14/11/2024
On November 1, 2024, researchers from the Institute for Educational Research and Knowledge Transfer participated in a presentation at the seminar and training session titled “Assessing Open Educational Resources in University Libraries: Issues and Solutions”, organized by the Center for University Education Quality Assurance, Vietnam National University, Hanoi.
In celebration of Vietnamese Teachers’ Day (November 20), on November 1, 2024, the Center for University Education Quality Assurance – Vietnam National University, Hanoi (CUEQA – VNU Hanoi) organized a special seminar and training session on the topic “Assessing Open Educational Resources in University Libraries: Issues and Solutions”. The event, held at the ULIS Sunwah Building, 144 Xuan Thuy, Cau Giay, Hanoi, attracted 140 participants both in-person and online, including members of the Education Quality Assurance Council, education managers, accreditors, experts, and staff working in the field of education quality assurance and accreditation.
The seminar was chaired by Dr. Ta Thi Thu Hien, Director of the Center for University Education Quality Assurance – VNU Hanoi, and Assoc. Prof. Dr. Dinh Van Toan, Deputy Director and Chairman of the Education Quality Assurance Council. Notably, the seminar also featured Dr. Pham Hung Hiep and the research team from the Institute for Educational Research and Knowledge Transfer (REK Institute) at Thanh Do University, who shared their knowledge and experience on open educational resources, providing new perspectives on the exploration and management of these resources.
At the beginning of the seminar, Dr. Ta Thi Thu Hien delivered an opening speech and presented an overview, during which she provided an assessment of the current state of university libraries in Vietnam, based on the results of quality assurance (QA) evaluations of educational institutions and academic programs in recent years. Dr. Thu Hien emphasized the role of open educational resources in supporting teaching and research activities, as well as the capacity of accreditors to identify and evaluate how well university libraries meet the standards for education quality assurance.
Following that, Dr. Pham Hung Hiep, Director of the REK Institute, presented a report that classified and evaluated the characteristics of online educational resources, ranging from scientific articles and e-books to academic databases. Dr. Hiep suggested that this classification would help improve resource management effectiveness and contribute to the development of long-term strategies.
Next, M.A. Nguyen Thuy Linh from iGroup presented on copyright-protected academic resources and the methods for verifying these resources to ensure their authenticity and high quality for research and teaching purposes.
Finally, M.A. Nguyen Linh Chi, a researcher at the REK Institute, shared the fundamental principles for utilizing open educational resources, emphasizing open licenses such as Creative Commons and introducing the Research4Life repository and TDU’s OESR library. However, M.A. Linh Chi also cautioned that open educational resources may lack authenticity due to insufficient rigorous accreditation.
During the discussion session, issues such as standards for the quality of open educational materials, requirements for open licenses, and challenges in integrating these resources into educational activities were raised. Delegates also proposed several specific solutions to optimize the management, utilization, and investment in open educational resources to better meet the needs of training and research.
The seminar and training session not only raised awareness about the importance of open educational resources but also provided an opportunity for the CUEQA – VNU to honor educators and experts on the occasion of Vietnam Teachers’ Day (November 20). Delegates appreciated the discussions and expressed a desire for more similar activities, which would facilitate experience sharing and promote the development of open educational libraries within the Vietnamese higher education system.
