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Phoebe and Hunter found Emad and Divya! Powerful mages, they support travelers who are weary from their long quest. They say:
Take these items. They will help you on your quest!
Students who are able to obtain their resource without waiting for financial aid or choosing between another important cost are able to start learning earlier in their courses. Students have greater agency in the way they obtain and consume educational material, and are able to learn in a way that they prefer (e.g., print, online) or with accessibility software support. Here are some unique ways to incorporate the ethos of open without creating textbooks from scratch!
Democratize your syllabus
Democratize your syllabus
Using accessible, friendly, and supportive language in your syllabus or course outline is a way to build trust in students. You may want to engage portions of the Liquid or Human Syllabus to encourage students to engage with you and to build community. This might include:
Accessible formats
Mobile-friendly formats
Supportive language
Friendly, imperfect welcome video
Not only is this a departure from standard, policy-heavy syllabi, it can make the class seem more welcoming for students from non-majority groups, who are more likely to enter a course from a place of distrust.
You can also start your class with openness in mind by asking students to participate in the creation of definitions in the syllabus. This might include:
Class code of conduct
Options and choices for topics/delivery methods for various assignments
Opportunities for students to lead class sessions
Give input on marking schemes, etc.
Benefits to allowing for student input in the syllabus include increased engagement, higher order thinking, fewer missed assignments/deadlines, and more fun!
It's important to work within the guidelines at the university for our standard Course Outline.
Provide human or visual syllabus in addition to standard course outline
Establish percentages for course grading (e.g., exams = 30%, assignments = 20%) but leave choices and room for flexibility within (e.g., take home exams, choice of assignment topic/format) when class starts
Link both options in Canvas
Use non-disposable assignments
Use non-disposable assignments
Disposable assignments are assignments that add little value to the academic world and the community at-large. Students spend a lot of time and effort creating them, instructors spend a lot of time grading them, and the student disposes of the assignment after receiving the grade, often never looking at it again.
Non-disposable assignments are created to engage students in meaningful application of their learning by allowing them to inject meaning, value, purpose, identity and autonomy into the work.
Non-disposable assignments are characterized by Seraphin et al. (2019) as:
Collaborative. Students work together and participate in exchange that is closely aligned to the collaboration and teamwork found in the workplace.
Allowing for revision. Opportunities for revision, modification, and creativity are built into the assignment and its deadlines.
Sharing outside of the student-teacher partnership. Opportunities exist for the assignment to be shared to peers inside and outside of the classroom, and to the community.
Peer critique. Students have the chance to engage with their peers to improve their work, identify strengths, and make advancements in their learning.
Innovative. Non-disposable assignments aim to have students create and add to knowledge, not simply reiterate existing information.
Examples of non-disposable assignments can include:
Editing or creating articles on Wikipedia
Creating public-facing tutorials, videos, or learning objects
Creating study questions (and answers) for students
Creating a collaborative OER
Editing or annotating existing OER
Simulated journal peer review
Digital storytelling
Conducting research, rather than planning or analyzing research
Hegarty, B. (2015). Attributes of Open Pedagogy: A Model for Using Open Educational Resources. Educational Technology, 55(4), 3–13.
Seraphin, S. B., Grizzell, J. A., Kerr-German, A., Perkins, M. A., Grzanka, P. R., & Hardin, E. E. (2019). A conceptual framework for non-disposable assignments: Inspiring implementation, innovation, and research. Psychology Learning & Teaching, 18(1), 84–97.
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