Open Education Practices

Why all the fuss?

I tend not to write very long posts, but this one promises to be the shortest one of all.  Why all the fuss about open education practices?  It seems to be my professional destiny to develop new courses and then hand them over for someone else to teach.  It's part of the job.  Over the years I have been lucky enough to have had colleagues from other institutes informally share their excellent assessments and resources, regardless of their institutes intellectual property policies.  The only problem with sharing your work is that awful nagging fear that it isn't good enough.

Open Education Practices

The most useful thing that I have learn't through my studies is that 'Content is not king!'.  There are times when new content needs to be developed to contextualise a point that you are trying to make, but let's be honest, someone has probably already done it, and dare I say it, done it better.  Therefore, I find the differentiation between 'open education resources' OER and 'open education practices' OEP to be both useful and focusing.

Open Education Resources are educational content that can be used freely by anyone to gain knowledge or skills, and may be copied, edited and shared by anyone.

Open Education Practices are much broader.  They are analogous with a course or lesson plan used in a traditional teaching environment.  OEP are how the open resources are used to guide the student through the process of gathering knowledge, gaining comprehension, and eventually achieving synthesis.  All this within an open environment.  Not much to ask really.

I have a sneaking suspicion that this may in fact be an advantage.  OEP will forces us to consider course design more carefully, and ensure that the best pedagogical practices are utilised.  There will be nowhere to hide.

Possible Strategies

I am not actually sure what strategies to use, there seems to be a long road of researching different platforms, and investigating different media.  I can understand the general wariness of using social media sites like facebook.  It is difficult to disconnect from the endless facile blitherings (note the irony), and actually think of it in a professional context.  Sarah Stewart's professional use of the platform was inspiring, but others are less enthusiastic; Dr Thom Cochrane interestingly commented on facebooks lack of openness.  Wikieducator is probably a good starting point, and I am at least fairly familiar with the work of the Open Education Resource Foundation and the Commonwealth of Learning.  I also believe that the Otago Polytechnic is developing it's own on-line presence - this may also be a useful strategy.  Other ideas include:

• Short video clips posted to youtube
• Use of slideshare
• Use of existing creative commons content and images
• Use of appropriate accessible software
• Use of smartphones - more people have phones than computers
• Use of blogs and wikis

The most important strategy, is the connections, the story that you tell, the journey that you take the students on.  The practice of education.

Challenges

The main challenge to open education is of course going to be time.  There is never enough of it, and although this may turn out to be very efficient in the end, at the beginning of the journey it will suck every hour you throw at it.  The other massive challenge is getting the copyright and referencing right.  I am happy to say that for the last few year all my images have been from wikimedia commons, but I am less happy to admit that I haven't checked the exact licenses or got the correct attributions.  What an enormous task to go through them all.

As for the challenges created by other peoples perceptions, those people who want to will.

Why are open teaching/learning philosophies important?

I can't really offer a discussion as to why this is important.  Why not?  The whole world is moving around us, if we don't move with it, we will just get dizzy.

If you want a cogent professional argument - we are ultimately employed to serve the needs of the industries that we love, and our students, who deserve the best that we can do.  We cannot do this with a closed mind.

Notes:

1. Yes, it is me.  Just because I said pedagogy, it doesn't mean the aliens stole my body.  Honest.

Tertiary Education Strategy

Meeting the Needs - Tertiary Education Strategy 2010 - 15

Having just re-read the strategy, I am as depressed now as I was when I read it hot off the press.  There is a clear message to tertiary education providers - 'Please do more for less, and if you can't, we will hold you accountable for the failure of the primary and secondary education system over the last 13 years'.

It is a big ask.

The Government's Vision

According to the Tertiary Education Strategy, 'The Government's vision is for a world-leading education  system that equips all New Zealanders with the knowledge, skills and values to be successful citizens in the 21st century.'

Meeting the Needs

The Money

One of the first things that becomes obvious is that the Government is not planning on creating this 'world leading education system' by increasing the education budget.  The strategy is littered with comments about 'difficult choices' page 2, and 'significant fiscal constraint' page 3.   The Government's financial view is summed up on page 23.  'The economic recession is also raising demand for tertiary education...' 'These factors mean that the Government, our agencies and individual organisations, need to make clear choices about the priorities for investment and access, and the more efficient use of resources.'  In other words, do more for less or funding will be cut.

That there isn't enough money to go round is hardly surprising in a world were the headline news is the possible financial meltdown of Europe - a whole continent up against the wall financially.  Throwing money at education isn't necessarily the answer.  What is clear, is that students are coming to tertiary education less and less prepared to take on the responsibility of being adult learners.  The primary and secondary education systems have failed, and tertiary education is expected to save everyone (efficiently of course).  The ambulance is at the bottom of the cliff - of course the failure rate is high.

Priorities 
The Government has developed a set of priorities for budget spending.  To summarise, the people focused priorities are:

• Increase the number of students aged under 25 gaining qualifications at level four or above.
• Increase the number of Maori students succeeding at higher levels.
• Increase the number of Pasifika students succeeding at higher levels.
• Improve literacy, numeracy and language skills.

The provider focused priorities are:

• Qualification and course completion rates.
• Industry related outcomes - programmes that serve industry needs and lead to employment
• Qualifications that are level 4 and above, with an emphasis on degrees.
• Programmes that lead directly to higher study or literacy and numeracy gains.
• Research
• International linkages and collaboration.

Strategies
The Government has developed several strategies to achieve it's priorities.  These include:

• Reduction in funding for level 1-3 courses
• Reduction in the duplication and proliferation of qualification - TROQ (the Targeted Review of Qualifications is currently under-way)
• Further targeting of young people (under 25) for better returns
• Provider funding will be linked to student performance
• Provider performance to be published

Impact on Flexible Delivery

As always there are opportunities and challenges in any Government strategy.  The most obvious concern is that of qualification and course completions.  On the face of it, it is sensible to target funding at courses that have high completion rates, but the statistics can never take into account the learning and personal progress that students can make even when they do not pass.  The classic distance programme tends to have very low completion rates that would impact severely on provider funding and reputation.  The challenge is to design flexible courses that do not fall into the distance trap.

How To - In theory at least

In theory is should be business as usual, but we all know that there is always room for improvement.  To respond to the  Tertiary Education Strategy, flexible courses should be designed, so that they:

• Respond to an industry need
• Contribute to a level 4 or above qualification
• Staircase into higher qualifications
• Allow for equity and inclusiveness
• Are culturally safe and inclusive
• Cater for younger students (under 25)
• Embed literacy and numeracy skill development
• Are efficient
• Engage students in a way that encourages success
• Provide pastoral care
• Reach more people to build a knowledge rich society

Quite a demanding list, but one that most lecturers are try to achieve on a day to day basis.

Conclusion

In conclusion, it always feels like the Government is trying to undermine the staff at the education coalface.  However, flexible learning could well be the platform that will deliver everything the Government want.  Tertiary education is on the brink of changing forever.  How quick that change can happen, and what the future will look like, remains to be seen. 

Blended Learning Strategies

One of the problems is that I have so many ideas for flexible delivery buzzing away in my head that I would have to clone myself in order to achieve anything.

For 'Blended Learning Strategies' I have decided to focus on plant propagation, a practical class that I deliver in the polytechnic nursery.

The assessment for this course is currently naturally occurring evidence of plants propagated, and accurate records of plants propagated.

Strategies

1. Provide an opportunity for students to consolidate practical skills demonstrated in class.
2. To reinforce underlying knowledge.
3. Provide an opportunity for distance students to gain knowledge and demonstrate skills.

Content

• Teacher creates videos of demonstrations of practical skills.
• Teacher creates written supporting notes.
• Teacher provides reading list.

• Teacher provides in class verbal instructions.
• Teacher provides in class background knowledge
• Teacher provides in class visual aides - illustrations and examples of best practice
• Teacher provides in class mentoring

• Teacher provides content, prompts and guides on wikieducator or other open source format.

Activities

• Students view videos - and answer questions
• Students do guided readings of supporting notes - and do quiz or answer questions

• Students practice skills in class - or at distant location.

Communication

• In class students work in buddy/mentoring system with class partner and provide feedback on each others work.

• Students explain the propagation process providing numbered steps via a  group blog

or

• Do a oral version in class with their class partner.

• Teacher provides positive reinforcement
• Teacher provides feedback on progress

• Students share their experiences via a blog or diary - teacher provides feedback.

• Teacher is available after class, via phone and email.

Assessment  

• Naturally occurring evidence of plants propagated in class and application of propagation theory
• Propagation records correctly maintained.

or

• Students provide video of themselves demonstration skill
• Students provide video or photographic evidence of plants propagated
• Students provide evidence of propagation knowledge via blog.