Track Session Type
Teaching and Learning with Free and Open Educational Resources
Presentation Type
Roundtable or Special Interest Group Discussion
OER Level of Expertise
Intermediate
Audience
Faculty, Librarian, instructional designer, Administrator, Staff, Other
Session Abstract
OER and OP widen educational access at the grassroots level for many who seek educational accessibility. This fast-paced, hands-on roundtable will discuss current best practices and practical methods to ensure that educational goals can be achieved while incorporating the widest possible range of student voices in practical, cost-effective ways.
Objectives of the Session
Expanding our definition and awareness of what OER and OP mean; and
Ways to more fully incorporate student perspectives in curriculum and assessment
Full Description of the Session
Equity is, in the end, something often levied from above in the form of legislation or organizational policy. This idea of equity from the top down is well-intentioned; however, without participation from those who must use and be assessed by course materials, the drive toward equity is flawed and must remain an unfulfilled dream.
How do we insure that while promoting equity through our curricula and educational goals, we incorporate the voices and experiences of the often-overlooked populations we teach? Open Educational Resources (OER) and Open Pedagogy (OP) are ways of making certain that equity is not only a priority in our curricular and assessment planning, but also a reality. The three hosts of this roundtable have extensive research experience with OER/OP in Connecticut higher education, as well as being on the cutting edge of its practical application. This dynamic and fast-paced workshop will focus on creating classes rich in the culture of OER/OP to promote inclusion, diversity, equity and accessibility. Content applicable to both community college- and university-level study will be explored and discussed. Participants will gain both examples of current best practices and in-class methods that every instructor can use in their classes to ensure that their educational goals are demonstrably achieved while respecting and incorporating students’ voices in a very real, very fundamental, very practical, and very cost-effective way.
Direct discussion, using the tools included in Zoom- chat, interface, and informal polling- to gather participant input toward fostering practical skills in OER/OP implementation.
Presenter Bios
Hamish Lutris is an Associate Professor of History, Political Science, and Geography at Capital Community College in Hartford, Connecticut. He has wide-ranging educational interests that include the use of nature in higher educational settings, accessibility to education for disadvantaged populations, and public education through community/college cooperative programs.
Sandra Flores-Gonzalez advocates for accessible learning focusing on digital accessibility in the Office of AccessAbility at Eastern Connecticut State University. She brings extensive primary, secondary, and higher education experience as a Special Educator and Instructional Specialist with a focus on improving curriculum methods and systems to include all students.
Dr. Nicolas Simon is a widely-acknowledged leader in OER/OP efforts in Connecticut. He is a member of the Department of Sociology, Anthropology, and Criminology and Social Work at Eastern Connecticut State University, where he has consistently striven to widen the circle of accessibility for students in his classes.
Publishing Permission
1
Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
Start Date
26-5-2022 3:00 PM
End Date
26-5-2022 4:00 PM
OP + OER = IDEA
Equity is, in the end, something often levied from above in the form of legislation or organizational policy. This idea of equity from the top down is well-intentioned; however, without participation from those who must use and be assessed by course materials, the drive toward equity is flawed and must remain an unfulfilled dream.
How do we insure that while promoting equity through our curricula and educational goals, we incorporate the voices and experiences of the often-overlooked populations we teach? Open Educational Resources (OER) and Open Pedagogy (OP) are ways of making certain that equity is not only a priority in our curricular and assessment planning, but also a reality. The three hosts of this roundtable have extensive research experience with OER/OP in Connecticut higher education, as well as being on the cutting edge of its practical application. This dynamic and fast-paced workshop will focus on creating classes rich in the culture of OER/OP to promote inclusion, diversity, equity and accessibility. Content applicable to both community college- and university-level study will be explored and discussed. Participants will gain both examples of current best practices and in-class methods that every instructor can use in their classes to ensure that their educational goals are demonstrably achieved while respecting and incorporating students’ voices in a very real, very fundamental, very practical, and very cost-effective way.
Direct discussion, using the tools included in Zoom- chat, interface, and informal polling- to gather participant input toward fostering practical skills in OER/OP implementation.