Opening Horizons for European Universities Alliances in Open Education

This paper introduces the analyses of Open Education experiences and strategies in the six universities part of the Ent-r-e-novators E3UDRES2 European Universities Alliance. It is part of a study performed in 2023, for 6 months, and includes a SWOT analysis to assess the strengths, weaknesses and overall adequacy of open education tools, resources and training against the needs of the E3UDRES2 alliance, which is comprised entirely of technical universities. Based on these findings, the partnership shows diversity in its commitment to Open Education (OE), with some universities actively participating in Open Education initiatives. The Open Education policies, activities, training and resources are not integrated in the universities (with one exception) and we indicate a mixed level of awareness and utilization of tools/resources/practices for OE. While some universities have a higher level of awareness and use of OE, others show uncertainty or limited knowledge; there is however a preference for using open-source software, and the adoption of OERs (open educational resources) varies in terms of barriers and satisfaction among faculty and staff. In summary, the responses from the universities align with the general landscape of Open Education policies and practices in Europe and worldwide.