Creation
OER Down Under: OEP in Remote Australian Indigenous Fisheries
Charles Darwin University
Dr Johanna Funk
Overview
This chapter presents some of the multimedia ‘student’ authored open educational resources (OER) from multi-organisation research collaboration in the Northern Territory of Australia. The 2014-2016 portion of the project created OER within an ‘opened’ training model which aimed to better meet the expectations of remote Indigenous communities of coastal Northern Australia who were developing ongoing fisheries and aquaculture businesses.
Existing units offered in the usual training only partially addressed the needs of regions we were working in. The units selected for this project were more suited to local business development in coastal remote Northern Territory communities. The framework provided a way to support negotiated workforce training that effectively addresses issues of distance, access to sustainable training, language diversity and recognition of collaboration between industry, community, and existing knowledges. The resources we created were mapped to a consolidation of relevant units of competency in trades and further education, otherwise known as vocational education and training (TAFE/VET). This chapter explores a key element of the framework; video resources that could be developed locally.
Remote training delivery can be complemented by open educational practices (OEP). These practices enabled the local staff of Aboriginal Corporations (the ‘students’) in fisheries training programs to contextualise and author work-based learning resources. The goal of this project was to develop resources as example recognition of prior learning (RPL) which could recognise and contextualise competencies for meaningful employment (Lambert, et al., 2022). The final result of the process was a series of videos made in simple technology, reproducible in other communities for more culturally responsible ownership of local work-based learning. The resources were narrated in local languages, in situ, and bear Creative Commons licenses the authors chose themselves.
My project contribution as a research associate included facilitating the OER creation with staff to demonstrate competencies in training packages covering fisheries and aquaculture enterprise development.
Using this case study
This case study is useful for teaching academics, learning designers, library staff, government and industry professionals. This chapter is aimed at showcasing the process involved in developing resources as examples of author work-based learning resources. This chapter also includes information related to remote training delivery that addresses issues of distance, language diversity and recognition of collaboration between industry and community.
Key stakeholders
The project involved a range of government, industry, community, and training stakeholders. Local staff who were completing the training to grow their business authored the OER used in p