Pedagogy

Most of this course describes the logistics of finding and creating OER, but one of the great promises of OER is also the pedagogical benefits. You can find and develop OER that fit your objectives for your students, and because OER are teacher-created and adaptable, you can test new approaches to teaching and update your materials accordingly. The below are a few tips for organizing and planning your content, and finding new ways to engage your students. 

 

For all kinds of OER (activities, lesson plans, textbooks)... 

 

Learning Targets

We recommend that you write learning targets/objectives for your materials. This will help you with the design, provide guidance to other instructors implementing the materials in their classes, and help students track their own learning. Learning targets should be specific and measurable. (I can + communicative language function + context).

Here are some straightforward guidelines for learning targets from Alyssa Villarreal on the Path2Proficiency website Links to an external site.. 

Examples of learning targets

• "Sample Language Learning Objectives Statements" Links to an external site. prepared by Patricia Kyle at the University of Texas at Austin 

 

Open Educational Practices (OEP)

Creating open educational resources is often the first step to being an open educator, but open education is about more than materials. It is also about collaborative, innovative practices that make learning more dynamic and engaging for students. The term "open educational practices" is very broad, but the book "Librarians as Open Education Advocates Links to an external site." by Rowena McKernan, Tria Skirko, and Quill West lists six open practices: sharing, giving feedback, new ideas of teaching and learning, applying open licenses, giving credit, and focusing on students and their needs for access and supportive learning.

• The LangOER guide Links to an external site. cited numerous times in this course has some good examples of open practices on page 15 
• COERLL's blog has some posts about various open educational practices Links to an external site. used in the language classroom 

 

Open Pedagogy

Open pedagogy makes learning more accessible, learner driven, and connected. Learners become contributors to the knowledge commons. For example, Dr. Julie Ward wrote Antología abierta de literatura hispana Links to an external site. with her students, then shared it with faculty at other schools, who tested it and contributed new content with their students. The Open Pedagogy Notebook Links to an external site. curated by Rajiv Jhangiani and Robin DeRosa  offers a theoretical framework for open pedagogy, and also offers case studies (their work informed the preceding open pedagogy description).

Examples of open pedagogy in the language classroom

• Alegria Ribadeneira used project based learning to guide her students in creating open websites for teaching and learning (view video about Dr. Ribadeneira's project Links to an external site.)
• Amber Hoye and Kelly Arispe lead a team of students who create open activities to be used in language labs and classrooms across Idaho (view video about the Pathways Project Links to an external site.)
• Kathryn Murphy-Judy, Laura Middlebrooks, Marcel Rotter, and Bettina Hoeninger teach upper-level students to curate authentic resources and create related open content, which is used in lower level classrooms (view video about this collaborative project Links to an external site.)
  

 

For full OER courses...

 

Scope and Sequence

If you are creating a full OER course, we recommend having an organized Scope and Sequence so it is easy to see the progression of your course and map out what you need to do.

Example scope and sequence 

• The scope and sequence from Round Rock Independent School District's French III course Links to an external site., part of the Aligned Round Rock Curriculum from Round Rock ISD in Texas. 

 

The ADDIE Model

Follow these basic steps when designing course materials.

• Analyze content, learners, context.
• Design (i.e., backward design) a standards-based curriculum.
• Develop the course with online tools and course materials.
• Implement through teacher training, student orientation and training, and some helpful advice.
• Evaluate the course/program as part of a feedback loop.

Apply the ADDIE model to language course development using these " Worksheets for Planning Basic Online Language Learning Development & Delivery Links to an external site." by Marlene Johnshoy and Kathryn Murphy-Judy .

 

Learn More about Open Pedagogical Design

•  Wikiversity has a list of Collaborative Learning examples Links to an external site.  where students collaborated on the development and publication of materials 
•  Video: The Basics of Online Language Instruction (COERLL-CARLA-BOLDD Workshop 2014)

•  Video: Introduction to Open Pedagogy Webinar (Recording) with Robin DeRosa and Rajiv Jhangiani

•  ACTFL and partner universities offer several options for online professional development for language teachers Links to an external site.
• If you are planning on creating OER with students, download the "Student Agreement to Publish Course Work Under a Creative Commons License Links to an external site." template from Kwantlen Polytechnic University.

 

 

 

 

Go to the next page to learn how to make your materials accessible.