About project

OPEN EDUCATION IN MOLDOVA: HERE AND NOW (phase II)

The rapid development of ICT offers constantly new opportunities and new challenges for all spheres of human activity. Education is no exception, the integration of ICT in this area being a global challenge. However, the issue of access is on the agenda and is closely linked to the financial coverage. There are numerous examples which reveal that new technologies contribute, through their high costs, the increasing gap between rich and poor, between rural and urban, between the centre and peripheries, etc. One of the answers to the most recent and most promising to issue is education, including access to open educational resources (OER), which provides for equal access to education and resources, digital skills for teachers and students, as well as transparency and integrity in schools. The concept of open educational resources is one of the results of the natural evolution of the interaction between the two branches-education and ICT. According to the definition proposed by UNESCO in 2002, OER are educational resources that can be used and reused freely, without restrictions, legal and technological costs, by anyone. Their use in the performance of public programs is one of the basic principles of good governance: what is produced on public money should be available to the public free of charge.

The current reform in Moldovan educational system, including with international support, emphasizes the relevance of digital competences and ICT in the field (the National Strategy “Education 2020”, Objective 5: To increase the efficiency of the education system, expansion and diversification of educational services by developing opportunities, provided by information and communications technology). In Moldova, the activity of producing RED is in its early stages, but there are significant opportunities for the future.

Project beneficiaries: students, teachers, schools, parents, students, political actors, public institutions, NGOs etc.

The goal of the project is to promote an adequate understanding of the rationale and processes of OER policy development through awareness raising, advocacy, resource development for the promotion of access and quality education for all by enhancing capacity building of educators to effectively and fully harness the potential of OER to expand access to lifelong learning opportunities and achieve quality education.

The specific objectives of the project are:

To continue introducing the OER concept on the public agenda;
To continue an advocacy campaign for fostering changes in policy documents which are important for incorporating OER in policies.
To strengthen the capacity of teachers in providing access to quality education for all through sharing OER in a transparent and efficient way.

The main activities and expected results:

Organizing the teachers’ trainings program on OER
Developing a brochure to Open Educational Resources
Awareness raising activities at the national level
Launching a contest of the best open educational resources
Organization of round tables and systematic meetings to promote the OER etc.

Impact (and sustainability) of the project: Education reform is a national priority reflected in several policy documents of the Republic of Moldova, including Moldova 2020 Strategy. This project is in line with educational reforms, addressing the concept OER determining better access to open education. The expected impact is the development and production use OER practices in Moldova, in order to include OER in existing and future educational policies.

Project coordinator: Cristina BUJAC

OPEN EDUCATION IN MOLDOVA: HERE AND NOW

The rapid development of ICT offers constantly new opportunities and new challenges for all spheres of human activity. Education is no exception, the integration of ICT in this area being a global challenge. However, the issue of access is on the agenda and is closely linked to the financial coverage. There are numerous examples which reveal that new technologies contribute, through their high costs, the increasing gap between rich and poor, between rural and urban, between the centre and peripheries, etc. One of the answers to the most recent and most promising to issue is education, including access to open educational resources (OER), which provides for equal access to education and resources, digital skills for teachers and students, as well as transparency and integrity in schools. The concept of open educational resources is one of the results of the natural evolution of the interaction between the two branches-education and ICT. According to the definition proposed by UNESCO in 2002, OER are educational resources that can be used and reused freely, without restrictions, legal and technological costs, by anyone. Their use in the performance of public programs is one of the basic principles of good governance: what is produced on public money should be available to the public free of charge.

In Moldova, the activity of producing RED is in its early stages, but there are significant opportunities for the future. In this context, Educational Centre PRO DIDACTICA, with the financial support of the Foundation Open Society Institute, in cooperation with the Education program of the Open Society Foundations, launches in Moldova the Open Education Project: Here and Now, implemented in the period November 2015 – July 2016.

The goal of the project is to promote 1) public access to publicly funding educational materials and 2) the concept of open educational resources through awareness raising, advocacy, coalition building, resource development which can result in providing more access to quality education for all.

The specific objectives of the project are:

To introduce the OER concept on the public agenda;
To facilitate the creation of an available OER coalition in Moldova;
To initiate an advocacy campaign for fostering changes in policy documents that are important for incorporating OER in policies.

The main activities and expected results:

Development of OER databases and their launch, including on-line
Creation of OER functional coalition in Moldova
Identification of interested parties (stakeholders) in promoting and implementing of the OER
Launching a contest of the best open educational resources
Organization of round tables and systematic meetings to promote the OER

Project beneficiaries: students, teachers, schools, parents, students, political actors, public institutions, NGOs etc.

Project coordinator: Valeriu GORINCIOI