It is crucial that instructors reflect on their role within the classroom. Continued economic and social unrest globally highlight the necessity of making students' complex, intersectional identities visible within the curriculum. This is done through inclusive and meaningful student experiences. How can instructors transform their teaching approach to meet the needs of our students when doing so may require a philosophical shift of their own? Open Pedagogy has been described as a student-centered approach wherein learners are empowered to participate in the creation of learning experiences and contribute to shared knowledge centers found both online and within physical learning spaces.
In the fall of 2019, a project based on OER-enabled pedagogy, one form of Open Pedagogy, was written into the curriculum of a class taken by all first-year students at a private liberal arts college in the eastern United States. Instructors were provided training on the use of this pedagogical approach and asked to facilitate the project in their section. In 2019 and again in 2020, instructors were interviewed regarding their experience with OER-enabled pedagogy as well as their impression of how it impacted students.
This session presents findings from research with all six instructors who taught utilizing OER-enabled pedagogy first in 2019 then again in 2020 aimed at elucidating instructor experience teaching with a novel approach and how this changed over time. Their insight suggests OER-enabled pedagogy catalyzed an evolution of their own teaching which fostered greater student engagement and agency. Attendees will consider how they may apply the experience of these instructors, and themes that emerged from interviews, to various forms of active learning and facilitation of instruction across multiple modalities. Prior to the session, participants should reflect on their current teaching practices and be prepared to share with others their journey toward greater student engagement.
After participating in this session, attendees will be able to:
- Compare and contrast OER-enabled pedagogy and other active learning strategies, specifically highlighting democratic classroom engagement
- Consider how OER-enabled pedagogy may be integrated into existing courses at attendees' own institutions
- Reflect on how facilitators of resistance to change can be overcome, individually or with whom one works
