5 Course Interactions and Concepts Explored

Housed in Canvas LMS and facilitated asynchronously, the Open Education Development Series (OEDS) content consists of course readings, presentations, and videos. In parts I-IV of the series, we included no-stakes assessments for progress-monitoring and self-assessment of learning, and discussion boards to collaboratively explore the key concepts associated with each part of the series.

Part V includes more synchronous elements such as expert guest speakers to discuss key considerations in the creation of OER. Guest speakers generally consisted of experts throughout Boise State University eCampus who volunteered to present on topics such as curation of content, copyright and accessibility, multimedia integration, and exploration of publication platforms. In addition to discussion boards, Part V also incorporates informal office hours which we found helped to connect and support participants, as well as provided them an opportunity to share progress, ask questions, and voice concerns on their individual OER projects.

OEDS Concepts and Estimated Time to Explore

Part I

Part I of our series targets an introduction to OER, encompassing what OER is (and isn’t), as well as its benefits to instruction and learning. It is delivered over the course of one week and takes an estimated 4-5 hours to complete. Its four modules explore:

• OER challenges, benefits
• Course considerations (what and why)
• 5Rs of OER
• Open Access
• Effective and efficient OER search strategies
• Copyright, Creative Commons licensing, and attribution

Part II

Within the same course as Part I, Part II focuses on how open education practices can transform instruction and learning. It is delivered over the course of one week and takes an estimated 4-5 hours to complete. It’s four modules explore:

• Open education mindset
• Timeline of the Open Education movement
• Open pedagogical practices

Part III

The second course, or Part III of our series, targets the OER search process and supports participants’ ability to critically review OER for adaptation and integration into their course. It is delivered over the course of 2 weeks and takes an estimated 7-10 hours to complete. Its four modules explore:

• Effective and efficient OER search strategies
• Evaluative criteria
• Textbook review and evaluation tools

Part IV

Part IV of our series is our third course offered and the first part that actively engages participants in the creation and sharing of open resources by remixing existing resources to better align with and support their courses. Part IV is estimated to take approximately 12 hours and is delivered over the course of four weeks (with the option to extend based on the demands of the remix project). Its four modules explore:

• Accessibility
• Open design
• Evaluative criteria
• 5Rs of OER
• CC Licensing

Part V

Part V of the OEDS is based largely on the previous Open Textbook Summer Grant program at Boise State University. It is our fourth course and supports participants in the creation of an original, openly-licensed textbook. This rigorous course is facilitated over the course of eight weeks and is only offered once a year, during the summer term. It takes an estimated 24-36 hours to complete. Its eight modules explore:

• Pressbooks
• CC Licensing
• Accessibility