Multicultural adaptation of open educational resources: factors in the OpenScout portal´s success

Abstract

This paper outlines the experience developed in the UNED (Spanish National University of Distance Education) to extend the use of Open Educational Resources for business and management education. UNED joined the European research project OpenScout --which offers value-added tools and services for learners, educators and technology providers- and participated in the design, creation, analysis and evaluation of a model of informal learning. OpenScout draws from a federated reposi tory of educational resources, using and re-using the existing materials and generating new ones, in a creative, collaborative, multilingual international initiative. The cultural adaptation process has been analyzed in the Spanish context. The main strengths of OpenScout, linked to the re-use of open contents in the educational process, are described. In addition, we discuss the project´s capacity for integration into larger virtual communities, seeking synergies from combined use with the most popular social networks.