Ontario Tech University acknowledges the lands and people of the Mississaugas of Scugog Island First Nation. We are thankful to be welcomed on these lands in friendship. The lands we are situated on are covered under the Williams Treaties and the traditional territory of the Mississaugas, a branch of the greater Anishinaabeg Nation, including Algonquin, Ojibway, Odawa and Pottawatomi. These lands remain home to a number of Indigenous nations and people.
We acknowledge this land out of respect for the Indigenous nations who have cared for Turtle Island, also called North America, from before the arrival of settler peoples until this day. Most importantly, we remember the history of these lands has been tainted by poor treatment and a lack of friendship with the First Nations who call them home.
This history is something we are all affected by as we are all treaty people in Canada. We all have a shared history to reflect on, and each of us is affected by this history in different ways. Our past defines our present, but if we move forward as friends and allies, then it does not have to define our future.
During the pivot to online instruction that rocked the higher-education world in early 2020, students were the most affected. They lost community connections, in-class experiences, and job opportunities. Ontario Tech University students were disproportionately affected by this change.
At the same time, a grassroots OER movement has been growing on campus. OER are an effective way to enhance student engagement by creating custom, localized resources that take into account students' backgrounds, knowledge, and interests. Yet faculty are under immense pressure to adjust their instruction for the online environment.
These two pressures led to the creation of the OER Lab, a student-run, staff-managed group that brings content and technological expertise to the timely creation of high quality OER that are used directly in Ontario Tech courses by Ontario Tech students. The Lab has engaged dozens of students in its short lifetime, producing custom textbooks, ancillary resources, and interactive learning objects while collaborating directly with faculty and staff.
This presentation will discuss the strategies, successes, and challenges of the OER Lab and provide strategies for those wishing to implement similar opportunities at their institutions.
After participating in this session, attendees will be able to:
- Identify opportunities and barriers for OER collaboration at their respective institutions
- Create personal strategies for student engagement in the collaborative creation of OER
Access some of our resources and tools here (https://bit.ly/OntarioTech-OpenEd2021).
