Presentation Type
Presentation
OER Level of Expertise
Beginner
Audience
Faculty, Librarian, instructional designer, Administrator, Staff
Session Abstract
Establishing an OER community means embracing challenge. In an institution with an almost fully remote and decentralized faculty network, we have found the need for creativity and a focus on “unlearning” the standard methodologies to turn “in-process” into “progress.” Join in a discussion to address training, scalability, sustainability, and communication.
Objectives of the Session
-
Identify actionable steps to increase awareness of OER in remote organizations.
- Recognize the role of “unlearning” in order to make progress.
Full Description of the Session
In this session, we will discuss the challenges that a large, almost fully remote, decentralized faculty network embraces when establishing an OER community. While the university may be unique in size and structure, the challenges we face are not unique. We will explore the value of routinely re-evaluating processes and focusing on “unlearning” the standard methodologies when encouraging the growth of an OER community, including addressing training, scalability, sustainability, and communication. We are making progress in developing the university’s OER community; however we are still in “in-process” and look forward to active discussion with beginner and intermediate attendees facing challenges at any stage of OER implementation. We will encourage attendee participation through the use of online polling tools and other engagement activities throughout the presentation.
Presenter Bios
Allie Davis is a Learning Resource Vendor Manager at Southern New Hampshire University, and an active supporter of the developing OER initiative. She is also an adjunct instructor teaching first-year Composition in the English department, and she previously worked as a writing coach and tutor. She advocates for affordable, accessible, and engaging resources in order to establish a community of learners.
Heather Blicher is an E-Learning Librarian at Southern New Hampshire University, supporting online students and faculty/staff through training and workshops in resource access, developing digital learning objects, and advocating for OER in curriculum development. A recent transplant from Northern Virginia Community College, Heather was a main contributor to NOVA’s nationally recognized OER program and all-around make-it-happen librarian. Cory Gagnon is a graduate of the University of New Hampshire with a Bachelor’s in Classics. He has been working at Southern New Hampshire University for five years. For the past two years, he has worked as a Vendor Manager in the Learning Resources department, where he provides expertise in Open Educational Resources and pedagogy in order to inform the use of OER in new program development.
Location
162
Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
Start Date
22-5-2019 11:00 AM
End Date
22-5-2019 11:25 AM
OE-faR: Creating an Open Community in a Decentralized Faculty Network
162
In this session, we will discuss the challenges that a large, almost fully remote, decentralized faculty network embraces when establishing an OER community. While the university may be unique in size and structure, the challenges we face are not unique. We will explore the value of routinely re-evaluating processes and focusing on “unlearning” the standard methodologies when encouraging the growth of an OER community, including addressing training, scalability, sustainability, and communication. We are making progress in developing the university’s OER community; however we are still in “in-process” and look forward to active discussion with beginner and intermediate attendees facing challenges at any stage of OER implementation. We will encourage attendee participation through the use of online polling tools and other engagement activities throughout the presentation.