Open Learning Network

In the consultation that led to the Learning Revolution White Paper, many people asked for better information about informal learning. They wanted information to be pulled together online so that it's much easier to both find out and make informed about informal learning opportunities, whether they are in the public, voluntary, self-organised or private sector.

As part of its commitment to the White Paper, Becta's Teach us a Lesson competition launched on Wednesday 7 October. The competition seeks to find the brightest and best ideas for developing online resources for people to find informal learning opportunities that interest them. This will happen by having entries submitted to the competition website, where they will be commented on and rated by other site users.

The Teach us a Lesson competition is a pretty informal one:

• Ideas will be submitted to the site throughout October and into early November
• During November, an unconference will be held for all those interested in the competition to come along and chat to one another, and hopefully form some collaborative alliances to put forward project proposals for the prototype funding
• The prototype funding, which will be awarded to up to 5 projects from a total pot of £25,000 will be awarded by the judging panel (the members of which are to be confirmed) in December
• The funded prototypes must be finished by March 2010 at the very latest

Find out more about the competition and its background, at www.teachusalesson.com/about and keep up to date by following on Twitter @TeachUsALesson.

Whilst this this competition is not explicitly aimed at OERs, it would be great if the availability of all the informal learning on OpenLearn and CMU's Open Learning Initiative, for example, was included.