About the national Centre for Open Education Practice

The national Centre for Open Education Practice (coep.nz) is a research, development, and practice collaboration providing leadership, networking, and support to higher education institutions and practitioners in Aotearoa New Zealand. It aims to accelerate the adoption of Open Educational Resources (OER) and Open Educational Practices (OEP) for the benefit of learners.

Who established the Centre?

The Centre was established in July 2019 by Otago Polytechnic and Ara Institute of Canterbury, in partnership with New Zealand’s UNESCO Chair in OER. The centre is headquartered at Otago Polytechnic.

Who can join the Centre?

All New Zealand tertiary education providers, departmental divisions, research entities, community libraries, non-profit organisations, corporations, and interested individuals can affiliate with the Centre. The purpose of affiliation is a statement of shared values and willingness to cooperate on open education.

There is no membership fee for individuals.  

Organizations are required to join the OERu international partnership to affiliate with the Centre. The annual membership fee is USD4,000.

Sign up today!

What is a founding partner?

Any organisation or individual who signs up before the inaugural National OER Practitioner and Leadership Symposium, scheduled for December 2019, will be designated as a ‘founding partner’.

What does the Centre do?

The Centre:

  1. Facilitates research on the adoption of OER and implementation of OEP.
  2. Promotes free OER-based courses for all New Zealand learners, with optional pathways to gain micro-credentials and/or formal academic credit.
  3. Provides professional development for educators, with optional pathways to gain an ‘OER practitioner’ certification.
  4. Organises events to promote networking and to accelerate the uptake of OER and OEP in New Zealand. 

Who are the primary contact people?