Open Pedagogy

Rajiv S. Jhangiani illustrates five principles of open assignment design in Open as Default: The Future of Education and Scholarship that he recommends keeping in mind.

1. allow students to develop and exercise useful skills that align well with course and program learning outcomes;
2. produce something that will add value to the world;
3. produce something that will be openly available;
4. provide sufficient support so that the experience will not be terrifying for them (a serious concern as we ask them to step outside of their comfort zones); and
5. build in enough latitude so that the assignment constitutes a creative project and not simple a recipe for the same product.

 Open as Default: The Future of Education and Scholarship by Rajiv S. Jhangiani

1. Edit, adapt, add to, or remix existing OER
2. Create OER from scratch
3. Create an anthology collection
4. Edit Wikipedia or another Wiki (like Appropedia)
5. Create “learning architecture” (i.e. have students create and publish on their own Canvas-surrogate that can exist even after the class’s Canvas page is deleted)
6. Write OpEd pieces instead of essays
7. Apply research skills in order to give back to their local communities
8. Engage in dialogue with authors or other experts through social media
9. Treat rubrics, syllabi, assignments, and learning outcomes as co-constructed, as collaborative acts with student and faculty
10. Curate the content of the course (by, for example, giving them multiple texts/readings/assignments to choose from)
11. Find ways to increase the accessibility of the class

This advice comes from the various chapters found in A Guide To Making Open Textbooks With Students from professors and librarians who have implemented open pedagogy practices into their classrooms.

On Making OER Textbooks

• Look to your peers for inspiration! You may find their projects can be replicated in your classroom.
• Look for existing gaps in the textbooks available for your field when conceiving a new project idea.
• Map new projects to the learning objectives already laid out for your course.
• Familiarize yourself with the various platforms you will be using before the project begins. This will be necessary to assist and guide students through the project.
• Survey funding options such as research grants and work-study programs in order to obtain ongoing student help with the project after the semester is complete.
• Partner with community organizations, so that your project has an impact beyond the classroom.
• Invite a librarian in for a “guest lecture” on content licensing and attribution to help students make informed decisions. Ask them to introduce students to the resources available at your institution. If these staff cannot come to the classroom, connect students to approach them as needed.
• Be organized. Take your students through the project timeline when you first start out, and try to stick to it!
• Set clear expectations with your students: What are the final deliverables they need to submit?
• Clearly communicate your expectations and deadlines.
• Clearly communicate license requirements for images, videos, or other materials that might be included in the textbook.
• Inform your students if they must find public domain sources, and if possible, direct them toward some repositories. Teach them how to properly cite these sources up front.
• Have students decide how to credit and license their contributions.
• Encourage your students to look beyond literature (on the Internet or on paper) when conducting research. Suggest they conduct interviews with working professionals or other experts in the field.
• Give students small assignments that help them build confidence and acquire the skills needed to complete a larger, final assignment.
• Get graduate students involved!
• Devote ample time for the research and writing stages.
• Build in time within the semester to collaboratively edit and refine the final product.
• Conduct regular check-ins with students to assess the group dynamics. Use this time to track the project’s progress and ensure that everyone is aware of what is going on and where the project is headed.
• Give students feedback about their work at various stages of the project.
• Encourage students to express their frustration when they experience roadblocks or obstacles. Offer what support you can, and help them see problems in a different perspective.
• Have your students present their work to a public audience if possible, and/or look for a related event or celebration. This has a two-fold benefit: it gives students a deadline-in-disguise, and imbues them with a feeling of accomplishment.

On Remixing OER Materials

• For Faculty:
  • Engage with student governments, who may be able to spread the word about your project and help recruit interested and willing students.
  • Involve TAs who have both taken the course and are assisting in teaching the course and leverage their experience as students.
  • Review existing materials (slide presentations, lesson plans, assignments and more) to see if there are any that can be converted into content for the open textbook.
  • Get student feedback on the completed book. It’s valuable! Be sure to implement fixes where appropriate for future editions.
• For Students:
  • Look for internal and external funding opportunities that may pay for your professor to hire you to help them create OER.
  • Clarify roles, expectations, workflow, and timelines.
• Build on an existing open textbook to expand it.
• Get your students to reflect on their participation and engagement in the collaborative project. Ask them to develop their own grading rubrics, outline individual and group roles, or more.
• Think about how you can add to the “traditional” approach to your subject matter to engage students and how an open textbook might afford those opportunities.
• Frame learning as an ongoing process rather than one that ends upon receipt of a final grade.

• 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.

A Guide To Making Open Textbooks With Students by Rebus Community