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Teaching with OER, Open Pedagogy, and Working with Learners
4 Working with Learners
Elizabeth Mays; Barbara Illowsky; Rajiv Jhangiani; Nicole Allen; David Wiley; Jaime Marsh; Open Washington Open Educational Resources Network; Tacoma Community College; JoAnne Eller; Jennifer Snoek-Brown; and Community College Consortium for Open Educational Resources
Working with Learners: Overview
This section contains three parts – Student Spotlights, Learning with OER – Benefits to Students, and Student Planning – CCCOER.
Student Spotlights offers student spotlights from students who have been involved in the creation of OER materials and textbooks. This material comes from A Guide to Making Open Textbooks with Students: Project Ideas & Case Studies – Rebus Community & Elizabeth Mays.
Learning with OER – Benefits to Students offers faculty and student perspectives on the benefit to students of learning with OER and Open Education. This material comes from Barbara Illowsky, Rajiv Jhangiani, Nicole Allen, David Wiley, Jaime Marsh, Open Washington Open Educational Resources Network, Tacoma Community College, JoAnne Eller, and Jennifer Snoek-Brown.
Student Planning – CCCOER highlights ways that students and student groups can initiate and support Open Education. This material comes from CCCOER, with further resources from BCcampus.
Student Spotlight: Samara Burns, Open Logic Project
Throughout my graduate degree I had the opportunity to work as a student assistant for the Open Logic Project. The project began in the philosophy department of my home institution, The University of Calgary, and was motivated by the lack of intermediate logic textbooks available for professors to use. Those textbooks that were available were very expensive, and often confusing for students who were relatively new to logic. In response to this issue, the Open Logic Project created a collaborative, customizable open-source textbook. This kind of book has several advantages over traditional textbooks. Formal logic makes use of mathematical symbolism, but the symbols used vary from book to book. The customizable features of the Open Logic textbook allow faculty to choose the symbols that they wish to use. The book also gives instructors the ability to change the content as they see fit, and students do not have to pay for an electronic copy.
The book is written in LaTeX and stored on Github. Typesetting in LaTeX makes the customization aspect of the textbook easier. Important symbols and words have been tagged throughout the text and, if a faculty adopting the textbook wishes to change a certain symbol or word, they can simply alter one line of code rather than searching the entire document. Adding or removing chapters from the book is just as easy. The Github platform gives others the ability to make changes and “push” them to the main hub if they feel those changes benefit the textbook overall. The collaborative nature of the project means that the book is continually being updated, expanded, and improved upon.
The project was instigated by my master’s thesis supervisor, and I was one of several student assistants hired to help develop the text. I worked on several chapters in the textbook. In most instances, I was given class notes from professors affiliated with the project and was responsible for converting them into cohesive chapters. Each chapter turned out to be about fifteen pages in length. I was not only required to translate the notes into appropriate sentence/paragraph structure, but because of the format of the book, I had to remember to tag key words and symbols in order to accommodate customization. This led to some technical difficulties along the way. As the chapters progressed, new challenges would arise, such as the need to create and integrate diagrams into the chapters. This required extra research and time to execute correctly.
Ultimately, the key to success on the project, for me, was open communication with the two professors I was working with, and clear communication regarding expectations and deadlines. In addition to this, getting feedback on my work was extremely important, and I had to give myself enough time to make extensive revisions to my pieces. I discovered that writing a textbook is a different experience than writing an academic essay. The editing process was extensive, and was done both in-person and through email. In-person meetings were helpful, as we sat down down with a physical copy of the chapter and determined what sections needed revision or expansion. The GitHub platform facilitated online editing, as my professors had access to my work as I uploaded it. They could edit the chapters directly or contact me with their feedback.
My experience with the Open Logic Project has given me a new appreciation for teaching. I was lucky enough to have the opportunity to TA for a course where the book was used. This gave me the opportunity to see how students were responding to the text and gather feedback from them. Student feedback was used to improve the textbook at the end of the semester and the changes were published on GitHub. Being part of the project gave me tremendous insight into which elements of a textbook are most important for student learning, which will be valuable knowledge as I continue to teach in the future.
Key Takeaways
When conceiving a new project idea, look for existing gaps in the textbooks available for your field.
Get graduate students involved!
Clearly communicate your expectations and deadlines.
Give students feedback about their work at various stages of the project.
If you are using an open textbook in your classroom, don’t discount the feedback your receive on it from students. Try to contact the textbook creators if you discover elements that need editing or updating.
Samara Burns is currently finishing her master’s degree in philosophy at the University of Calgary, where she studies formal logic. She plans to pursue a Ph.D. in 2018.
Student Spotlight: Matthew Moore, The Open Anthology of Earlier American Literature, 2nd Edition
I was among the students who worked on professor Tim Robbins’ classroom project at Graceland University to expand The Open Anthology of Earlier American Literature. Enrolled in Tim’s Early American Literature course last fall, he introduced an assignment that would entail us contributing and expanding an open anthology of literature. Most of us must have pondered: “open anthology”? I know I did. Divided into groups, each of us took on various roles from writing introductions for literary works to researching biographical information to provide brief historical context. Although initially daunting, I don’t think I speak only for myself when I say that as a class this assignment offered rewards and payoffs both intellectually and communally; plus, it was just plain fun. My group in particular chose the works of Roger Williams to curate, write introductions to, and research Williams’ historical impact. Here, I quickly realized the importance of such an anthology. Williams’ work fought in defense of indigenous people’s rights in North America. Neither I nor the rest of my group had encountered his works or narratives in high school classes.
It became clear that this was more than just some group project reinforcing the value of collaboration or how to conduct proper research; the open source anthology plugged a handful of university undergraduates into a larger, reciprocal community between peers and instructors. Ultimately, however, that line began to blur. The autonomy and authority fostered in the students, and the fact that this project actively sought and utilized student perspectives, was empowering. Engaged with this digital pedagogy, given backstage passes to the world of academic anthologies, we curated works that seemed urgent for a new generation of students. In this way, it was our own critique of the traditional and reiterated canon that has been burnt into the retinas of undergrad English majors anywhere. Within that space we included untold histories, suppressed narratives, and stories that didn’t make the cut. In a small yet surprisingly diverse university with students from all different cultural and ethnic backgrounds and who encounter literature in their own nuanced ways, the inclusion of these pieces was vital. It was less a matter of reprinting a time-honored magnum opus as it was a cultural responsibility to validate the works of quelled voices.
We also, indirectly, became acquainted with the bureaucratic side of anthologizing: working within open domain and the restrictions of copyright, which lent insight into the inner workings of the literary industry.
It dawned on me: in the larger picture, and with each contribution, we were opening access to academic material to a global community; possibly even to some without access to higher education. In that sense, we felt as if our positions of academic privilege, in this case, were used in a productive and egalitarian way, even if it may have been a small feat. Knowing that our contributions to the open source anthology would be read, understood, and interpreted by future readers from all avenues of life is a mesmerizing thought.
Having been led to believe in the authoritative role of the textbook, its glorified place in academia, this project turned that notion on its head and, instead, cultivated a community of student-to-student communication that was far more productive and valuable to some of us than purchasing a $150 textbook. From the university student who can’t afford the textbook, let alone grip the thing, to the literary nerd aimlessly scouring the recesses of the Internet in search of a literary text, the benefits of being open are many. With an anthology for students written by students, we break away from a precedent of reading these works in esoteric circles, and open new, inclusive frontiers of engaging with a text and, more important, having access to it.
Key Takeaways
Bring in different perspectives from faculty and students while working on the project. In so doing, empower your students by placing their feedback on par with faculty reviews.
Matthew Moore is an English and studio art major at Graceland University.
Quiz: Student Spotlights
Learning with OER – Benefits to Students
This section offers faculty and student perspectives on the benefit to students of learning with OER and Open Education.
Barbara: I think the question really is, why should anybody require a textbook that students need to pay for? If there are open textbooks out there, or low cost textbooks that are high quality, why would we not choose that? Why would we say, oh, letʻs let the students pay $200.
Rajiv: You do have to ask yourself the question, if I can achieve the same pedagogical goals with an open textbook as I can with materials that will traditionally cost $200, why would I carry on?
Barbara: When we think about educating our students, what we want for them is to reach their educational goals. And if having affordable support, such as textbooks, learning materials, tuition, everything else helps them to reach their goals, we’ve done our job. So instead of asking why choose an open textbook, I think the question is why choose a textbook that costs money.
Title: What instructors are saying about Open Textbooks…
Rajiv Jhangiani: I mean one is raising awareness. A lot of my colleagues are unaware that open textbooks, exist, that open educational resources exist at all. So alerting them to the fact that, you know, very high quality materials are available that they could use in their courses without having to force their students or propel their students to spend $120 – $150 every term. So that’s one, that these things exist.
Brian Lamb: Because I think it is one of those forms of institutional change, that maybe because it’s the hook of the textbook, people seem to be able to get their heads around it. Sometimes we talk about different types of open education, we run into a bit of a conceptual wall. Usually it doesn’t take very long to explain the textbooks, and it doesn’t take that long to explain the benefits.
Hammond Tarry: And the beauty of an open textbook is because you can amend and adapt, you can rewrite the bits you don’t like, you can add in the bits you want, and you can take out the bits you don’t want. So it enhances academic freedom. I think that’s what it’s all about to me.
Denise Iacobucci: I like to think that technology and education are always changing and growing, and I think open textbooks are one possibility of how that merging, growing together is going to look like in the future.
Quill West: I have the best job in the world because I have, I get to work with a diverse group of people. I’m taking resources that make education better.
Hammond Tarry: I think it’s a win-win situation for the students and for us.
Nicole Allen on Open Textbooks
In this video (2:44), Nicole Allen discusses the problems with the current textbook paradigm and the promise of open textbooks. She is the OER Program Director at the Scholarly Publishing and Academic Resources Coalition (SPARC), and was formerly the Make Textbooks Affordable Campaign Director at the Student Public Interest Research Groups (SPIRG).
There is tension around textbooks. On the one hand, textbooks are considered an antiquated format, almost taboo to champion in the 21st century. On the other hand, textbooks are the most common educational material used in formal education, and a format with which teachers are very familiar.
At the same time some are pushing for abandoning textbooks, others see the textbook format as the best way forward for open educational resources.
Discussion Prompt
If open educational resources become too closely associated with the textbook format, will it help or hinder their adoption? What do you think would be the best two or three strategies for proponents of open educational resources to use in encouraging their adoption?
A Keene State College undergraduate reflects on her experiences with Open Education:
So…for those of you just joining me on this 16 week journey through Tropical Marine Biology (and our 9 day trip to Turks and Caicos in 2 days), you might be wondering what all these blog posts are about, and why are we doing them? As a junior, and incoming senior studying Biology at Keene State College, several of my teachers have changed their teaching philosophy to open education. Open education is the philosophy and belief that people, even the world should produce, share, and build on knowledge that everyone has access to. It is believed that open education will promote a higher quality education and community that has been so limited by the textbook companies and licenses.
The first “open education” course I took at Keene State College was an Introduction to Neurobiology with Dr. Whittemore. I understood the concept, and like any other assignment, I did it, according to the guidelines given, and produced the work. However, I took it for granted. I didn’t take advantage of the opportunity to take over my education like I should have. This past semester I am currently finishing up, I took two courses in which professors taught with the open education philosophy: Endocrine and Endocrine Disruption and Tropical Marine Biology. Noticing a trend in the upper level biology courses and professors new philosophy, I decided to give this open education philosophy a chance. I figured worse that could happen was that, I didn’t have to pay for yet another ridiculously expensive text book. At first, I was hesitant to accept this change, but eventually adapted, and actually learned so much. So, here it goes, what open education taught me:
To Keep An Open Mind
The traditional methods of Powerpoint slides and textbook readings are slowly coming to an end, and that is okay. I was skeptical that this open education philosophy would work, questioned what I was going to learn, before I even gave it a chance. So, I learned to keep an open mind. Education isn’t a way single, one-way, narrow, dead-end street. It is open to possibilities, and many of them, it doesn’t have to be a specific way. Your education is what you make of it, no matter how you may learn, be open to new methods; it is okay.
To Take Control of My Education
Open education comes down to one word: accountability. As a student using the open education philosophy, you chose a topic, do the research, compile it, and make a blog post, such as this one. YOU choose what YOU want to learn, and how YOU want to do it, and when YOU want to do it. Noticing a theme? This is your education, and for the first time, in a very long time, maybe ever, we have a say in what we want to learn. Granted, there are parameters and some guidelines we need to stick to, but the bottom line is, you get to learn what you want to learn, and that is huge; revolutionary maybe. The take away? Don’t take for granted your education, and don’t let an individual, whether a peer, professor, or textbook company, have more control over your education than you do.
That My Professors Are Still Learning Too
This might be one of the biggest take-aways I’ve gotten from the open education method. My professors are still learning too. After going to a talk with Dr. Bonnie Stewart, she said something that really caught my eye. “No teacher that is teaching with open pedagogy, is teaching the way they were taught. They are learning too.” When you think about it, it’s true. This is not how a single one of my professors, whether teaching open education or not, were taught. Even those who are not teaching with this philosophy are still learning, however, these professors who are, are learning this new method of teaching at the same time we are. That really put it in perspective for me, and is an important concept to all open education philosophy courses. And also really awesome, if you ask me.
To Collaborate With My Peers
Being in a Tropical Marine Biology course with eight other students, each writing eight blog post, on the same general concept on coral reefs, you tend to make connections in your writing with other’s work. In several of my blog posts I was able to tag my peer’s blog posts, in my blog posts, essentially making a spider web of connections, allowing us to collaborate, and expand our knowledge on the topic, and that is a huge part of education. I also had the opportunity to comment on my peer’s blog posts, give them feedback, but more importantly constructive criticism. I also had several of my blog posts commented on and critiqued. Not only was I able to correct them, but it helped me develop my other blog posts and ultimately my E-port in ways, I would never have been able to if I didn’t have an E-port or if I wasn’t in an open education classroom.
To Trust the System
Another important lesson: to trust the system, don’t fight it, accept it and take advantage of it. This system works, I can’t even begin to tell you how much I learned, and will continue to learn outside the classroom. I have developed an in-depth portfolio for myself that will take me far beyond the classroom, into the work place and potential graduate school opportunities. Your professors, while they are learning at the same time you are, know what they are doing, and are full-heartedly behind the open education system because they believe not just in you, but in a better education for society and the world, and who wouldn’t want to be apart of that?
To Be Proud and Confident In My Work
I have always been a student who hasn’t been fully confident in my work. Constantly worrying if I put in enough time, enough effort, if I did this the right way, I essentially became a perfectionist. I do not like showcasing my work, I especially do not like getting up in front of a classroom and presenting my work, and putting my work on the internet has been no exception. However, this has taught me that it is okay to be wrong every once in a while, and that I should be proud of my work. As any student does, I put in copious amounts of time and effort, you could even say blood, sweat, and tears (probably more tears than anything), but this work we do should be showcased for everyone to see, not just sent on a link to Canvas just for the professor to see. So, be proud and confident in your work!
To Put Yourself Out There and Make Connections
Recently, I had gotten some attention on a tweet I had sent out about Dr. Bonnie Stewart’s talk she had given at Keene State College. Individuals of all kinds including, doctors and professors, even from other colleges, had taken the time to like or retweet my simple tweet. From there, several of those individuals then followed me, so when I complete a new blog post, I have an audience, and hope those same individuals take the time to click on my link and read my post. And sometimes they do, and sometimes they comment! These connections we make today, or even tomorrow can help shape the rest of our lives, so despite how awkward or weird you may feel for putting yourself out there, asking people to read your post, and seeing what they think about it, do it; it can lead to connections, networking, and opportunities. Take advantage!
To learn more about open education, and hear from some influential individuals leading the way on open education, follow @karencang or @actualham on Twitter!
About Jaime Marsh
Jaime Marsh is currently a Senior at Keene State College in New Hampshire, majoring in Biology. You can read more about her at www.jaimemarsh.wordpress.com.
Tacoma Community College: Student Guide to OER: OER Stories
An important stakeholder group and set of team members in most open education plans is students. Student groups, particularly student governments, are strong advocates for open education. More importantly, student groups can provide feedback on how open education affects their learning. There are a variety of ways that students can support open education efforts. Here are some suggestions for working with student groups.
Ask for Feedback
Students who take open education courses can describe how the change in learning resources affected their study habits, experience of the class, interactions with the teacher, and impacts on pocketbooks and grades. There are a variety of ways to ask students for feedback on their experiences with OER including surveys, focus groups, writing prompts, and interviews.
Students can be strong partners on advisory groups and in the planning process. Invite student participants to the committee. Remember that students can help in advocacy, because faculty, administrators, and staff members are heavily invested in student experiences. Students are impacted most heavily by expensive textbook costs, and inviting student groups to your planning process sends a message that the institution cares about textbook costs and student success.
Inspire Student Events
Students can plan events to talk about textbook cost and open education. Ask student groups to plan advocacy events that will speak to other students. Ask them to include faculty who have adopted open education. Inspire a more complete conversation that includes the Bookstore, faculty, and student groups. Be sure that the conversation is constructive and institution-wide.
Students are also adept at using social media tools to motivate one another. For example the #textbookbroke campaign has sparked interest in open education worldwide. Student groups could be encouraged to add to an existing social media campaign on open education, or they could start their own.
Engage the Student Government
Student governments are the best allies in open education, because they often have regular meetings with institutional leadership and are often invited to committees throughout the institution. Also, student governments tend to have strong guidance in terms of exercising their student voice. The Student Government Resource Center published a helpful handbook that includes open education called “Making Textbooks Affordable.”
