[publication] Open Educational Resources for Legal Clarity, Sustainability, and Digital Sovereignty in European University Alliances #tugraz

We summarized the importance of Open Education Resources, especially for Digital Sovereignty. Our paper titled „Open Educational Resources for Legal Clarity, Sustainability, and Digital Sovereignty in European University Alliances“ is now available online.

Abstract:
Open educational resources (OER) are widely recognized for improving access to education and enabling the sharing of knowledge. However, in the context of European university alliances such as Unite!, OER offer additional, often underappreciated benefits that are crucial for cross-border collaboration and sustainable development in higher education. This paper explores three key aspects of OER that are particularly relevant to European alliances. First, OER enable the legally secure use of educational resources across national borders, addressing uncertainties about copyright laws, particularly for translations and adaptations. This ensures compliance with different legal frameworks while fostering collaboration. Second, OER support sustainability by ensuring that investments in educational materials are not limited by restrictive usage rights. This is especially critical in alliances where shared resources are central to fostering long-term cooperation and aligning with sustainability goals, a priority for Unite!. Finally, OER contribute to digital sovereignty by empowering institutions and educators to create, adapt, and share resources without relying on proprietary platforms or licenses. This coincides with European alliances’ broader strategic objective of promoting autonomy and resilience in their digital ecosystems. By highlighting these often-overlooked benefits of OER, the present research aims to broaden the perspective on their strategic importance in fostering collaboration, sustainability, and sovereignty within European university alliances.

[full paper @ publisher’s homepage]
[full paper @ ResearchGate]

Reference: Schön, S., & Ebner, M. (2025). Beyond Open Access: Open Educational Resources for Legal Clarity, Sustainability, and Digital Sovereignty in European University Alliances. Weizenbaum Journal of the Digital Society5(4). https://doi.org/10.34669/wi.wjds/5.4.2

This is an impactful contributions, methodological rigor, and exceptional novelty in the research field of Open Educational Resources (OER) and Digital Sovereignty.

[publication] Implementing Multilingual MOOCs in European University Alliances with the Help of AI Usage, LTI and Open Licenses: Technical and Organizational Challenges #mooc #research #tugraz

Our publication about „Implementing Multilingual MOOCs in European University Alliances with the Help of AI Usage, LTI and Open Licenses: Technical and Organizational Challenges“ is now online available.

Abstract:
Producing and delivering MOOCs within European university alliances presents technical, organizational, and licensing challenges, particularly regarding multilingual accessibility, interoperability, and platform integration. This paper examines these challenges through a case study of the “Open Educational Resources in Higher Education” MOOC, developed with all partner institutions of the Unite! university alliance. The course was produced in all official alliance languages and used AI-driven tools (HeyGen) to generate multilingual instructor avatars for efficient localization. A key aspect of this MOOC was its open licensing approach. By adopting a Creative Commons (CC BY 4.0) license, the course materials were designed for reuse and dissemination across different educational contexts. To ensure broad accessibility, the MOOC was made available on the Austrian national MOOC platform iMooX.at and embedded within Unite! Metacampus, the alliance’s federated LMS. For this, Learning Tools Interoperability (LTI) for cross-platform interactions was used. Through LTI, course activities and materials on iMooX.at were linked to Metacampus, allowing users to access materials, track progress, and interact within a unified learning environment. This strategy supported federated access and engagement across institutional systems. This paper outlines the technical and organizational strategies used in developing the MOOC, discussing key challenges and providing recommendations for openly licensed, AI-supported, and LTI-integrated MOOCs within European university alliances. The findings contribute to a deeper understanding of structuring cross-institutional MOOCs that are pedagogically, technologically, and organizationally sustainable while advancing open education principles in higher education.

[full article @ publisher’s homepage]
[full article @ ResearchGate]

Reference: Ebner, M., Schön, S., Gasplmayr, K., Taraghi, B. (2026). Implementing Multilingual MOOCs in European University Alliances with the Help of AI Usage, LTI and Open Licenses: Technical and Organizational Challenges. In: Hamonic, E., Sharrock, R. (eds) Digital Education: Shaping Sustainable Lifelong Learning for All in the Era of AI. EMOOCS 2025. Lecture Notes in Computer Science, vol 15733. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-032-00056-9_15

This is an impactful contributions, methodological rigor, and exceptional novelty in the research field of AI in education.

[recording] Online-Fachtagung: OER im Zeitalter von KI #OER #tugraz

Die Aufzeichnung zu meinem Vortrag ist nun online [Link]

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[presentation] Implementing multilingual MOOCs in European University Alliances with the help of AI usage, LTI and open licenses: Technical & organizational challenges #tugraz #emoocs2025

We also presented one paper within the Experience Track of the EMOOCs 2025 conference in Paris. This time the presentation was about „Implementing multilingual MOOCs in European University Alliances with the help of AI usage, LTI and open licenses: Technical & organizational challenges (Presentation)„. Our slides are, of course, available online.

[Link to the slides]

[publication] Open Educational Resources in Ukraine: Current Status and Future Directions #edmedia #OER

Our publication titled „Open Educational Resources in Ukraine: Current Status and Future Directions“ was published at this year’s ED-Media conference in Barcelona, Spain.

Abstract:
This study investigates the current landscape and perceived need for Open Educational Resources (OER) in Ukraine. A comprehensive literature review and analysis of national and international sources was undertaken, and the research identified key benefits of OER, such as affordability, accessibility, and adaptability. The relevance of these benefits in the context of Ukraine’s ongoing digital transformation and crisis conditions was also explored. Survey data and academic initiatives indicate a growing interest in OER among educators and librarians, although awareness and implementation remain uneven, particularly in rural areas. Barriers such as limited digital infrastructure, low digital literacy, and lack of familiarity with licensing were also identified. The study draws upon successful practices from Austria and Germany, emphasising the need for coordinated national strategies, policy development, and educator training. While the research does not confirm a universal demand for OER, it shows clear potential and interest, laying the groundwork for future empirical studies to assess the educational impact of OER implementation in Ukraine.

[draft @ researchgate]
[full version @ conference website]

Reference: Andriichenko, Y., Ebner, M. & Schön, S. (2025). Open Educational Resources in Ukraine: Current Status and Future Directions. In T. Bastiaens (Ed.), Proceedings of EdMedia + Innovate Learning (pp. 1034-1043). Barcelona, Spain: Association for the Advancement of Computing in Education (AACE). Retrieved May 26, 2025 from https://www.learntechlib.org/primary/p/226255/.

[presentation] Open Educational Resources in Ukraine: Current Status and Future Directions #OER #ukraine #tugraz

Another talk at this year’s ED-Media conference was about „Open Educational Resources in Ukraine: Current Status and Future Directions“. Find the slides right here:

Andriichenko, Y., Ebner, M., & Schön, S. (2025, Mai 22). Open Educational Resources in Ukraine: Current Status and Future Directions. Graz University of Technology. https://doi.org/10.3217/y8prt-8h024

[publication] Dritter OER-Impact Report veröffentlicht #tugraz #OER

Der mittlerweile schon dritte OER-Impact-Report der TU Graz wurde veröffentlicht und zeigt die Verbreitung von OER:

Der dritte OER-Bericht der TU Graz gibt einen Überblick über die Entwicklungen im Bereich Offene Bildungsressourcen (OER) im Zeitraum 10/2023 bis 09/2024. Die TU Graz baut ihre Aktivitäten in diesem Bereich weiter aus und nimmt sowohl national als auch international eine Vorreiterrolle ein. Ein besonderer Fokus liegt auf quantitativen Entwicklungen im OER-Bereich, z.B. zur Entwicklung von Weiterbildungsangeboten, des OER-Repositorium oder auch der Entwicklung der nationalen MOOC-Plattform iMooX.at die von der TU Graz betrieben wird. Zudem wird von Befragungen von OER-Lehrenden an der TU Graz berichtet und Auswertungen einer Befragung von Studienanfänger:innen zu OER und Open Source präsentiert. Im internationalen Kontext engagiert sich die TU Graz in der europäischen Universitätsallianz Unite!, in deren Rahmen unter anderem der multilinguale MOOC „Unite! OER Courses“ entwickelt wurde. Zusätzlich wurde eine internationale Lehrveranstaltung zu OER konzipiert. 

Der Bericht kann direkt hier im Repository abgerufen werden oder man findet ihn auch auf unserer Webseite zusammen mit den beiden voran gegangenen.

[mooc] Einführung in das wissenschaftliche Arbeiten #imoox #unisalzburg

In der Osterwoche ist ein MOOC der Universität Salzburg zu „Einführung in das wissenschaftliche Arbeiten“ gestartet. Ein Thema, das eigentlich an allen Hochschulen hohe, nein höchste Relevanz hat. Daher kann man diesen Kurs wohl nur wärmstens empfehlen.

Dieser Kurs wurde im Rahmen eines vom Forum neue Medien in der Lehre Austria geförderten Projekts der Bildungspsychologie an der Universität Salzburg konzipiert. Der Kurs soll vor allem SchülerInnen und StudienanfängerInnen sowie allen interessierten Personen einen Einblick in das wissenschaftliche Arbeiten geben.  Beispielsweise kann er SchülerInnen ein grundlegendes Verständnis von Wissenschaft und Forschung vermitteln, das für die Erstellung einer vorwissenschaftlichen Arbeit wichtig ist. Studierende können eine allgemeine Einführung in das wissenschaftliche Arbeiten erhalten oder bei ihren ersten eigenen wissenschaftlichen Arbeitsschritten im Studium unterstützt werden. Auch fortgeschrittene Studierende können den MOOC nutzen: Zur Wiederholung  im Zuge der Abschlussarbeit im Bachelorstudium oder zur Vertiefung im Zusammenhang mit akademischer Integrität und guter wissenschaftlicher Praxis in Verbindung mit der Nutzung Künstlicher Intelligenz. Die Lektionen dieses MOOC sind generisch und sollen für so viele Studienrichtungen wie möglich nützlich sein. (Lediglich Lektion 7 erläutert fachspezifische Aspekte im Zusammenhang mit wissenschaftlichem Arbeiten in der Psychologie.) Wir freuen uns jederzeit über Anregungen für weitere fachspezifische Lektionen, die in einer Neuauflage dieses MOOCS ergänzt werden sollen: Anregungen gerne an: eline.leen-thomele@plus.ac.at.

Wie immer ist die Teilnahmen völlig kostenfrei: [Link zur kostenlosen Teilnahme]

[presentation] Beyond Open Access: Open Educational Resources (OER) for Legal Clarity, Sustainability, and Digital Sovereignty in European University Alliances #tugraz #OER #UNITE!

We did a presentation about „Beyond Open Access: Open Educational Resources (OER) for Legal Clarity, Sustainability, and Digital Sovereignty in European University Alliances“ at the 2nd Unite!-Ed Future Conference.

Open Educational Resources (OER) are widely recognized for improving access to education and enabling the sharing of knowledge. However, in the context of European university alliances, such as Unite!, OER offer additional, often underappreciated benefits that are crucial for cross-border collaboration and sustainable development in higher education. This position paper explores three key aspects of OER that are particularly relevant for European alliances. First, OER enable the legally secure use of educational resources across national borders, addressing uncertainties about copyright laws, particularly for translations and adaptations. This ensures compliance with different legal frameworks while fostering collaboration. Second, OER support sustainability by ensuring that investments in educational materials are not limited by restrictive usage rights. This is particularly critical in alliances where shared resources play a central role in fostering long-term cooperation and aligning with sustainability goals, a priority for Unite!. Finally, OER contribute to digital sovereignty by empowering institutions and educators to create, adapt, and share resources without reliance on proprietary platforms or licenses. This aligns with the broader strategic objectives of European alliances to promote autonomy and resilience in their digital ecosystems. By highlighting these often-overlooked benefits of OER, this research aims to broaden the perspective on their strategic importance in fostering collaboration, sustainability, and sovereignty within European university alliances.

Find our slides here:

Ebner, M., & Schön, S. (2025, März 13). Beyond Open Access: Open Educational Resources (OER) for Legal Clarity, Sustainability, and Digital Sovereignty in European University Alliances. Presentation at the Unite! Ed Future Conference, March 13, 2025. Graz University of Technology. https://doi.org/10.3217/cz2rm-g9g13