MedidaPrix Award – An Agent for Changing Higher Education eLearning Practice

With the possibilities of virtual or blended learning environments, remarkable opportunities for new forms of learning have emerged. Responding effectively to this transformation process we need both to capture, honor and disseminate high quality eLearning materials, and to initiate a new sharing mentality.

The MedidaPrix (“Mediendidaktischer Hochschulpreis”) is an initiative that intends to function as a change agent exactly for this complex transformation process. Beginning in the year 2000, the Society for Media in Science (GMW) announces annually a highly endowed contest with an award sum of Euro 100’000. Participation is limited to Germany, Austria and Switzerland. The award sum is funded by ministries of the countries mentioned and is earmarked for continuing project development.

Based on the pattern movement the authors discuss in this paper the different strategic measures set by the MedidaPrix Award to change the lock-up culture of learning materials currently found in higher education organizations and to promote high quality material as Open Educational Resources (OER).