We are looking forward now to involving some of this year’s undergraduates (who have studied the Thatcher’s Britain course on which our OER will be based) in selecting some of the University of Sussex’s ephemera collection to digitise alongside the Mass Observation writings and British Library oral histories. Getting them involved gives us a chance to evaluate the approach we’ve taken so far, including the themes we are using, and also to get some feedback on what works well/not so well for current students of the course – particularly in relation to the sources. It’s also a great opportunity for them to get some hands-on experience of working with archival materials, including an appreciation of IPR issues (we’ll be using this JISC tool to help us). It gives them understanding of grant-funded project work and also offers an insight into the creation of courses and OERs in particular. From my point of view it’s also a chance to share my enthusiasm for getting stuck in to actual archive material.
Friday, April 20th, 2012