Author: Brian Mulligan. This paper, originally published on the blog on Open Education 2030 of the Joint Research Centre, Institute for Prospective Technological Studies, suggests Competency Based Assessment may be the key to unleashing a wave of innovation.
Although Open Educational Resources and Practices, and other innovations contain huge potential to transform lifelong learning, there are unnecessary regulatory barriers, and Competency Based Assessment may be the key to removing these barriers and unleashing a wave of innovation.
There are two things you need to innovate. Competition and the freedom to innovate. There is no shortage of innovation in teaching and learning in the world today and Open Education Resources and Practices are among the most significant of these. Read more...

Author: Katerina Zourou. This paper, originally published on the blog on Open Education 2030 of the Joint Research Centre, Institute for Prospective Technological Studies, claims that multilingual, user driven and glocalised components will be catalysts in shaping future Open Education.
Open education, as a societal demand that overcomes barriers to learning and development of personal and professional skills, is a reality, together with similar-minded initiatives such as open access to knowledge and more recently MOOCs (Massive Open Online Courses) aimed at large-scale participation via the web regardless of the learner’s location, status, age or origin. Read more...

Authors: Li Yuan, Stephen Powell, Hongliang Ma. Designing Learning for the 21st Century (DL21C) is an online course developed by collaboration between a UK and Chinese University to explore new approaches for open learning courses, and the key attributes of Massive Open Online Courses.
A primary motivation for this project included the exploration of business models, this is essential if long-term viability of new approaches and courses are to be assured. From a pedagogical design perspective, the motivation was to create interactive, responsive and pedagogically effective on-line and blended learning, freely available as an open educational resource (OER).  A particular challenge was how to make the course developed culturally, linguistically and pedagogically useful in different languages, cultural contexts and educational settings.  
The rapid expansion of Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs) has sparked great interests about their potential to disrupt the higher education system and the provision of open online courses as strategic choices for the future in institutions. The course developed by the team fulfills the criteria of a MOOC in that it was online and free to access, although in practice the only students registered with the Chinese university participated and were awarded credit.

Author: Dr. Juan Cristobal Cobo Romaní. URL: The International Review of Research in Open and Distance Learning.
Over the last decade, open educational resources (OER) initiatives have created new possibilities for knowledge-sharing practices. This research examines how, where, and when OER are attracting attention in the higher education sector and explores to what extent the OER discussion has moved beyond the English-speaking world. This study analysed English, Spanish, and Portuguese OER queries over a long-term period (2007-2011). The data retrieval was conducted using four online platforms: two academic journal databases (Web of Knowledge and Scopus), one video-sharing Web site (YouTube), and one document-sharing Web site (Scribd). The number (more than 32,860) of search results collected indicate an increasing interest in online OER discussion across languages, particularly outside academic journal databases. Additionally, a widening “language gap” between OER discussions in English and other languages was identified in several platforms. This research reports some of the cultural and language challenges caused by the expansion of the OER discussion and highlights relevant findings in this field. Read more...

Author: Paul Stacey. URL: Government support for open educational resources: Policy, Funding, and Strategies.
Foundations like Hewlett, Mellon, and Gates provided start-up funding and support that nurtured the field of open educational resources (OER) from infancy to a robust early adolescence characterized by energy and idealism (Casserly & Smith, 2008). However, foundation grants typically focus on establishing exemplars and cannot be relied on for sustaining ongoing operations or generating widespread adoption. One strategy for sustaining and expanding OER is for governments and public funding to take over from the early stage funding foundations provided (Stacey, 2010).

Authors: Lidwien van Dixhoorn, Francois Mangenot, Katerina Zourou.
A study produced by the European network "Language Learning and Social Media: 6 key dialogues" regarding the potential of social media networks and resources for language learning.
Available in English and French.

The TREAQFP (Table des responsables de l’éducation des adultes et de la formation professionnelle des commissions scolaires de Québec), is a network of stakeholders in adult education and professional training in the Quebec region in Canada. A colloquium is organised every year.
The 2013 Colloquium was titled ‘Complices de leurs succès’ (‘agents of their own success’), and took place from 22–24 May 2013.
It started with the key note address by UIL Director Arne Carlsen on Adult Education: Developments since CONFINTEA VI. A panel discussion followed on the situation of adult learning and education and TVET in Quebec, with Ms Denise Boucher, vice-president of Confederation of national trade unions, Mr Yves-Thomas Dorval, president of the Employers Council at Quebec, and Mr Raynald Thibeault, president of the Association of director-generals of the school commissions at Quebec.
Quebec’s Education Minister Ms Marie Malavoy also participated in the meeting and gave her full support to adult education development in Quebec and its role not only for TVET but also for social cohesion. On 23 and 24 May, 42 workshops were organised on themes like the relation between general adult education and TVET, need for strengthened guidance-counselling, social networks, virtual meetings, partnerships, apprenticeships etc.
Links
Programme of the 2013 TREAQFP Colloquium.

On 26 April 2013, the Commission for Education, Youth, Culture and Research (EDUC Commission) of the European Union’s Committee of the Regions held the International Conference on Pioneering Europe 2020 Smart Regions, in Espoo, Finland. The purpose of the Conference was for experts from city authorities, universities and industry to discuss how research and innovation can foster the development of ‘smart regions’ in Europe. About 80 members of the EDUC Commission (all of them members of city/regional councils in Europe) participated in the Conference. Moreover, experts from industry and universities exchanged knowledge about instruments and projects for developing smart regions. Read more...

The Institute of Education (IOE) at the University of London, one of the world’s most renowned education research institutions, hosts the Centre for Learning and Life Chances in Knowledge, Economies and Societies (LLAKES), headed by Professor Andy Green. With 16 researchers, the centre is one of the largest research teams on lifelong learning in Europe. Several of its researchers are involved in cooperative activities with UIL.
On 15 May 2013, as part of a public seminar, UIL Director Arne Carlsen delivered a presentation on the research methodology and research results of the first and second Global Reports on Adult Learning and Education. He informed the IOE researchers about UIL’s comparative research studies, in order to raise interest but also investigate possible cooperation in relation to joint research projects and collaboration on future GRALE reports.
Dean Andrew Brown and Professor Karen Evans discussed recent research studies on the wider benefits of adult learning, which will form the theme of a special issue of UIL’s journal, the International Review of Education.
Links: http://www.llakes.org