Connexions 2010Cynthia Jimes, ISKME

ISKME:

A Trajectory of OER Research: From Create and Use to Transformative Processes

• Online Learningin Dev Ed

2003 2005 2007 2009 2011

= Projects that are ongoing

Overview of ISKME’s OER Research Trajectory

Travel Well, EUN

• Incentives and interest to participate in online resources• Existing behaviors to support use of online resources and OER• What makes resources usable and reusable for teachers and learners

• Creation, use and reuse behaviors • Challenges and supports for OER

• Ways that OER supports teaching and learning• Emergent practices/perceptions aligned to OER

0

• FHSST• Teachers’ Domain• Training Commons• SEP• Curriki• CurriculumNet

OER Arts & SJ

Siyavula

Cyberlearning in Community Colleges

• CNXOER

Commons

• Types of and ways knowledge is shared through OER

• OER communities of practice

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Issu

es S

tudi

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mel

ine

and

Proj

ects

CCOTOER PD

• MITE

Tracing the TrajectoryKey Questions and Findings

What Factors Support Content Creation?

38%44%

56%

66%

95%100%

86%83%

100%

92%85%

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11% o

f au

thor

s w

ho a

re

cons

iste

nt u

sers

Key finding: Workgroups as central

CNX Workgroup size

How to Engage and Sustain Workgroups (COPs)?

Key finding: Face to face meetings, communication and continuous feedback cycles for knowledge sharing, motivation and support

Mark Horner, FHSST Project Founder

” “

That’s the reason I started my workgroup which I called the 'literature circle [to share my approach and materials for teaching literacy]. […] Otherwise people would just give the children the book and say read the book and nothing happens after that.  - Siyavula Interview Participant

What Are the Incentives to Participation in OER Communities of Practice?

Key finding (prelim): OER COPs as a mechanism for sharing resources and knowledge about teaching practices and approaches

What Use and Reuse Behaviors Exist?

Visual and Technical Changes

General Editing

Language Translations

Modularization

(N=7,016 versions)

Type of Reuse Indicated by CNX Authors

81%

23%

1%

<1%

Key finding: Simple reuse behaviors prevalent

What Makes a Resource Reusable (Travel Well)?

• How other instructors have used the resource• Obtacles others have encountered in using

the resource and how they overcame them• Whether their expert colleagues have tried

and liked the resource• Whether students have found the resource

interesting

Key finding: Knowledge about use from other instructors and students

Data from surveys with college faculty revealed the following factors as important to determining whether to use and reuse resources

What Forms Do COPs Take and What Knowledge Do They Share?

Key findings (prelim)Teaching practices and challenges including:• Resources and

resource use• Assessment methods• Creative ideas for

teaching a discipline• Classroom and

teaching challenges• Current budget

climate

"I am hoping this discussion will

inspire me to assess in a new

way, and continue to find ways to

value artwork for the purpose of

grading […] without judging the

work, if that makes sense” – OER

Arts and SJ Project Participant

What Emergent Practices and Perceptions Are Aligned to OER?

My colleagues and I collaborated to integrate the [open text] book with our existing syllabi and course curriculum […]Now we meet regularly to talk about

lesson plans. –CCOT interview participant

Key finding:OER facilitates and enhances collaborative behaviors among faculty

What Emergent Practices and Perceptions Are Aligned to OER?

I have some good ideas that I feel I have tried and refined. I could share these with others and they the

same. I often like to try new ideas and inquiry lessons. –OER PD survey participant

Key finding:OER facilitates knowledge sharing aboutteaching practices

What Emergent Practices and Perceptions Are Aligned to OER?

My goal is to get to almost total student led work where they are

self-motivated and interested in the subject matter as opposed to

relying on a text. –OER PD survey participant

Key finding:OER facilitates new student-led models for learning

I’d like to support online homework groups where my students can meet to collaboratively work on

assignments –CCOT interview participant

I want to put all of my material up there, so that it is subject to the scrutiny of the entire world. And so they can manipulate it and change it. -Siyavula Interview Participant

“

”

Key finding: OER supports ongoing improvement of resources and teacher professionalism

What Emergent Practices and Perceptions are Aligned to OER?

Implications and Next Steps for Research

• Continued exploration of the ways that OER emerges in teaching and learning

• Further exploration of the relationship between knowledge sharing and OER

• Continued exploration of COPs, their make up, behaviors, and practices

• Continued assessment of the factors that serve to support OER as a transformative process for teaching and learning (culture, context, existing teaching practices, etc)

OER as transformative through its facilitation of knowledge sharing, COPs and collaborative teaching and learning models

Cynthia JimesInstitute for the Study of Knowledge Management in Educationcynthia@iskme.org