responses that way.

12. Varies, based on time and audience:

• After the search process has been completed and the Google Doc is updated with the search results from collaborators, create a new H2O playlist with the search results (login with Open.Michigan account to http://h2obeta.law.harvard.edu/749536)
• If it's a request from a visiting scholar or one of our partner institutions, then download and consolidate the resources into a Box.com folder and also put them on USB drive or DVD for bulk download and offline access. Include the printable version of the H2O playlist as the table of contents.
  
• Login to OpenTapestry.com with the openmichigan account. Create a new tapestry with the same name as the H2O Playlist. Click the Harvest button to add the RSS feed for the H2O playlist.
  
• Post the H2O playlist, OpenTapestry link, and, if applicable, Box.com link for the request to the relevant search results page