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Articles and Updates

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Join the Webinar with Prof. John Gardner: 'The South African First-Year Experience: A Component of the Global Quest for Justice for First-Year Students'

07 May 2026

Join the webinar with Prof. John Gardner, creator of the 'First-Year Experience' (FYE) concept and founder of the International Conferences on the First-Year Experience, on 11 May at 14:00. In this session, Prof. Gardner invites us to reflect on our roles as innovators in South African first-year higher education. He will outline the origins of the FYE movement in the United States, provide a global overview of the FYE, and then focus on its role in South Africa in advancing student success and social justice.

Illustration of a smiling robot and a smiling book labelled “OER” shaking hands, with icons for ideas, Creative Commons licensing, and digital learning in the background.

From Burden to Breakthrough: How AI is Transforming OER for African Academics

28 April 2026

A new tutorial from OER Africa shows how artificial intelligence (AI) can simplify and speed up the use of OER for academics. As universities across Africa explore both AI and OER to strengthen teaching and learning, this resource tackles a persistent challenge: the time and effort required to find, adapt, and share OER.

New: Glossary of Terms in Open Education

20 April 2026

OER Africa has developed a Glossary of Terms in Open Education featuring clear explanations of key concepts. It offers concise, accessible definitions with links for deeper exploration, making it a practical reference for anyone engaging with the concept of open education.

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Current focus

Developing professional competences and skills

Effective Continuous Professional Development (CPD) is crucial for building knowledge, enhancing educational praxis, and improving student outcomes in higher education. OER Africa’s CPD framework space offers academics and academic librarians a structured, resource-rich pathway to professional growth and impactful teaching and learning experiences.

OER Africa has developed, and continues to test, innovative alternative approaches to continuing professional development (CPD) for academics. One strategy has been to develop Open Education Tutorials for university academic staff that will empower them to embrace open education.

Primary place to find African-produced OER courseware in several thematic areas, including: Continuous Professional Development OER for Academics, Academic Librarians, and Senior Management; Agriculture OER; Foundation OER; and Health OER.

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Resources

Featured resource

Explore Our New Academic CPD Framework and Resources

Are you looking to enhance your professional development or support it within your department or institution? Visit our new Continuous Professional Development (CPD) framework space to explore CPD resources that have been curated specifically for the CPD framework for academics.

About OER Africa

OER Africa is an initiative of Saide, established in 2008 with support from the William and Flora Hewlett Foundation, to collaborate with higher education institutions in Africa in the development and use of Open Educational Resources (OER), to enhance teaching and learning.

Our Mission