Flexible Delivery of English &
Mathematics with OpenLearn: Impact of
Bringing Learning to Life and Flexible
Essential Skills (UK)
Open Education Global 2019
Milan, Italy
#oeglobal19
Dr. Robert Farrow
Open Education Research Hub
Institute of Educational Technology
The Open University, UK

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01 Introductions
About me, our team and the work we do
02 OER in the UK
Open education “across the pond”
03 Bringing Learning to Life / Flexible Essential Skills
Two new projects using the OpenLearn platform
04 Agile Evaluation
How evaluation of the project was carried out
05 Key Findings
Main outcomes from the evaluation
06 Where to find the report
Including links to more resources
STRUCTURE

Introductions
About me, our team and the work we do

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http://oerhub.net/

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SUMMARY
WP7: QUALITY
• What is WP7? Aims, activities and deliverables
• D7.1 Quality Management System
• Proposed Next Steps

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• Building capacity in the OER research domain
• Conducting research into open education and OER
• Producing resources for the open education research community
• Acting as champions for open practices in research and scholarship

2012
• OER Research Hub:
Collaboration across
School/K12; College;
Higher Education & Non-
formal learning
• OER Research Hub
fellowship programme
2013
• OER Research Hub: Collaboration across
School/K12; College; Higher Education &
Non-formal learning
• OER Research Hub fellowship
programme
• Bridge to Success
2014
• OER Impact Map
• Evidence report published
• ACE Award for Research
Excellence
• BC Campus Open Textbooks
• P2PU Open Research
• Opening Educational Practice
in Scotland
2015
• Open Education Research Hub
• ExplOERer (Erasmus+)
• OER World Map (II)
• Data report published
• Survey data explorer
• OU Engaging Research award
2016
• Global OER Graduate
Network
• OER World Map (III)
• Open Research Agenda
• Open Research textbook
• Researcher Toolkit
• Twitter 101
• OER Wales Cymru
2017
• OER World Map (IV)
• BizMOOC
• Models for Open, Online, Flexible
& Technology Enhanced (OOFAT)
2018
•OE Global Award for Research Excellence (GO-GN)
•OE Global Award for Open Innovation (OER WM)
•UK Open Textbooks
•GO-GN Diversity Grant
2019
•TIDE Myanmar
•Bringing Learning to Life (England)
•Flexible Essential Skills (Wales)
•European MOOC Consortium
Detail up to 2017: https://www.slideshare.net/OER_Hub/oer-hub-an-overview

OER in the UK
What’s happening ‘across The Channel’?

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DATA SNAPSHOT FROM THE OER WORLD MAP
OER IN THE UK

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THE JISC OER PROGRAMME
OER IN THE UK
The JISC OER Programme was run in conjunction with the Higher Education Academy
to promote free sharing and re-use of high-quality learning resources. It built on
earlier work on digital resources dating back to 2002.
Three phases between 2009 and 2012:
1. Pilot Phase (2009-2010) sought to identify approaches to OER, barriers and enablers,
business cases, legal and technical issues, pedagogies and divisions of labour
(http://bit.ly/UKOER-pilot-phase-synthesis)
2. Programme Phase (2010-2011) focused on the impact and sustainability of specific
projects and interventions, use of repositories, emergent challenges and issues
3. Programme Phase (2011-2012) investigated the use of OER approaches to work
towards particular strategic, policy and societal goals including sector specific
challenges (http://bit.ly/UKOER3SynthesisReport)
With changes in the funding available for OER at a national level there have been no
national initiatives.
SINCE 2013

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THE JISC OER PROGRAMME
OER IN THE UK

2012
• OER Research Hub:
Collaboration across
School/K12; College;
Higher Education & Non-
formal learning
• OER Research Hub
fellowship programme
2013
• OER Research Hub: Collaboration across
School/K12; College; Higher Education &
Non-formal learning
• OER Research Hub fellowship
programme
• Bridge to Success
2014
• OER Impact Map
• Evidence report published
• ACE Award for Research
Excellence
• BC Campus Open Textbooks
• P2PU Open Research
• Opening Educational Practice
in Scotland
2015
• Open Education Research Hub
• ExplOERer (Erasmus+)
• OER World Map (II)
• Data report published
• Survey data explorer
• OU Engaging Research award
2016
• Global OER Graduate
Network
• OER World Map (III)
• Open Research Agenda
• Open Research textbook
• Researcher Toolkit
• Twitter 101
• OER Wales Cymru
2017
• OER World Map (IV)
• BizMOOC
• Models for Open, Online, Flexible
& Technology Enhanced (OOFAT)
2018
•OE Global Award for Research Excellence (GO-GN)
•OE Global Award for Open Innovation (OER WM)
•UK Open Textbooks
•GO-GN Diversity Grant
2019
•TIDE Myanmar
•Bringing Learning to Life (England)
•Flexible Essential Skills (Wales)
•European MOOC Consortium
Detail up to 2017: https://www.slideshare.net/OER_Hub/oer-hub-an-overview

Bringing Learning to Life
A new project reflecting renewed interest in OER

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PROJECT PARTNERS
BRINGING LEARNING TO LIFE
PROJECT FUNDERS

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• 60 million visitors since 2006
• 7.8 million visitors annually
• ‘Advancement and dissemination of learning and knowledge… to promote the
general wellbeing of the community’
• 5% of every OU course made available through OpenLearn, and can count towards
degree
• OpenLearn users 5-10% more likely to complete their subsequent module
• 21% of learners do not have English as first language
• 25% of learners declare a disability
• 12,042 digital badges awarded since their introduction in 2015
• Includes range of courses developed with workplace organizations

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PROJECT GOALS
BRINGING LEARNING TO LIFE
Closing employability loop by upskilling adults in work and those returning to employment
Special focus on those lacking basic skills in maths and English
Special focus on learners with accessibility needs (more common among unemployed)
Offering high flexibility in the ways that learners can access the materials to fit around
other needs:
• Synchronous/asynchronous
• Face-to-face; blended; online only
Supporting two learner profiles:
• Non-formal online learners who do not take a formal exam but can earn a ‘soft’
certification and badge
• Formal learners registered at one of the colleges who take the related formal
examination through the college
Extensive Information, Awareness and Guidance (IAG) element developed with college
partners

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ON OPENLEARN
EVERYDAY SKILLS

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ON OPENLEARN
EVERYDAY SKILLS

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ON OPENLEARN
EVERYDAY SKILLS

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ON OPENLEARN
EVERYDAY SKILLS

Agile Evaluation
Evaluating a course which is still being implemented

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EVALUTION GOALS
EVALUATION GOALS
The goals of the evaluation study were to:
• Establish baseline data about learners in Bringing Learning to Life
• Describe levels of confidence and key challenges
• Identify opportunities for flexible, open and online delivery of foundational courses
• Develop an understanding of how learners and educators understand the issues
• Compare between further education college and non-formal flexible learning contexts
Survey 1 (Staff & Learners)
• Collecting baseline data about learners
• Understanding challenges from learner/staff perspectives
Analytics, Use and Completion Patterns
• Access and use patterns for English and Maths
Survey 2 (Learners)
• Intended to act as a post-intervention impact measure
• Impact statements from colleges (Staff)
BRINGING LEARNING TO LIFE
EVALUTION PLAN

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CONSTRAINTS
EVALUATION GOALSBRINGING LEARNING TO LIFE
1. Unmatched samples: while Surveys 1 & 2 were originally planned with the intention
to facilitate comparing a consistent cohort of learners before and after their
experience of Everyday Skills, very few people responded to both Surveys. This
means that it is hard to draw any conclusions by comparing data from before and
after the intervention (as is typical educational evaluation).
2. Self-selection: participants were under no obligation to take part and the sample
was not adjusted. Survey 2 is unlikely to have included any data from learners
without an internet connection (approximately 10% according to Survey 1).
3. Lack of triangulation: datapoints were generated through Surveys 1 & 2 as well as
through the OpenLearn platform analytics. From a scientific perspective it would
have been desirable to triangulate these data for individual learners, which would
provide a rich description of their learning activity. At present, individual learners
are not tracked in this way, not least because this level of surveillance is open to
criticism.
4. Sequencing: when the evaluation programme was designed the Everyday Skills
courses were not finalised. This meant it was not feasible to evaluate specific
course content elements.

Key Findings
Important messages arising from the data

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SURVEY 1 (LEARNERS) (N=174)
KEY FINDINGS
Learners reported that the most significant factors in terms of impact on learning were
work life balance; financial concerns and time management. More common (but lower
impact) challenges were caring or family commitment; lack of confidence; and not
knowing where to begin.
On the whole learners expressed high confidence in their abilities with the English
language and skills related to learning.
Generally, the respondents expressed a high degree of confidence with their ability to
use mathematics, but with less confidence expressed around mathematical symbols
and formula.
Learners commonly have access to the Internet and often have a smartphone or other
personal device. However, it should be noted that those who lack access often lack
access across the range of technologies: around 10% of the cohort appear not to have
regular or consistent access to the Internet and related technologies.
Learners seem to have confidence in their own ability to learn and study, but also state
that lack of confidence is an issue. This may reflect a degree of belief in self and ability
that is tempered by external factors (financial, caring, time, etc.).

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SURVEY 1 (LEARNERS) (N=174)
KEY FINDINGS

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SURVEY 1 (LEARNERS) (N=174)
KEY FINDINGS

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SURVEY 1 (EDUCATORS) (N=23)
KEY FINDINGS

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SURVEY 1 (EDUCATORS) (N=23)
KEY FINDINGS

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ANALYTICS AND USE PATTERNS
KEY FINDINGS
A significant proportion of those who visit Everyday Skills can be expected to enrol for
study – 15-30%
Compared with other OpenLearn courses, Everyday Skills courses attracted a higher
rate of enrolment but a lower rate of completion. This may reflect the high levels of
interest and inexperience with formal study among the audience for Everyday Skills.
English attracts more interest, but Maths learners were more likely to complete and be
awarded a badge
There is evidence that the course materials were being used in the private sector, in
UK colleges not directly associated with the project
There were significant numbers of non-formal learners who were not connected with
the colleges taking place in the project
Urban centres were the biggest sources of visitors from the UK
The courses also attracted visitors from outside the UK

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ANALYTICS AND USE PATTERNS
KEY FINDINGS

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ANALYTICS AND USE PATTERNS
KEY FINDINGS

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KEY FINDINGS
SURVEY 2 (LEARNERS) (N=129)

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KEY FINDINGS
SURVEY 2 (LEARNERS) (N=129)

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COURSE SATISFACTION
KEY FINDINGS
78.7% of those who took an Everyday Skills course would recommend it to others
71% reported that taking the course made them want to study more
More than half of the learners in Survey 2 reported being in work
More than 1/3 indicated a desire to go on to higher education, but these learners are
unsure how to navigate a path to this
Highly positive course evaluations correlate with analytics and patterns of web access
Openly licensed content proliferated to other institutions and locations
More than half the sample (51.3%) felt they had seen improved performance at work
or in their studies as result of taking Everyday Skills.
43.5% felt they now had improved employment prospects
69.8% of those who took an Everyday Skills course thought themselves more likely to
go on to further study
Additional vocational pathways provides routes to build on experiences
MEETING DEMAND
SURVEY 2 (LEARNERS) (N=129)

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ON OPENLEARN
EVERYDAY SKILLS
In June 2019 a series of additional courses with vocational focus were released. These
comprised:
• Everyday Maths for Construction and Engineering 1
• Everyday Maths for Construction and Engineering 2
• Everyday Maths for Health and Social Care and Education Support 1
• Everyday Maths for Health and Social Care and Education Support 2
• Everyday English for Construction and Engineering 1
• Everyday English for Construction and Engineering 2
• Everyday English for Health and Social Care and Education Support 1
• Everyday English for Health and Social Care and Education Support 2

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SUPPORTING LEARNERS
KEY FINDINGS
Learners seem to want to work flexibly and unsupported, valuing time over support.
College staff tended to assert the importance of close support from tutors or peers
Striking a balance between building the independence and confidence of learners at
foundational level and giving the support they need (but don’t necessarily want) seems
essential for effective engagement.
Colleges or college networks could decide to offer systematic support on a shared
basis.
Rates of completion for English (4%) and Maths (12%) were lower than the average
OpenLearn benchmark (13%).
Jordan (2015) found that completion rates for MOOCs as a whole ranged between
0.7%-52.1% with a similar average of 12.6%.
MOOC completion rates may be trending downwards: Reich & Ruipérez-Valiente (2019)
found a completion rate amongst all open online learners on the edX platform of
3.13% for 2017-2018.
Maths learners were much more likely to complete their studies and be awarded a
badge. This might be explained by English learners being more casual or non-linear in
their approach, but it could also reflect the presence of a barrier to interest or
engagement.
SURVEY 2 (LEARNERS) (N=129)
DRIVERS OF COMPLETION

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CONFIDENCE PARADOX
KEY FINDINGS
It was observed that learners who had completed Everyday Skills tended to express
lower self-confidence. Many learners in both surveys expressed high confidence
across the board.
It could be that adult learners genuinely believe they have strong skills in Maths and
English but formal study leads them to realise that this can be challenging even for a
native speaker or someone who regularly makes calculations in their everyday life.
Many seem to have self-belief but lack a sense of how best to apply themselves: this is
something that learning designers should be attentive to, especially in an
unmoderated presentation of the course.
For the Survey 1 cohort these were work/life balance; lack of study skills; and time
management. Survey 2 found a similar cluster with lack of confidence also featuring.
College staff were more likely to identify lack of confidence and/or fear of failure as the
most important barriers.
Some expressed frustration with the OpenLearn platform, but these were a minority
and disabled learners in particular appreciated the opportunity to access learning.
Several comments highlighted issues in the process of college examination and
frustration with administration more generally: some learners who completed the
course and wanted certification were unable to attain it.
SURVEY 2 (LEARNERS) (N=129)
IDENTIFYING CHALLENGES

Where to find the report
The report is available on a CC BY licence

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AND OTHER USEFUL RESOURCES
WHERE TO FIND THE REPORT
Citation
Farrow, R. (2019). Bringing Learning to Life: Evaluation of Everyday Skills in maths and
English. Open Education Research Hub. The Open University (UK). CC-BY 4.0
http://oro.open.ac.uk/67478/
Everyday Skills
Everyday Skills in maths and English
https://www.open.edu/openlearn/education-development/education/everyday-skills-
maths-and-english
Other Links
Open Education Research Hub blog post
http://oerhub.net/oer/report-bringing-learning-to-life/
OER Hub Outputs
http://oerhub.net/research-outputs/
Google Scholar
https://scholar.google.co.uk/citations?user=j3-x3WwAAAAJ&hl=en

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OPEN ONLINE LEARNING FOR THE WORKPLACE
EUROPEAN MOOC CONSORTIUM
https://emc.eadtu.eu/news

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A NETWORK TO SUPPORT DOCTORAL RESEARCH IN OPEN EDUCATION
GLOBAL OER GRADUATE NETWORK
http://go-gn.net/

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http://ukopentextbooks.org/

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OPEN, ONLINE, FLEXIBLE AND TECHNOLOGY-ENHANCED
OOFAT MODELS
1 Model 6 Types 5 Business Strategies
Integrated Fixed-core
Organizational Flexibility Outreach
Content-focused Service-provider
Access-focused Entrepreneurial
Purpose-led Entrepreneurial with fixed-
core
Multiple projects
Orr, D., Weller, M., & Farrow, R. (2018). Models for online, open, flexible and technology-
enhanced higher education across the globe – a comparative analysis. International Council for
Open and Distance Education (ICDE). Oslo, Norway. https://oofat.oerhub.net/OOFAT/.

THANK YOU
rob.farrow@open.ac.uk
@philosopher1978
oerhub.net
iet.open.ac.uk