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Open Educational Practices (OEP) for Research Skill Development in an Online Graduate Program

Verena Roberts, Barbara Brown, Michele Jacobsen, Christie Hurrell, Nicole Neutzling, Mia Travers-Hayward

Werklund School of Education, University of Calgary, Canada

Concordia University of Edmonton, Canada

OER23 Conference, Inverness, Scotland

April 5, 2023

bit.ly/oer23-oep4research

These slides are available under a CC BY 4.0 international license

Verena

Abstract: In this presentation, we will describe results from a design-based study showing how graduate students enrolled in a course-based Master’s program developed research based skills as a result of participating and engaging in a program designed and delivered using open educational practices (OEP). The program was designed to reflect the principles of OEP, which were understood as “collaborative and pedagogical practices that involve the creation, use, and reuse of OER as well as participatory technologies and social networks to interact, learn, create knowledge, and empower learners” (Cronin, 2017). Willison and O’Regan’s (2006/2019) six facets for research skill development were used as a framework to align the desired skills for graduate students with the assignments in the program.

The program was designed to support each learner to be an active agent who builds knowledge within the learning process rather than a passive recipient of knowledge. Some argue that when people recognize that open knowledge can be enriched by individual academic experience, they will feel more motivated to know and participate not just as an audience member but as a protagonist (Jordan et al., 2017). As protagonists of their learning, graduate students can become producers instead of consumers of knowledge (Schwartz & Fischer, 2003). In addition, Scardamalia and Bereiter’s (2010) knowledge building in community helps to describe the connections between social interactions, access to resources (content and people), and the participatory and collaborative learning opportunities that develop research skills with OEP.

The following research question guided the study: How do open educational practices support the conditions for student learning of research-based skills? Interview and survey data gathered from participants (n = 13) provided evidence that the use of OEP created the conditions for graduate students’ research-based skill development. These students demonstrated how they developed research skills through layered assignments and multiple rounds of peer review, edits, and revisions of their work. Students also engaged in self-reflection and idea-sharing using collaborative online spaces and social media.

We identified three key conditions that supported students with their learning, development, and continual improvement of research-based skills: (a) design of layered assignments, (b) formative feedback, and (c) peer learning. Each condition encouraged graduate students to become co-designers of their learning as they developed research skills; this meant having the agency to pursue a topic of personal and professional interest, seek feedback and insights from within and outside the boundaries of their course, and develop an appreciation for the social process of knowledge-building alongside their peers. Students were asked to focus less on content and learning via knowledge borrowing, and more on learning in collaboration with peers, course instructors, and external experts through knowledge building (Schwartz & Fischer, 2003).

Using examples from the research study, this presentation will inform participants about how to create high quality, online learning experiences and design conditions that support graduate students in research skill development in post-secondary programs using OEP.

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About the team

Dr. Barb Brown

Dr. Michele Jacobsen

Dr. Verena

Roberts

Christie Hurrell

Mia Travers-

Hayward

Nicole Neutzling

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Barb

Leading and Learning in a Digital Age is a stackable certificate in the MEd interdisciplinary Program in the Werklund School of Education.

Brown, B., Roberts, V., Jacobsen, M., & Hurrell, C. (Eds.) (2020). Ethical use of technology in digital learning environments: Graduate student perspectives. University of Calgary [eBook] https://doi.org/10.11575/ant1-kb38

Brown, B., Jacobsen, M., Hurrell, C., & Roberts, V. (2021). Ethical technology & education: A collaborative letter with the team behind open educational resources at the Werklund School of Education [Editorial]. Teaching and Learning Online Network (TALON) Letter, Issue 22. https://files.cargocollective.com/c786499/Issue_22_compressed.pdf

Brown, B., Jacobsen, M., Roberts, V., Hurrell, C., Neutzling, N., & Travers-Hayward, M. (2022). Open Educational Practices (OEP) create conditions for learning in a graduate school. In Jacobsen, M. & Smith, C. (Eds.) Online Learning and Teaching from Kindergarten to Graduate School. (pp. 457-483). Canadian Association for Teacher Education. http://dx.doi.org/10.11575/PRISM/40509

(Third course in program) Edtech ethics Course site - https://sites.google.com/view/edtechethics/course-pathway

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Program Design - MEd Interdisciplinary

5

Graduate

Certificate

Specialization

Topic #1

4 - courses

Graduate

Diploma

Specialization

Topic #2

4 - courses

Masters

in Education

Research & Application

4 – required

research

courses

Doctoral Degree

Apply for doctoral degree

(if interested)

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Terms

Open educational resources (OER)�“teaching and learning resources in any medium, digital or otherwise, that permit no-cost access, use, reuse and repurposing by others with no or limited restrictions.” (UNESCO, 2019, para 1.)

Open educational practices (OEP)�“collaborative practices that include the creation, use, and reuse of OER as well as pedagogical practices employing participatory technologies and social networks for interaction, peer learning, knowledge creation and empowerment of learners.” (Cronin, 2017, p.4)

Artifacts

Actors

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Research

Methodology: Design Based Research

Data Collection: Open ended one on one interviews, survey (online 18 questions), artifacts

Survey Participants: (n = 13) 54% response rate

Interview Participants: (n = 8)

OER Chapter Contributors: (n = 15)

Research Question:

How do open educational practices support the conditions for student learning of research-based skills ?

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Characteristics / Benefits of DBR

Produces innovations and sustains their development (Bereiter, 2002)

–Not confined by methodology: change research with findings fed back into cycles of innovative design and evaluation (experiments, case study, survey, ethnography, mixed methodology) (McKenney & Reeves, 2019)

–Inherently interventionist: seeks “what can be”, makes change happen

–Continual improvement: multiple iterations of design and testing

–Community of practice: researchers and practitioners work collaboratively to design and implement innovations

–Problem based: Addressing complex problems of practice in authentic contexts

–Theory informed: Contributes theoretical insights, design principles

Relevance & Rigor

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Research Facets Mapped to Program Assignments

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Course Pathway

Adapted from Roberts, V. & Neutzling, N. (2019). https://bit.ly/3c4tzwa

Digital outline

One minute pitch

Draft chapter

Receive feedback

Present draft

Include work in Pressbook?

Course “Open” Tasks, Feedback loops (internal/external) and Reflective Activities

Provide students with choice in use of tools and approaches.

Provide supports and frameworks across all tools (e.g. tool suggestions, templates, model for providing constructive feedback).

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Participant Responses

Learning Process

92% of survey participants agreed that connection to experts outside the class enhanced their learning in the course

“The ability to determine the subject of the chapter created an internal motivation to complete the work. This motivation would not exist, or not be as strong, if the subject (if chapter) was assigned by instructor”

The integration of Twitter & publicly accessible blogs made the learning open to the world & therefor more authentic. The utilization of the wider #edtechethics community brought the possibility of engaging with others around the world who have been working on the topics.

90 % of participants completed survey agreed the authenticity of assignments, including being able to pursue a topic of professional & personal interest & relevance, increased their learning & engagement. (Survey results)

Participant engagement in formative feedback loops beyond the duration of the course reflected how they had a heightened commitment to ensuring that their original inquiry into a topic of interest was synthesized to the highest quality of writing for publication

Cohorting & peer feedback strongly supported my learning. I felt being in the same class with the same students developed a positive environment (even in an online class). Peer feedback was very helpful in our studio groups as it helped refine ideas & develop our inquiries better.

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Evidence of OEP: Connections Between

Formative Feedback:

Received from peer groups, instructors, outside exerts found by students, outside experts connections through instructors & alumni
Helped students find, analyze & synthesize needed information
Feedback continued beyond program (until chapter published)
Some found feedback overwhelming

Layered Assignments:

Offered renewable assignments to students could develop ideas as progressed through each course
Provided accountability through:

continually needing to find info. / Critically evaluate, organize info. & synthesize new info.

Participatory tech/ social media created opportunities to communicate knowledge with others

Peer learning:

Embarking on inquiries with peers with diverse perspectives & experiences
Helped students find, analyze & synthesize needed information
Supported with critically evaluating research
Grad students felt motivated to continue developing research skills knowing community of peers also working to producing collective open output
Emphasis on collaboration & supportive communication with peers meant grad students had a strong support network to meet challenging experience of being “pushed out of comfort zone”
Gained confidence to engage as active participants of knowledge-building and “protagonists” of their own learning

Attributes of open pedagogy (Hegarty, 2015)

Six Dimensions of Connected Curriculum Framework (Fung, 2017)

Facets of Research Based Skills (Willison & O’Regan, 2019)

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Peer Groups

Condition 1:

Design of Layered Assignments for Authentic Learning and Engagement

Condition 2: Ongoing and Constructive Formative Feedback

Condition 3:

Peer Learning

Internal & External Feedback

Program & Course Design

Authentic Tasks & Learning Experiences

Connection to Experts

Support:

Check - ins &

Timelines

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Ingredients for success

Coherent Program and Course Learning Design
Infrastructure: access to Pressbooks via your institution or region
A team commitment: Our team had diverse expertise in

Open educational practices/open pedagogy/co-design
Digital authoring tools
Copyright and licensing
Peer review, Copyediting and editing

Students open to learning and collaborating in new ways
Funding: University of Calgary Teaching & Learning Grants

Second iteration of the course more challenging without funding

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Thank you!

Verena Roberts verena.roberts@concordia.ab.ca

Barbara Brown babrown@ucalgary.ca

Michele Jacobsen dmjacobs@ucalgary.ca

Christie Hurrell achurrel@ucalgary.ca

Nicole Neutzling nicole.neutzling1@ucalgary.ca

Mia Travers-Hayward mia.travershayward@ucalgary.ca

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Read our chapter

Brown, B., Jacobsen, M., Roberts, V., Hurrell, C., Neutzling, N., & Travers-Hayward, M. (2022). Open educational practices (OEP) create conditions for developing research skills in a graduate school. In Jacobsen, M. & Smith, C. (Eds.) Online Learning and Teaching from Kindergarten to Graduate School (pp. 457-483). Canadian Association for Teacher Education.

DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.11575/PRISM/40509

Direct link to our chapter - http://hdl.handle.net/1880/115931