Video Lesson: The Importance of Strategic Planning in Open Education and Open Science

Watch the video lesson on the importance of strategic planning for introducing the concepts of open education and science at national, university, and faculty levels, into the policies of higher education institutions. Specific examples of policies, strategies, guidelines, and elements of strategic planning will also be presented.

Transcript

Welcome. In this video lesson, we will explore the key role of strategic planning in the successful introduction of the concepts of open education and open science in a higher education institution. Without a clear plan and a thoughtful approach, the potential of these concepts cannot be realized. This video will explore important policies, strategies, and guidelines for introducing the concepts of open education and open science at international and national levels. Through strategic planning, step by step, we can unlock the full potential of open education and science, laying the foundation for a more just innovative and progressive society. Why is strategic planning so important when talking about open education and science? Strategic planning enables a clear definition of vision and goals at both the national and the institutional levels. What exactly do we want to achieve by introducing openness? Do we want to increase the availability of education, accelerate scientific progress, encourage innovation or reduce costs? Clearly defined goals guide all further steps. Strategic planning for introducing openness begins with defining a clear vision of the future and a mission for its realization. The vision for the development of open science and education is related to a future in which knowledge is globally accessible and education is of equal quality for all. Encouraging innovation and collaboration. The mission is to actively promote transparency and the sharing and reuse of scientific results and educational resources through specific strategies and support for all stakeholders based on the vision and mission specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, and time bound SMART objectives are set. These objectives tell us exactly what we want to achieve by introducing openness. This could be to increase the number of open education resources, improve the visibility of scientific works, or encourage collaboration in research. To achieve these goals, we define specific activities, steps, and projects that we will undertake. These may include developing repositories, organizing workshops, creating open access policies, or encouraging teachers to create open educational content. It is crucial to effectively allocate resources (financial, human, technical) to realize these activities. To know whether we are on the right track towards achieving the set goals, we need to define clear success indicators for open science and education. These indicators can be quantitative, such as the number of published open access papers, the amount of open educational content created, or the number of workshop participants or qualitative, such as the perception of openness by teachers and students, the level of collaboration in research, et cetera. Finally, strategic planning includes mechanisms for evaluating and monitoring progress. Regular monitoring of indicators allows us to assess the effectiveness of implemented policies and strategies and, to adjust future steps based on this knowledge. Without a clear vision, mission, goals, concrete activities, and measurable indicators, the introduction of openness can be haphazard and ineffective. A strategic approach ensures that our efforts are focused, purposeful, and lead to the desired transformation. Strategic planning ensures the coherence of efforts at all levels. National policies should create a framework and incentives for universities and faculties. While university strategies should adapt, these policies to their own specificities. Faculty levels, then implement these strategies in their teaching and research practices. Let's look at some examples of policies, strategies, and guidelines that can be part of a strategic plan for open education and science. In defining an open science policy Universities should start from the policies and principles of the European Union. Such as the open science policies of the European Union, the 2023 conclusion of the Council of the European Union on high quality, transparent, open, trustworthy, and equitable scientific publishing, and the 2022 conclusion of the Council of the European Union on the assessment of research and the implementation of open science. The recommendations of international organizations are also important, such as the UNESCO 2021 recommendations on Open science. The Croatian 2022 Act on higher Education and scientific activity recognizes open science. As a fundamental principle of scientific and artistic activity of Croatian higher education institutions, thus ensuring compliance with European and international standards and the national legislation. Accordingly, we can conclude that it is extremely important for every higher education institution to have its own open education and science policy that is aligned with European and national guidelines. With a the carefully thought out strategic approach, higher education institutions can fully exploit the potential of openness. To improve the quality of education, strengthen scientific excellence, and contribute to society as a whole.