Senior
OER Officer
Terms of Reference
1.Introduction
The African Virtual University (AVU)www.avu.org is a Pan African Intergovernmental Organization established by charter with the mandate of significantly increasing access to quality higher education and training through the innovative use of information communication technologies.
A Charter, establishing the AVU as an Intergovernmental Organization, has been
signed so far by eight (8) African Governments - Kenya, Senegal, Mauritania,
Mali, Cote d’Ivoire, Tanzania Mozambique, and Democratic Republic of Congo.Terms of Reference
1.Introduction
The African Virtual University (AVU)www.avu.org is a Pan African Intergovernmental Organization established by charter with the mandate of significantly increasing access to quality higher education and training through the innovative use of information communication technologies.
The AVU has its headquarters in Nairobi, Kenya and a Regional office in Dakar Senegal with Host-Country Agreements and Diplomatic Status with the two governments.
The AVU Business Plan 2009-2014 has two main thrusts:
(a) Educational and support services provided on a fee basis; and
(b) Not-for-profit development services.
The, Not-for-profit development services, aims at building the capacity of AVU Partner Institutions (PIs) with an objective of increasing access to quality education through the following activities:
- updating
and developing content;
- Open
Educational Resources (OER) Development;
- AVU
Capacity Enhancement Program (ACEP);
- set
up/upgrade ODeL centers;
- developing
professional networks through Communities of Practices;
- Research
and Development; and
- Quality
Evaluation and Benchmarking.
Some of the Not-for-profit development services were delivered
from 2005 to 2011 through the AVU Multinational Project I funded by the African
Development Bank (AfDB) and implemented in 10 African countries.
The AfDB is funding a second phase of the Multinational Project which will build on the first phase and will extend its benefits to more countries.
The overall objective of the AVU Multinational Project II is to strengthen the capacity of the AVU and a network of 27 institutions to deliver and manage quality ICT integrated education and training opportunities in 22 African countries.
The project has the following activities:
The AfDB is funding a second phase of the Multinational Project which will build on the first phase and will extend its benefits to more countries.
The overall objective of the AVU Multinational Project II is to strengthen the capacity of the AVU and a network of 27 institutions to deliver and manage quality ICT integrated education and training opportunities in 22 African countries.
The project has the following activities:
- Establishment
of new Open Distance and eLearning (ODeL) Centres and/or upgrading of
exiting AVU Learning Centres as well as Internet connectivity provision at
AVU Partner Institutions;
- Development
and/or improvement, and delivery of four ICT integrated Programs: AVU
Capacity Enhancement Program (ACEP); Teacher Education, Computer Science,
and Peace and Conflict Resolution;
- Gender
Mainstreaming
- Research
and Development;
- Promotion
and development of Open Education Resources (OERs); and
- Enhancement
of AVU Capacity .
The AVU Multinational project II will be implemented in 27 AVU
Partner Institutions in the following 22 countries: nine (9) Francophone
African Countries: Benin, Burkina Faso, Burundi, Cameroon, Democratic Republic
of Congo, Mali, Mauritania, Niger, Senegal; four (4) Lusophone African
Countries: Angola, Cape Verde, Guinea Bissau and Mozambique; and eight (9) Anglophone
African Countries: Gambia, Ghana, Kenya, Namibia, Nigeria, Rwanda, Sudan, and
Tanzania.
To successfully implement these project activities the AVU wishes to engage a Senior OER Officer to undertake all OER-related activities of the AVU and the project.
The AVU developed an Open Educational Resource (OER) Repository that serves as an online interactive platform for tertiary-level African educators to make their own educational resources available to others, discuss and comment on them, and collaborate in developing them further.
Currently, the portal is host to 219 modules of Mathematics, Physics, Chemistry, Biology, ICT Basic Skills, and ICT Integration in Education as well as Education Professional courses. The resources are in three languages: Portuguese, French and English.
These modules were developed in Phase I of the AVU Multinational Teacher Education Program.
The AVU OER Repository will also host future resources developed by the AVU and its partners. The AVU’s OER platform is built on DSpace, an open-source Repository Management System.
2.Scope of Work
The Senior OER Officer will work with a team of academics, instructional designers, web developers, and graphic designers. The Officer will report to Rector or such other person that may be designated and will be responsible for :
To successfully implement these project activities the AVU wishes to engage a Senior OER Officer to undertake all OER-related activities of the AVU and the project.
The AVU developed an Open Educational Resource (OER) Repository that serves as an online interactive platform for tertiary-level African educators to make their own educational resources available to others, discuss and comment on them, and collaborate in developing them further.
Currently, the portal is host to 219 modules of Mathematics, Physics, Chemistry, Biology, ICT Basic Skills, and ICT Integration in Education as well as Education Professional courses. The resources are in three languages: Portuguese, French and English.
These modules were developed in Phase I of the AVU Multinational Teacher Education Program.
The AVU OER Repository will also host future resources developed by the AVU and its partners. The AVU’s OER platform is built on DSpace, an open-source Repository Management System.
2.Scope of Work
The Senior OER Officer will work with a team of academics, instructional designers, web developers, and graphic designers. The Officer will report to Rector or such other person that may be designated and will be responsible for :
- Leading
the review and improvement of AVU OER policies, standards and practices
according to OER best practices
- Lead
the implementation and management of AVU Digital Library
- Provide
OER policy briefs to AVU members states and Partner Institutions
- Improving
and expanding of AVU interactive OER@AVU portal http://oer@avu.org
- Managing
AVU OER communities as well as individual contributions
- Managing
the collaboration between AVU and various OERs and OCW initiatives
- Improving
the use of OERs in accredited programs within AVU network and providing
guidance in the effective use of OERs for accredited self-learning within
the AVU network
- Provide
Instructional Designers, Subject Matter Experts and the Information
Technology teams with guidance for the review of the AVU existing OER
collection (219 textbooks , and 91 videos) , as well as for the new OERs
(textbooks, videos, learning objects) to be developed during the Phase II
of the AVU Multinational Project II
- Conduct,
in various African countries, sensitization and promotion campaigns as
well as training workshops on the AVU OER collection
- Raise
funds and manage the OER budget
- Participate
in the AVU Research agenda
3.Expected Deliverables
- An
approved framework on AVU OER Policies and Standards and Practices
- Policy
briefs, sanitization and promotion campaigns, and trainings and workshops
delivered
- Digital
library implemented and managed
- An
improved and expanded OER Portal with world class standards
- An
updated OER collection framework that has been restructured and organized
according to OER best practices.
- Well
managed communities and contributions
- A well
coordinated improvement of existing collection and development of new OER
modules in Phase II of the project
- Relationship
with AVU OER and OCW partners managed effectively
- Periodic
reports
- Publishable
Reports on all processes and procedures related to AVU OER activities.
4. Qualifications
- Advanced
university degree in Education or a related field, preferably with a focus
on educational technologies, educational management, curriculum studies,
OERs, Open Distance and
- Prior
work experience with an OER project that involved regular interaction with
an OER repository
- Track
record of successful involvement in issues related to OERs licensing,
policies, development and practices
- Experience
in promoting OERs and in training in the use of OERs
- Experience
in successfully completing similar assignments
- Excellent
knowledge of ICT applications, ICT skills
- Knowledge
in instructional design will be an asset
- Strong
communication skills in English
- Bilingualism
(English French or English Portuguese) is an asset
- Open,
cooperative team player
5.Modalities Of Work
The officer will work full time dedicating 8 hours in a day for 5 days a week.
6.Duration
2 years renewable
7.Reporting
The officer will work under the coordination of the Manager, Academic Programs or such other person as the client may designate from time to time in writing.
8.Payment
The salary will be commensurate with the qualification and experience of the successful candidate
The African Virtual University (AVU) www.avu.org is an equal opportunity employer.
The successful candidate will be appointed on a 2 year contract (renewable).
Application must include a cover letter and detailed curriculum vitae with: a telephone number; email and residential addresses; and names with contact addresses of three professional references.
Applications should be sent to job@avu.org and must have Senior OER Officer as the email subject.
In case of any inquiries, these should be sent to avuhr@avu.org.
The successful candidate will be based at the AVU Headquarters in Nairobi, Kenya.
The closing date for this application is March 29th 2012 at 18:00 East African Time (UTC/GMT + 3).
Note: ONLY shortlisted candidates will be contacted.
The officer will work full time dedicating 8 hours in a day for 5 days a week.
6.Duration
2 years renewable
7.Reporting
The officer will work under the coordination of the Manager, Academic Programs or such other person as the client may designate from time to time in writing.
8.Payment
The salary will be commensurate with the qualification and experience of the successful candidate
The African Virtual University (AVU) www.avu.org is an equal opportunity employer.
The successful candidate will be appointed on a 2 year contract (renewable).
Application must include a cover letter and detailed curriculum vitae with: a telephone number; email and residential addresses; and names with contact addresses of three professional references.
Applications should be sent to job@avu.org and must have Senior OER Officer as the email subject.
In case of any inquiries, these should be sent to avuhr@avu.org.
The successful candidate will be based at the AVU Headquarters in Nairobi, Kenya.
The closing date for this application is March 29th 2012 at 18:00 East African Time (UTC/GMT + 3).
Note: ONLY shortlisted candidates will be contacted.