Open Educational Resources (OER) are teaching and learning materials that are available without access fees. In addition to reducing the financial costs of education, the licensing of OER provides flexibility for innovation and creativity through what is termed OER-enabled pedagogy. By promoting access to quality learning materials, being adaptable to student needs and inclusive of diverse communities and people, and providing opportunities to underrepresented groups to share their knowledge and voice, OER serve as a tool to improve teaching and learning and promote social justice in higher education classrooms. As supported by research evidence, the benefits of OER may be particularly helpful for students who have not been well served traditionally in higher education, such as students from lower socioeconomic status backgrounds, first generation students, and students with disabilities. In this interactive discussion on how OER may be used as a tool for social justice, we briefly review the direct impact of OER adoption on reducing financial barriers to accessing education. This is followed by an explanation of OER licensing that allows for instructors to remix and revise materials and how this licensing affords instructors opportunities to adapt materials to be more culturally responsive, effectively align with learning objectives, and inclusive of student needs. Participants will engage with examples of OER in break out rooms to edit, remix, and revise materials to make them better suited for equitable education. This will follow with a discussion of how OER-enabled pedagogy can empower students to be active agents in their own learning through development of materials, collaborative learning, opportunities for sharing ideas and creative expression, and participatory activities. Participants will develop examples of how they could apply these principles in their own courses in break out rooms. By sharing these ideas, participants can give and receive feedback on their OER-enabled pedagogy possibilities and develop ideas for new techniques.
Learning Outcomes: Understand OER-enabled pedagogy (open pedagogy) Understand OER licensing Apply material adaptations to make for more inclusive and equitable teaching
Resources for this session: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1W8w3r0_fxhl02I6gDHA9yvH_7fKez8piTAJMGeapMJU/edit?usp=sharing
Dr. Virginia Clinton-Lisell began her career in education as an ESL teacher in New York City. She then obtained her PhD in Educational Psychology with a minor in Cognitive Science at the University of Minnesota where she was trained in educational research. She has published over... Read More →
Assistant Professor, The College of St. Scholastica
I am an Assistant Professor in the School of Education and Social Work at The College of St. Scholastica and a Ph.D. Candidate in Educational Foundations and Research at the University of North Dakota. I teach and design courses using multiple delivery methods to include face-to-face... Read More →
