2024 Open Education Conference

This interactive panel will feature authors of three diverse chapters from the open collection, Higher Education for Good: Teaching and Learning Futures. Collectively, the panel will share insights on their authoring processes, open collaboration, participation in the authors’ community, and the value of coalition-building with diverse voices across global higher education to create more hopeful futures. The discussion will draw upon common themes across the chapters: reimagining teaching and learning, critical approaches, and open practice as a force for change. The three chapters represented in the panel draw on lived experience from North American, European, and African perspectives, mirroring the global breadth of the wider collection. This session is designed as a discursive space for the panelists to share their unique experiences as authors, collaborators, and community-members in the hopes of inspiring others to adopt similar methods of open collaboration and authoring.

Attendees of this session will be able to:

• Reflect on open authoring, collaboration, and the peer review process from a variety of diverse perspectives
• Compare and contrast the common themes and challenges that prevail in higher education across the globe
• Assess the challenges and opportunities of openly collaborating within wider networks
• Appreciate the value of accomplishments in open scholarship and authoring

Historically, the development of open learning resources has been based on creating a library of static open learning resources (SOLR) that can be discovered, adapted and applied in a learning environment. This approach has suffered from numerous well-documented weaknesses: out-of-date content, obsolete technology, discoverability, context-sensitivity, localization and accessibility, up-front cost and storage overhead, and a general failure to adapt and reuse the learning materials. With the recent development of broadly effective generative artificial intelligence (GAI) this has led some to suggest that open learning resources can and should be developed at the time and point of need. The GAI could address each of the issues with SOLR by addressing it based on the learning need at the time of that need, as described by the specific prompt and the context of application. This presentation will provide an overview of the technology required to support such an approach.

Attendees of this session will be able to:

• Identify weaknesses in static open learning resources (SOLR)
• Create dynamic open learning resources using GAI
• Identify and address issues related to the use of GAI in open learning

In this session we will consider the unique ways in which OER can support and drive workforce credentialing programs. We will discuss OER’s adaptability and flexibility in relation to localization and customization, and also showcase the ways in which OER can be continuously improved and updated to meet changing learner and industry needs. We will focus on two exemplar categories of OER in workforce programs: (1) Durable, multi-industry skills that support student achievement; (2) industry-specific competencies required for certification and/or degrees in technical and similar fields. Finally, we will discuss practical ways that institutions, governments, industry entities, and OER producers can collaborate to create relevant and equity-centered programs accessible to all.

Attendees of this session will be able to:

• Develop knowledge related to microcredentials and workforce development.
• Align the 5Rs and other OER characteristics with microcredential and workforce needs.
• Evaluate workforce development opportunities (e.g. programs or grants) to determine if an OER solution or proposal will meet the intended outcomes.
• Identify and pursue opportunities for industry-institutional collaboration.
• Plan and implement productive project structures and approaches to incorporate OER into workforce development programs.

Slides available at: https://hdl.handle.net/10919/121325

Large-enrollment courses tend to produce assessment headaches for instructors in nearly any discipline. And when courses depart from testing and grading by hand, assessment can become even more complex. These assessment challenges can reduce the likelihood that an instructor chooses an open textbook. While subject matter experts have begun to generate human created and/or AI-written/human edited test banks for their topics, these testbanks typically align to QTI formats, which are multiple choice, lack graphics, and don’t meet the needs of some courses especially those in math-intensive disciplines. In 2023, Departments of Mathematics and Statistics at Virginia Tech, with support from the University Libraries Open Education Initiative began piloting WeBWorK, an open-source hosted software solution already used at many institutions. We present a case study of this pilot project, discuss project framing, decisions, impact, WeBWorK and OER adoption, and our hopes for the future.

Attendees of this session will be able to:

• Describe programmatic efforts to explore homework software in a campus or system environment.
• Meet other people dealing with math assessment and mathematically-rich homework software issues.
• Find further information regarding low-cost and open homework systems
• Be able to articulate the use case for a system like WeBWorK.
• Summarize our programmatic efforts, reflecting on decisions made, the capacities of our team members, barriers and lessons learned, and results part-way through year two.

In this session, attendees will engage in dialogue about the fundamental challenges encountered in collaborative OER development. We'll delve into a faculty member's experience using open pedagogy to guide a student through undergraduate research, resulting in a remixed OER textbook for Animal Physiology. We will describe how faculty's expertise, the student's perspective, and foundational support of an OER Librarian converge to create a multi-pronged approach to course transformation, integrating adoption, adaptation, and creation of course materials. Additionally, we'll discuss barriers students face in OER involvement, reasons to involve students as OER project partners, strategies for student funding and training, and mutual benefits for faculty-student collaboration in educational development.

Attendees of this session will be able to:

• Recognize the essential components of successful collaborative OER projects, including faculty expertise, student perspective, and OER principles.
• Evaluate barriers faced by students in OER involvement, including creation, adaptation, and adoption.
• Develop strategies for gauging student readiness for OER projects.
• Navigate the complexity and scope of collaborative OER initiatives.

The Salish Sea Curriculum Repository is a collaboration among educators at Whatcom Community College, Western Washington University, and other bioregional institutions to make available materials for use in developing and teaching lessons and courses about the Salish Sea. The repository includes original OER as well as an index of curated resources. Built in WCC’s Omeka S installation, the repository uses Dublin Core metadata standards, linked data, and submitter-generated metadata to support discoverability of learning objects. Through a short-term work opportunity lasting 35-40 hours total, three students have contributed to improving resource discovery within the repository. Hear from all three students about the work of and lessons from learning to write concise, keyword-rich, plain-language resource summaries and cleaning up item metadata to facilitate curriculum-sharing among an interdisciplinary, cross-institutional faculty group engaged in place- and land-based teaching.

Attendees of this session will be able to:

• Write a strong resource description for an interdisciplinary user group following a student-created human algorithm
• Structure transformative work/learning opportunities for students
• Collaborate with students and librarians on using Omeka S as an open source tool for resource discovery
• Understand the value of the Salish Sea Curriculum Repository and land- and place-based learning more generally

E-portfolios serve as important tools for students, aiding reflection and presenting samples of work to potential employers and graduate schools. However, ensuring accessibility for students with varying digital literacy levels remains a challenge. Join Terry from Trent University and Amber from Boise State University as they discuss this pressing issue. Drawing from Terry's project, “An e-Book of One’s Own: My Learning Journey,” and its influence on Amber's creation of “An ePortfolio Template for Language Majors,” we'll explore the development of openly licensed portfolio templates using tools like Pressbooks. Together, we’ll reflect on our experiences and discuss how these templates empower students from every skill level, working to ensure all students feel confident and comfortable showcasing and reflecting on their work with ease and inclusivity.

Attendees of this session will be able to:

• Identify challenges related to accessibility for students with a wide range of digital literacy levels.
• Explain the concept of openly licensed portfolio templates and their potential benefits for student engagement.
• Explore practical strategies for developing and implementing openly licensed portfolio templates using tools like Pressbooks.
• Apply insights gained from the session to promote inclusivity and empower students of all skill levels in showcasing and reflecting on their work.

Background: Open education resources (OER) textbooks can benefit courses, but are often unavailable for niche topics. Creation of novel OER is worthwhile but may require more effort than is feasible for a professor. Methods: We describe a novel process for engaging undergraduates (UG) in OER creation, including the strategy, roles, instructions, and potential impact of this experiential learning project. Results: Currently, 16 UG are collaborating on 7 chapters, using 7 SOPs covering source curation, citation, hyperlinks, content writing, and auditing. A modular database facilitates task sign up and monitoring. Discussion: Our approach is effective and can be refined to further serve our team and others. Engaging UG in OER creation is symbiotic and fosters future OER leaders by increasing awareness and skill-building.

Attendees of this session will be able to:

• Describe obstacles to finding OER for some academic courses.
• Discuss the substantial effort needed to create novel OER.
• Apply novel process for involving UG in OER textbook creation, including relevant organizational systems.
• Create accessible OER textbook using SOPs and monitoring systems to guide the team in strategic content writing, editing, image creation, and attributions.
• Evaluate effectiveness of OER textbook processes utilized by our team.

This presentation explores the ethical, legal, and societal dilemmas posed by AI technologies in the context of open education. Open education approaches are often associated with related concepts (critical pedagogy, OER, OEP, open science). There are exciting visions for leveraging AI technologies but an authentically “open” approach to AIED is nascent. 'Explicable AI' (XAI) attempts to address AI's opaqueness, advocating for systemic, environmental and socio technical transparency. However, most XAI understates the complexity of finding language and concepts that are explainable and interpretable to all stakeholders. There are also unresolved legal questions regarding the use of AI to produce OER: is it an interesting subversion of copyright, or a mechanism for ‘stealing’ copyrighted content and transferring it to the public domain? It’s essential that we enculture transparency if we are to understand the full social and environmental impact of AI.

Attendees of this session will be able to:

• Nuanced understanding of the relationship between open education and AI
• Exploration of the impact of generative AI on The Commons
• Reflection on the relevance of AI for open practice
• Refinement of concepts relevant to open education and AI in education

How do you make innovation work when the day job as an educator gets ever busier? Where do you find inspiration and solutions to practical problems on fragmented social networks? Over the past 10 years, our organization has built a growing community of practice on the back of our day-to-day business activities, and we have experimented with moving these activities to social spaces that are run and owned by and for educators. In this presentation, we will share lessons learned from two such transitions: our move to Mastodon, a self-hostable, decentralized social networking platform, and Ghost, an open source blogging platform. During the sessions, we’ll use White’s Visitors/Residents foundational model and a "pre-mortem" evaluation to share our perspectives on the current state of social media and discuss the practical setup on new social platforms and highlight common pitfalls. We think it’s about time to assert your digital identity and reclaim your socials!

Attendees of this session will be able to:

• Use federated social networks such as Mastodon for professional development, dissemination and networking;
• Evaluate how engaging with different social networks aligns with their values and competencies;
• Explore belonging and engagement via a visitors/residents model;
• Carry out a ‘pre-mortem’ reflective exercise about social media for professional development;
• Apply lessons learnt and practical know how to their own personal, professional or institutional social media use.

SLIDES

Digital Promise worked closely with community members to co-design and develop OER professional development and classroom resources for engaging secondary students in racial equity and social justice discourse. Now, these OER materials are being scaled to three districts through a cohort model in conjunction with Professional Learning Communities (PLCs) to support implementation. The resources are designed to increase cultural competency, community-school connections, and feelings of belonging. This session will focus on learnings from scaling the OER materials. The presenters will share what they have learned about the supporting factors needed to use these materials and facilitate conversations around racial equity. Educators will walk away with a deeper understanding of the OER resources and the support needed to increase the adoptability and scalability of the resources in secondary schools.

Attendees of this session will be able to:

• Gain a deeper understanding of the OER material “Socratic Circles to Engage in Racial Equity Discourse” and understand the support needed to implement this resource.
• Identify the conditions that support the facilitation and implementation of OER materials in a K-12 setting.
• Identify the ways they can implement this OER resource in their educational setting.

In the contemporary digital landscape, the integration of Artificial Intelligence with Open Educational Resources is catalyzing a revolution in K-12 education. This session will delve into how AI enhances the educational experience by providing personalized learning pathways that enhance learning outcomes for students. AI's capability to analyze vast datasets allows for the optimization of learning resources, ensuring that they meet the unique needs of each student. The presentation will not only highlight current trends and practical applications but will also engage with the future possibilities of AI in expanding the reach and impact of OER. By harnessing AI, educators can significantly enrich the learning experience, making education more accessible, personalized, and effective for every K-12 student.

Attendees of this session will be able to:

• After participating in this session, attendees will be able to understand how AI and OER can be integrated into K-12 classroom instruction to personalize learning.
• After participating in this session, attendees will be able to explore the use of AI in developing and curating tailored OER for their students.
• After participating in this session, attendees will be able to understand the importance of evaluating the impact of AI- and OER-driven instruction and assessments and feedback mechanisms.
• After participating in this session, attendees will be able to consider the future of K-12 education with AI-enhanced open educational resources.

Open education requires slow, sustained relationship-building and creative thinking, but this work is often built around funding deadlines, or crammed into the small spaces between other projects. Taking the theme of the conference literally, this session explores what it means to “manage” and "spend" time in open education work. Through group discussion, we will connect our personal experiences to concepts like calendar culture, precarity, urgency, and slow movements. We will reflect on how to balance different approaches in our work and organizations, and hopefully come away with renewed self-compassion and a few practical strategies to try. This session is designed for open education practitioners at every experience level and organization type, although the presenter comes from a U.S. higher education context.

Attendees of this session will be able to:

• Approach the challenges of time-bound open education work with more clarity and self-compassion.
• Implement 1-2 new strategies for navigating time in open education work, such as a calendar practice, software/app, or self-care and boundary-setting approach.