The Zandra Rhodes OER: creating an open educational resource from the Zandra Rhodes collection

Abstract

The Zandra Rhodes Digital Study Collection project is a collaborative venture between the University for the Creative Arts and the Zandra Rhodes studio. Zandra Rhodes is the chancellor of the university and this project will provide unique open online access to images of 500 of the designer’s most iconic and landmark costumes. These will be selected out of a total of 2,500 garments by Zandra Rhodes and will cover her entire creative career from the late 1960s to the present day. 

From this substantial collection of innovative fashion designs, 25 key works will be chosen to build an Open Educational Resource (OER) that can be used to enhance learning and teaching. In addition to digital images of the chosen dresses, the OER aims to use primary and secondary source material in digital format to create a rich learning object that can be shared, repurposed and reused.

This presentation explored the complexities of digitising the collection and tracks the team’s progress in creating an engaging OER.

Biographies

Tony Reeves is an Academic Developer in Learning Technology at the University for the Creative Arts (UCA). His role at the university involves working with staff to help enhance student learning through the use of technology.

While teaching Music Technology at the University of Hertfordshire and Southampton Solent University, Tony became increasingly interested in exploring the potential for online technologies to enhance student engagement. In his current role Tony works with academics and course teams to explore the use of blogs, wikis, podcasts and other learning technologies.

Tony led UCA’s strand of the 2009 JISC Open Educational Resources project, which led to the creation of a suite of educational videos exploring printmaking, sand-casting and ceramics manufacture. Tony’s current research focuses on the growth and development of online communities and their impact on student learning.

Polly Christie is currently the Manager of UCA Library’s new Digitisation Service, which will run a number of digital projects, including overseeing the development of UCA Image Bank, an online image resource and tool, which she has just launched as part of her previous role as Visual Resources Officer at UCA. On completing her MA in Electronic Communication and Publishing, Polly began her career at the Visual Arts Data Service (VADS) and was instrumental in establishing the service, going on to manage projects like the National Fine Art Education Digital Collection, and becoming Acting Director in 2008. As Director, Polly managed a period of change for VADS, overseeing its successful transition to become an independent Research Centre for the Visual Arts. 

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