Integrating strategic views about Open Educational Resources through collaborative sensemaking

Okada, Alexandra; Connolly, Teresa and Lane, Andy (2010). Integrating strategic views about Open Educational Resources through collaborative sensemaking. International Journal of Technology, Knowledge and Society, 6(6) pp. 165–186.

URL: http://ijt.cgpublisher.com/product/pub.42/prod.725

Abstract

This paper introduces a methodology that integrates strategic views for collaborative sensemaking through knowledge maps based on the Force Field Framework (3F). The objective of this work is to identify some of the benefits and challenges that facilitators may face when using 3F maps to help different groups gain a common understanding of issues around an emerging scenario. In particular this case study focuses on the 3F maps created by groups from several Universities in Europe (members of the European Association of Distance Teaching Universities: EADTU and of the ICOPER Best Practice Network) who were interested in integrating a global overview of Open Educational Resource (OER) issues with their Institutions' strategic activities.
Participants created 3F maps to represent the key issues that OER offered for their Institutions. Each group presented their map and discussed their analysis. This was coordinated and supported by a facilitator. The resulting graphical representations and the discussions were then captured by a knowledge-mapping expert, using the social computing tool Compendium. This qualitative study analyses comments registered by facilitators, and visual representations created by participants both on paper and in Compendium. Initial findings are focussed on the general applicability of this methodology and discuss the main benefits and challenges to be addressed by facilitators.