Open licensing used in open educational resources allows for teaching and learning techniques that are not possible with traditional copyright. There is a growing body of empirical research on open pedagogy. However, definitions and instantiations of open pedagogy vary in the literature. The purpose of this systematic review was to systematically search and synthesize empirical findings on open pedagogy that were beyond simple use of open educational resources. An exhaustive and systematic search for relevant studies was conducted by searching four scholarly databases as well as backwards searches of the references of relevant studies and forward searches of citation. In addition, authors of relevant reports were contacted. This yielded 18 reports that included 14 studies on student learning and perceptions and 6 studies on faculty experiences.
The definitions of open pedagogy across empirical reports were examined. Generally, open pedagogy was defined in the context of open licensing affordances with students creating novel and useful artifacts that were then publicly shared. However, there were exceptions particularly when examining faculty experiences with open pedagogy. In these studies, part of the purpose was to examine teaching techniques for open pedagogy.
Overall, both students and faculty reported positive experiences with open pedagogy, although there was some concern about public sharing as well as confusion about the logistics of open pedagogy tasks and the technicalities of open licensing. Students reported that open pedagogy better developed critical thinking and evaluation skills than traditional pedagogy. In terms of negative experiences, some students reported confusion and anxiety about the renewable assignments as well as frustrations about technology. In addition, some students were concerned about the accuracy of their work and reported discomfort with the student-centered approach of open pedagogy techniques. In contrast, some students appreciated the opportunity to create materials rather than only consuming them. Synthesized findings may be used by faculty to inform use of open pedagogy especially when considering issues with student confusion and changing power dynamics.
Full text:
https://jl4d.org/index.php/ejl4d/article/view/511After participating in this session, attendees will be able to:
- Attendees will learn how open pedagogy is defined in the research literature
- Attendees will understand how open pedagogy relates to student experiences and learning outcomes based on empirical findings
- Attendees will know empirical findings on faculty experiences with open pedagogy
