Virtual University of Small States of the Commonwealth Case Study

The Virtual University for Small States of the Commonwealth (VUSSC) is a network of small countries that are committed to the collaborative development of free content resources for use in an educational context.  Small states represent 32  of the 54 member countries of the commonwealth and, although there are significant variations among them, many experience similar challenges regarding access to high-quality post-secondary education.  In response to this challenge, VUSSC was launched by commonwealth Ministers for Education at a conference in Halifax, Canada in 2000.

Since its inception, VUSSC has provided a collective mechanism for developing, adapting, and sharing courses and learning materials. It has also acted as a forum for institutions to build capacity and expertise in online collaboration, eLearning and information and communication technologies (ICT).  Educational institutions work with VUSSC in designing, developing, and delivering post-secondary, skills-related courses and university-level programmes in areas that enhance their economic, social and community growth. To this end, VUSSC promotes the sharing and transfer of course content, learning materials, and resources using Creative Commons (CC) licences.

The initiative has focused on policy, practice, and research in open educational resources (OER); the main focus has been openly licensed content development. From September 2015 to June 2021 (spanning the Commonwealth of Learning’s Last Strategic Plan), VUSSC has reached 29,302 unique learners and helped 26 institutions to improve their capacity to leverage open and distance learning (ODL). These have been aimed at various levels, including undergraduate, postgraduate, and teacher education.

This case study is based on survey responses and interviews with a former Commonwealth of Learning (COL) education specialist and a current education specialist, both of whom have worked with VUSSC.