Defining OER-enabled Pedagogy by Wiley & Hilton (2018) really cleared up what is considered an open resource and also introduced the possibility that some resources may be ‘open-washing’ i.e., giving off the impression of being ‘open’ when they actually don’t follow the 5R permissions. I thought I understood this concept from the previous reading but I think I conflated it with ‘free’ resources or other materials even though they may not follow this 5R guideline. I agree with Wiley, in that sometimes the varying terms and their difference in usage can be confusing thus I appreciate this approach in talking about OER-enabled pedagogy with a specific scope. Theoretically, if students are not limited by the copyright permissions of a resource then neither are the possibilities of their learning! When talking about student work being openly licensed (‘renewable assignments’), it made me think back to this course (EDCI 339) and how previous student blogs are available as samples (previous pod projects/digital portfolios). In this way, the work created by those students can inspire future learners, often acting as a ‘launchpad’ for further inquiries in differing contexts.
Wiley’s four-part test:
- Are students asked to create new artifacts (essays, poems, videos, songs, etc) or revise/ remix existing OER?
- Does the new artifact have value beyond supporting the learning of its author?
- Are students invited to publicly share their new artifacts or revised/remixed OER?
- Are students invited to openly license their new artifacts or revised/remixed OER?
Upon reviewing this test, I think that it’s an efficient way to determine if an assignment meets the guidelines of OER-enabled pedagogy. However, I can see the possibility of issues with privacy rights and minors, a topic we’ve previously discussed in this class. Are there/should there be restrictions related to the age of the student and the types of material that are openly shared/publicly licensed? Is there a way to facilitate anonymity in this endeavour? This might be worth exploring in more detail.
In terms of my own experience with OER-enabled pedagogy, I’m not sure that any experience from high school would pass all four components.
- For the first condition, I’ve both created new artifacts and remixed OERs.
- I believe there have been instances where this work would certainly benefit others besides myself.
- I have been invited to share my work as ‘reference’ material before.
- I don’t think I’ve had a conversation about licensing work with an instructor.
I participate as a note-taker for the accessible learning centre every semester but I’m not certain if this counts as the notes were not distributed widely or released into the open. My notes, summaries, and further explanations from desired courses have been anonymously provided to students with certain specialized needs that I am able to cater to. I suppose this has the opportunity to be openly licensed, assuming that the course(s) allow for this. I’ve also participated in activities similar to the examples from the reading – like creating test questions that were implemented into future exams for a course, creating new artifacts that have been used for future student reference, etc.
I am planning on becoming a teacher so I am curious about how I could implement this test into my future course planning, although, I would be concerned with minor privacy, as I would be a teacher in the elementary division. That aside, I would like to implement as much OER-enabled pedagogy as possible because I believe that it enhances learning for current and future students. It gives them autonomy, in a sense, as their work is not ‘disposable’ and it contributed to learning on a greater scale. As for further considerations, I think that Wiley is correct about the mutually fueled benefit of OERs and OER-enabled pedagogy and how they will support one another in their adaptation and implementation as well as in the progression of their quality/availability.
Resources:
Wiley, D. & Hilton, J. (2018). Defining OER-enabled Pedagogy. International Review of Research in Open and Distance Learning, 19(4). http://dx.doi.org/10.19173/irrodl.v19i4.3601
Photo by Martin Adams on Unsplash
Hi Tegan,
I completely agree that all the different definitions of the term open can be confusing! I also see how not having one clear definition makes it a lot more difficult for research to progress on this topic, so I definitely appreciated the clear explanation of OER-enabled pedagogy. Hopefully with OER-enabled pedagogy having a set definition and clear guidelines will allow for more research in this specific area.
I think it is so valuable for students to have the opportunity to learn in an environment with no restrictions created by copyright laws. It is also so important for students to have choice when it comes to their learning and to be able to take pride in their work and accomplishments. I do hope that the OER-enabled pedagogy approach would be able to be used in the elementary setting, but also struggle to see around some of the privacy concerns. I also wonder if there would be a lot of pushback from parents? Maybe not just in regards to privacy, but questioning the necessity of openly licensing the work of their children. I wonder if this would be easier to do if a specific project (that qualified as OER-enabled pedagogy) was done as a class and published using pseudonyms. In my science class last year I remember one of our readings was an article that was written and published by an elementary class. They worked with a scientist in order to come up with an inquiry, hypothesis, method of testing, and then carried out the experiment and wrote a paper to share with the world. It was really interesting and it was obvious the students were very proud! I am not sure if the answered to question 4 of the four-part test would have been yes as I read the article through the UVic database, so it very well could have been published to closed journals but the idea behind the project still was very inspiring and could easily been OER-enabled pedagogy if they chose to openly license the work. It was called “Blackawton bees” in case you are interested in looking more into it!
Thanks, Courtnay!
I’m going to check out that paper right now, it sounds lovely! I think that using pseudonyms would make it easier to quell parental concerns and ensure minors’ privacy. I think that if these worries were addressed many parents would be excited that their children are contributing to learning on a global scale!
Hello Tegan!
Thanks for your thoughts this week! I think it’s great that you’d like to apply this reading’s concept of OER-enabled pedagogy to your own future classroom. I liked how you said: “It gives them autonomy, in a sense, as their work is not ‘disposable’ and it contributed to learning on a greater scale.” I noticed your little play on words with ‘disposable assignments’ :). In my opinion, ‘renewable assignments’ feel much more valuable, in terms of the work and time invested, compared to ‘disposable’ ones. However, I do think this depends on the subject/topic, as ‘disposable assignments’ are not any less effective in some cases.
Hi Tegan!
Thanks for sharing your thoughts!
I think an OER-enabled pedagogy could be beneficial for elementary students as it allows them to learn without restriction and have more ownership over their work. I appreciate however, that you brought up the concern of privacy. Someone else’s post had the same concern and asked if students post anonymously, are they still going to feel the same amount of ownership over their work? What do you think? I had suggested perhaps students could publish their work under a nickname or a name they come up with so they still have a sense of ownership, but their personal information is not compromised.
Thanks again for sharing 🙂
Hey Maegan!
Yes, I think a pseudonym would work best, as it retains a certain level of privacy but also is connected to the learner in some way.
Hi Tegan!
Glad this weeks reading was able to clear things up for you and increase your understanding of an open resource. It was very interesting to hear about your own related experiences to OER-enabled pedagogy. As you plan on becoming a teacher, do you have any examples of OER-enabled pedagogy that you can think off the top of your head that you would implement?
Thanks for the post!