Outline of the IOCS Process

Choosing an OCW Course

Students choose an OCW course (or part of a course) from an approved, accredited university through the IOCS website.  Using the IOCS Google Doc registration form embedded in the site, they register for their course by identifying the institution, course number, and title.  Sometimes, if the course is extensive or very advanced, students may decide to complete only certain parts of that course, in which case they identify what part(s) they agree to complete at the outset.  This is taken into account when they are assessed for their work.

The Learning Process

Once they choose their OCW course, students engage in the activities provided by that particular unit of study.  Learning activities vary widely from institution to institution and within disciplines, but coursework usually consists of one or more of the following:  course lectures, which can be video presentation or texts; learning activities like experiments or open-ended questions; demonstrations; and interim and final assessments.  Students apply themselves to these activities over the course of a high school marking period.  

Mentoring

Students receive individualized mentoring as they progress through their OCW course.  Highly motivated, gifted students who have found their “perfect” course may need little guidance, while others may benefit from varying degrees of structuring and advice along the way.  IOCS mentors check-in with students on a regular basis to gauge the level of mentoring intervention needed.  In all cases, the advanced content and high expectations inherent in the the coursework provides students with a glimpse into the demands that college poses and helps them prepare for their higher education.  

Assessment

Students combine their creativity with their newfound knowledge to synthesize a unique product that demonstrates and applies the new knowledge and skills they gained from the OCW.  The aim is that students go beyond a static PowerPoint presentation laden with mere text and pictures and produce an actual product, whether it is the demonstration of a new skill. the creation of a physical model, the designing and conducting of an experiment, the formulation of a theory, or some other creative way to show what they’ve learned, assessed by the IOCS Rubric.

The culminating IOCS experience is a 5- to 7-minute student exposition of learning in front of faculty and IOCS peers.  The work is assessed according to the IOCS Rubric, which is aligned to national and state standards.  

Opportunities for Student Achievement

By developing a framework for the advanced learning opportunities that OCW promises, schools will enable gifted and motivated students to progress beyond the scope of their traditional secondary curriculum.  

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IOCS by Juliana Meehan and Eric Sheninger is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 Unported License based on a work at https://sites.google.com/site/opencoursewarestudies/home.

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