The Shared Educational Resources and Technology (SERT) Initiative aims to encourage and enable cross-institutional solutions to common needs and challenges in the BC post-secondary system, with a specific focus on educational technology and curriculum. Over the last year, SERT has been identifying what mechanisms and considerations are needed to ensure these types of projects are successful and developing tools and guidelines to support future projects. This includes navigating topics like the start-up stage, legal considerations (e.g., privacy, security, accessibility, Indigenous data sovereignty), intellectual property, governance, revenue models, and community engagement. The SERT Initiative is led by BCcampus in consultation with the SERT Advisory Committee, and funded by the BC Ministry of Post-Secondary Education and Future Skills as part of the Digital Learning Strategy.
One of the initial SERT projects is the OpenETC, a unique community-driven initiative that shares open-source infrastructure and toolkits—including for WordPress and Mattermost—amongst institutions across the province. By pooling resources and expertise, the OpenETC enables institutions to rapidly adapt to new challenges, reduce costs, and to innovate together.
The session will showcase real-world examples of how the OpenETC has supported institutional capacity over the last 8 years, from pandemic-driven pivots to ongoing digital transformation efforts. We’ll also outline the strategic opportunity to widen sector participation presented by the Educational Resources and Technology (SERT) grant, which is helping to stand up the next generation of service development. Attendees will get a glimpse of some pilots in action through a live demo.
By leveraging shared infrastructure services and templated solutions, the OpenETC demonstrates how institutions can expand their digital activities, improve service delivery, and enhance open and flexible learning experiences across BC’s post-secondary system.
