My web conference reflections

In reflecting on the web conference experience with my learning partner Kelly McCormack, it was a very useful activity in reinforcing my understanding of OER.  My research leaned towards broader topics such as conceptual frameworks and student outcomes with less regard for important legal matters such as Creative Commons.  Kelly’s research was also high level, but effectively integrated the legal angle.  Of particular interest was a provincial debate regarding the British Columbia government’s development of open textbooks between Professor Todd Pettigrew from Cape Breton University and BCCampus, a publicly funded organization whose role is to support higher education. 

After this discussion, I narrowed the focus of main research to exclude topics such as hardware and the strides made between publishers and online content distributors, both of which could be very lengthy discussion papers in their own right.  Instead I focused on the quality control implications of OER, how it can support in-class activities, and on the impact it has on the teacher-student dynamic. 

Kelly’s discussion brought up concerns around the legitimacy of the information and who owned it; I then began researching the accuracy and verifiability of information on Wikipedia and who the overseers were.  This subtle shift provided me with one of the moments I had been looking for: verifying a site consisting of contributions from motivated, interested parties could be neutral, current, and thorough.  The criticisms of the open textbook that Kelly discussed were consistent with the criticisms I have heard of Wikipedia, which I never took the time to disprove.  The biggest takeaways for me were that sites such as Wikipedia now have several academic studies proving they should be treated as legitimate sources of information and that free or low-cost websites do not necessarily correspond with an absence of quality content. 

The trends and how to address them

I currently specialize in teaching accounting to a variety of business students in both face-to-face and online settings. The demographics range from recent high school graduates to those considering midlife career change to international students with English as a second language.  Workplace experience is also diverse as the students' ages: my youngest student is 18 and my oldest is mid-60’s.  The common thread is that workplace opportunities in business are limited for those without an education.  The challenge comes in defining what role I wish to play and the role that I wish technology to play in helping them get the education they strive for.

I can anticipate electronic hardware such as laptops and tablets playing a larger role.  As the ease of note taking and navigating electronic textbooks becomes easier, there may be a preference for electronic editions.  Additional factors include the reduced cost and weight associated with electronic editions.  Similarly, the cost of new laptops and tablets continues to decrease, removing a significant barrier to adoption. 

To embrace this trend, I have made exclusive use of textbooks with online enhancements.  The benefits have been twofold: full access to every question has been made to each student who may require further examples of how to approach specific topics and from an administrative standpoint, it has allowed me to choose certain questions to test for comprehension without the burden of marking 120 assignments.  The immediate feedback given to the students has also been recognized as very helpful, as indicated by end of class evaluations.  It is important to note that all online editions are not created equal and that while they are helpful as a study tool, in-class engagement is still required, particularly when tackling difficult topics that require the human touch.  There is no computer program that can bring back a discouraged student as effectively as a human.

The other trend that has been discussed as part of OER, but not emphasized in the same manner as Wikipedia, is the use of social media such as Facebook, Twitter, and blogs.  I will need to do more research into effectively fencing Facebook due to privacy and accessibility concerns – I would need to restrict access to those enrolled in the course and also not need to manage it constantly.  With Twitter, my concern is account and content management – having 120 students tweet about a basic concept might lead to a rash of “me too” comments, which doesn’t necessarily move the discussion forward.

            What I do believe is achievable is making use of a blog that could solicit comments on a current event and tie it back to the theory of the class.  This could theoretically achieve the spontaneity of a Facebook discussion, yet be relatable back to the core course material.  With security protocols, it is possible to limit the participants to those whose input I am looking to assess.  I believe in thinking this through, I may be having an “a-ha” moment…

How OER can impact the role of the adult educator

            The impact that OER have on the learning process is that the availability of material is vastly improved through repositories.  Quality concerns regarding the information and safeguards on sites such Wikipedia seem to have been largely resolved.  For example, in Time’s June 2, 2012 Edition, writer Dan Fletcher referenced a study which fact-checked Wikipedia’s level of accuracy on cancer against textbooks and compared its results with those of the National Cancer Institute’s Physician Data Query, a professional database that is professionally developed and peer-tested.  Interestingly, Wikipedia’s level of accuracy was virtually the same.  Similarly, in the February 16, 2012 edition of The Atlantic, Rebecca Rosen makes a very compelling point:

“We hold this massive experiment in collaborative knowledge to a standard that is higher than any other source. We don't want Wikipedia to be just as accurate as the Encyclopedia Britannica: We want it to have 55 times as many entries, present contentious debates fairly, and reflect brand new scholarly research, all while being edited and overseen primarily by volunteers.”

            The end result is that the instructor is not necessarily confined to using textbooks where material may become dated quickly or is presented in a confusing way.  As an example, when teaching finance classes, there are websites such as investopedia or YouTube that will present several different approaches to understanding a complex theory. These can either take the form of a video or definitions with examples; and most have a comments section to communicate the usefulness of the information.

            The use of OER is also presents ways to engage technologically savvy students.  This will require a degree of open-mindedness from teachers when assessing submitted work, particularly when accepting the idea that hand-written assignments or face-to-face presentations are not necessarily the only methods for assessing student comprehension. For example, the availability of camera phones may eliminate the need for presentations to be held in person, but rather posted on YouTube.  Potential challenges may be the education of teachers to ensure they are versed in how to use different software packages and redevelopment of marking rubrics.  However, as electronic editions and sharing sites such as Blackboard become more commonplace, this may be a completely natural progression.

            The largest impact this would have on a constructivist like me is further moving the teacher into the role of being a guide and not the sole provider of information.  There is significant freedom of choice when looking at information alternatives, from both the student and teacher perspectives.  Encouraging the use of OER could elicit suggestions from students about effective sites they have used when researching different topics and tying these back into a cohesive course site.  This will require structure and discipline, as courses tend to have significant breadth with varying degrees of depth on each topic.  Caution will also be required as there are copyright and privacy issues that have to be followed.

Open Educational Resources defined

Open Educational Resources (OER) are understood to comprise content for teaching and learning, software-based tools and services, and licenses that allow for open development and re-use of content, tools and services. (Geser, 2007)  Sites such as YouTube and Wikipedia are excellent examples of OER, where ideas, theories and projects can be presented, evaluated, and debated. Social media sites such as Facebook, Twitter, and Flickr also serve as important information sharing mediums that can capitalize on the mass proliferation of technology devices such as computers, laptops, smart phones, and tablets.

Open e-Learning Content Observatory Services (OLCOS) prepared a strategic roadmap funded by the European Commission in 2007. When looking to the future, there were six important stakeholders in the process:

·      Educational policy makers and funding bodies

·      Boards, directors, and supervisors of educational institutions

·      Teachers

·      Students

·      Educational repositories

·      Developers and implementers of e-learning tools and environments (OLCOS)

Each of these has its own unique challenges related to changing from the status quo.  These include proper business modeling for developers, quality control issues regarding the content of the material in repositories, and defining the dynamic expected between the learner and teacher.