Browse some examples of open pedagogy on the Open Pedagogy Notebook and posted by colleagues in the summer 2020 and summer 2021 seminars.
In the comments below, write a paragraph about an open pedagogy assignment that you might create. You can adapt one of the examples you read about or come up with something new.
I am just beginning to really think about this and I’m inspired by what I read this morning and want to dive deeper. I want to encourage learners to apply what they know to serve their community. I love the idea of partnering with nonprofit organizations to create opportunities for students to apply their knowledge. Since I teach writing, I would like them to write (and submit for publication) op-ed pieces to share evidence-based approaches social problems. I was intrigued by the idea of teaching students how to edit Wikipedia articles and make direct contributions to public repositories for information (wiki education, youtube). The objective: have students “engage with and understand the politics of editing, including how ‘truth’ is negotiated by those who have access to the tools that shape it.”
What is Open Pedagogy?
The term, Open Pedagogy defies any form of static definition. Just as the adjective ‘open’ means, the term is open to different interpretations based on the educator’s vision for teaching and how he or she relates to or interacts with the constituent factors in the environment, including teaching and learning theories and being responsive to the needs of students. The vision for teaching is in flux, constantly changing as a result of the interaction with the surrounding elements, which are neither static.
What inspires me about Open Pedagogy?
What inspires me about the approach is the open access it provides for learners. The educator designs a course in such a way that students, regardless of their economic status or physical abilities, have equal access to knowledge. This feature is applicable to the BMCC context, where some students may drop or fail a course because of lack of textbooks, limited time to access class content, and sometimes lack of study skills.
What confuses you?
What confuses me about the approach is where to start and how to adapt teaching practices. For instance, how can the learning outcomes be adapted to needs of students when they are pre- determined by the department?
When explaining Open Pedagogy to a colleague, I might say that Open Pedagogy is an approach that empowers the educator to be in constant conversation or interaction with key elements in the environment, including theories of teaching and learning, technology, and the quest for social justice. Frequent conversation with the elements will shape the educator’s vision and practice. A key feature of Open Pedagogy is access to education, which is not only limited to college affordability, or course materials, but also removing barriers that obstacles to student success.
There are two ways in which I might incorporate Open Pedagogy in my courses.
A very important aspect of my course, Language and Culture (LIN 100) which would greatly benefit is use of textbooks. The course textbook is an integral part of the course. Students earn points by reading and completing exercises from the book. I have observed that some students do not fulfill that grade category. Using an OER material may address that issue.
Another way that I might use Open Pedagogy in my course is to expand the audience for the language project from the instructor to the whole class. Additionally, I would like to create a platform that would enable students to present their work to a larger audience.
I incorporate some Open Pedagogy in my courses by teaching ZTC courses only and relying on OER or Open Access materials. Also, I host my courses in OpenLab (and use Bb for grading activities only). I would like to become even more immersed in Open Pedagogy by inviting students to become content creators, as well. It is intriguing to think about how students can create their own content, whether it is op-ed pieces on recent Supreme Court cases/decisions or videos applying criminological theories in practice and policy. Concretely, I would like my students to gain enough WordPress skills to post these in OpenLab.
I try to use the Open Pedagogy. After class teaching, I leave homework for students, ask students to find some short videos or songs on YouTube (or other places), the content of short videos or songs is related to the target language and the content of classroom communication. Students then practice with video or singing, correct their pronunciation, and then share their experience with other students in a discussion on the blackboard.
I plan to use open pedagogy in my language course. I will design an open pedagogy assignment for my students. I plan to have my students complete a language communication activity. Students independently design and complete their projects, they can find partners to complete, or participate in community activities. This assignment will be given to students at the beginning of the new semester, and students will plan, prepare and implement their plans for most of the semester and complete their projects before the end of the semester. Students can make their projects into audio, video, audio+text, or video+text. As students plan, design, implement and complete their projects, the instructor will maintain regular interaction and communication with them, and provide suggestions, feedback and guidance for students’ projects to be revised, supplemented, and improved. After students complete their projects, they will upload their project results to a sharing platform where the whole class can share each student’s project results.
The English Department is very interesting when it comes to teaching. Most of our textbooks offer a number of ideas and strategies for examining a reading. After learning about OER, I started rethinking how I teach. The learning experience for students at BMCC should not be limited to a standard textbook. I’ve used articles from various sources and engaged the students with new ideas. “We” even had full discussions on the “Black Lives Matter” experience. This was triggered by the OER opportunity. Jean has taught me so much over the years. The more I learn, I realize how fulfilling this workshop can be.
An open pedagogy assignment I’d like to see students make in FYE is to have them create a commercial/ad/handout with a testimonial for the campus service (or program) that they’ve used with great success. I find that students can hear from administrators and professors all day about the value and worth of attending/participating/using our services and programs but until they see a peer vouch for it, they won’t take it seriously.