EDCI339

Part 1: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1QdN2HAE0P0g8XOq0GqUtKxWDcy6EZ3CHAiG5OHWo_C8/edit?usp=sharing

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Part 2:_{Bright Futures for Every Student: Creating OERs with Equitable Accessibility}

An ed-tech trend that is essential to online and open learning is the use of open educational resources (OER). As this trend grows in popularity, it also becomes clear that there are many opportunities to create advancements in this area. Jung et al. (2017) write that institutions are leaning towards OERs because it allows them to be innovative with how they treat knowledge: sharing and reusing knowledge, and reducing the expenses related with creating content (78). In the case of higher institutions of learning, allowing the public to access open educational resources connected with that particular university is a great way to advance public relations as well. Higher education institutions often focus on benefits to the student, but little thought and planning is given to instructional design and strategy (Jung et al., 2017, 78). Focusing solely on user outcomes and perceptions, educators may overlook the importance of instructional design and theories of pedagogy. With new ed-tech innovations and the increasing use of online and open learning, institutions must keep continuously developing their resources but also take bigger steps to create innovative and equitable open educational resources.

A broader theory of pedagogy that provides a framework for OERs is the idea of connectivism. Weller (2020) writes that connectivism focuses on taking full advantage of all the possibilities that online learning provides through the use of decentralized and varied materials, low costs, the encouragement of user creation and social learning, and open licensing. In general, connectivism does provide a macro-level framework with which to operate OERs. However, it becomes evident that numerous micro-level adjustments and modifications need to be made to actually make OERs effective and equitable for all students.

Following and implementing universal design for learning guidelines (UDL), institutions could have the opportunity to increase the effectiveness of their learning resources and take the next step in developing the rising ed-tech trend of OERs. The main tenet of the UDL framework revolves around improving instruction and learning, but ensuring these opportunities apply for all students. Robertson (2017) discusses the issues stemming from a one-size-fits-all approach to learning, and focuses on the need for students who actually have accessibility issues with online and open learning resources to be a part of the team that creates these resources. Often, institutions wait for user input before creating equal access opportunities, but the future of OERs should include the ideas of equitable access in the development stages of resources.

My own experiences with OERs are positive, but after extensive reading and reflection, I do see the issues that stem from poor planning for equitable opportunities. Being able to access online learning material easily at low cost, engaging in positive social learning opportunities, and having more autonomy in my education are all important reasons that OERs benefit me. In the past, I have been inconvenienced slightly with the design flaws that OERs often have, but for many students and users, these design flaws are substantial obstacles that create barriers to effective learning. Using the UDL guidelines, institutions have the opportunity to fix these design flaws and implement more effective learning theories to ensure that all students benefit from OERs equally. Specifically, a few of the guidelines that I have experienced flaws with and that could be modified by many OERs revolve around the three UDL factors of engagement, representation, and action.

When accessing OERs, I am often struck by the cluttered and disorganized user interface that students are forced to navigate. This issue falls under the UDL guideline of Engagement. The layout of OERs must make it easy for students to find resources, complete activities, and engage in social learning opportunities. However, the splash pages of these resources are often full of content that is inapplicable to the student, making it difficult for the user to learn. For me, this was a slight inconvenience compared to what a visually impaired student would probably experience, underlining the urgent need for these resources to streamline the navigation or ensure equal access to a different interface that ensures equitable access to the material.

Another important UDL guideline in terms of engagement is ensuring that student collaboration is a priority. In the past, I have been a part of student collaboration that involves writing discussion posts and commenting on my fellow students’ posts. In theory, this achieves student collaboration, but in practice, this is not effective in making sure students are engaged and maximizing effort. Creating a stronger online student community through peer mentoring and group activities that use flexible grouping and one-on-one interaction should be a priority (CAST, 2018). This not only creates opportunities of equal access, but helps all students benefit from sustained collaboration that is meaningful.

The final UDL guideline that institutions need to implement more effectively to ensure equitable access involves the factor of representation. Some students need visual representation, preferring charts and graphs to help organize information. Other students learn better by auditory means, preferring lectures and videos. A student might need written materials or even need more group activity and tactile learning opportunities. Every student is an individual and has a unique learning style or a blend of these learning preferences. Ensuring that course material is presented in a wide variety of ways benefits every student, but is crucial for students that face accessibility issues with online educational resources and instruction.

OERs are a growing ed-trend that has the opportunity to fundamentally change how accessible education is for students, especially students that face challenges with accessibility and historically have been left with less resources and opportunities. By implementing UDL guidelines, institutions could ensure that there are equal educational opportunities that will guarantee that online learning is inclusive, effective, and innovative. The future is bright for online learning and OERs if we ensure that this future is bright for every student.

References

CAST. (2018). Universal design for learning guidelines version 2.2. http://udlguidelines.cast.org

Jung, E., Bauer, C., Heaps, A. (2017). Strategic implementation of open educational resources in higher education institutions. Educational Technology, 57(2), 78-84.

Robertson, T. (2017). Diversity, equity, and inclusion in open research and education. In M. Bali, C. Cronin, L. Czerniewicz, R. DeRosa, & R. Jhangiani. (Eds.) Open at the Margins: Critical perspectives on open education (Ch. 18). Rebus Community Pressbooks.

Weller, Martin. 25 Years of Ed Tech, AU Press, 2020.

Equitable access to learning environments for all students in open and distributed learning contexts revolve around changing the fundamental way that educational resources are designed. The inadequacy of some learning environements for users that require accessibility assistance highlights the intersectionality of disability and educational disparities in learning environments. Robertson (2017) writes that course materials are frequently augmented and modified only after users have issues with accessibility. The fact that inclusion is not a main goal during the creation process underscores serious problems in not just e-learning, but problems that are prevalent in more traditional models of education too. 

The first step to creating equitable access for all students is through careful designing of learning environments. Robertson (2017) writes that ideally this creation process involves the input and guidance of students who need materials to be more accessible. By not utilizing these students as a resource in the design stage, educators are allowing these students to not be in the room, so to speak. It is also important to recognize when students are being hindered by accessibility issues or are being left out of activities.

While designing inclusive learning environments, following a set of guidelines that maximize educational opportunity for all students is important. The Universal Design for Learning (UDL) guidelines were valuable in learning about concrete, actionable ways that learning environments can be improved for all students. It is not enough to just recognize that there are problems with learning environments or fix these issues as they arise, although taking action to help a student is important. These learning environments must be initially designed with inclusivity in mind. The UDL Guidelines outline how to increase the universality of a platform through the factors of engagement, representation, and action and expression (CAST, 2018).

The Inclusive Learning Design Handbook (date) is also a great resource for creating educational resources that are personalized and accommodating to all students. I found a perspective article included in this handbook that was illuminating in its explanation of why inclusivity issues are still so prevalent. The article describes how the design of learning environments is often based on numbers—what does the majority of students need? This “human equation” leads to students being left on the fringe and offered less resources (FLOE).  I found it valuable to not only see the ways resources can be designed with accessibility and universality in mind, but also to learn about ways that I can be more aware of these issues of marginalization in the classroom. In the future, I hope to be able to recognize these issues when I use these educational resources.

References

CAST. (2018). Universal design for learning guidelines version 2.2. http://udlguidelines.cast.org

FLOE. (n.d.). The inclusive learning design handbook. https://handbook.floeproject.org/

Robertson, T. (2017). Diversity, equity, and inclusion in open research and education. In M. Bali, C. Cronin, L. Czerniewicz, R. DeRosa, & R. Jhangiani (Eds.), Open at the Margins: Critical perspectives on open education (Ch. 18). Rebus Community Pressbooks.

Constructivism and connectivism are sets of principles that can help educators create a pedagogy that uses the framework that web-based learning can provide. Utilizing online resources, distanced social interaction, and embracing the self-agency that online education can provide, both constructivism and connectivism revolutionized e-learning when they were proposed. However, Weller does note that these ideas, nowadays, feel less innovative due to wide-use, and seem like just mundane aspects associated with web-based learning (Ch. 17, para. 14). Even though some of the aspects associated with these two principles seem ubiquitous with online education, it is important to focus in-depth on them to gain an understanding of the techniques available to educators.
Constructivism, like connectivism, uses an abundance of online resources, places emphasis on social interaction in the learning process, and promotes a student’s independence and agency. It relies on the idea that students must build their own learning experiences and knowledge, and often is used in discovery-based learning activities. Weller admits that constructivism as an outline for learning practices can be a bit vague, but he contends that using this approach as a philosophy towards creating an educational program is helpful (Ch. 4, para. 2). A constructivist approach views the student as the focal point of learning, and places the educator on the sidelines. The educator may guide to a certain extent, but it is the student, through active learning and discovery, who controls the process. A few types of learning frameworks that arise from constructivism are resource based learning, problem based learning, and communities of practice.
Connectivism, as previously noted, does share similarities with constructivism. However, connectivism explores more fully the vast possibilities that web-based learning offers. It does not emphasize the individual learner as constructivism, but instead, views learning as happening within a network that is constantly shifting and changing. Key to understanding connectivism is that instead of using existing educational frameworks and technology to advance them subtly, connectivism’s goal is to fully embrace all the possibilities that web-based learning can provide. In practice, this involves the concepts of aggregation, relation, creation, and sharing (Weller, Ch. 17, para. 4). Students can aggregate resources, accessing a wide variety of knowledge. Students can then create connections and relate course content to their own lives. Finally, students are asked to create content and share this content with others. Connectivism, like constructivism, has social aspects, but the latter relies heavily on social experiences to create learning opportunities.
An ed-tech trend that interests me is the use of open educational resources, and after reading Weller’s chapters on constructivism and connectivism, it becomes clear that these principles help form a framework for OER. In particular, OER is closely tied to connectivism, taking full advantage of all the possibilities that web-based learning offers. OER’s emphasis on free or low cost resources, ease of publishing and open licensing, and encouragement of user created or modified content are all important principles found in connectivism. Connectivism calls for decentralized and varied educational materials, and OER have the ability to fulfill these needs. From these readings, it becomes evident that even though pedagogic theory is well-established, new concepts and evaluations must be routinely made to keep up with the development of new technology.

Works Cited
Weller, Martin. 25 Years of Ed Tech, AU Press, 2020.

Over the course of the last two decades, online education has evolved and grown more prominent due to technological advancements and increased awareness of its pedagogical effectiveness and flexibility. Criticism of online educational models, often led by traditionalists, often cites that the lack of traditional brick-and-mortar classrooms impedes students’ learning. However, studies have shown that a substantial number of students view online learning as beneficial in its flexibility and learning models (Weller, Ch. 6, para. 7). Personally, I have found online learning to be flexible, accessible, and cost-saving. Particularly, my personal learning journey has been affected greatly, and mostly in a positive way, by the use of open educational resources.

Martin Weller states that learning conveyed over the Internet can be given many names, writing that “online education, web-based instruction, networked learning” are all terms that are used to describe this type of learning (Ch. 6, para. 5). This can be broken down further if using the Internet as an educational tool by the concept of blended learning. Blended learning has four major categories that attempt to interpret the educational system’s increasing utilization of technology. Sometimes there are blends of media and technology, of approaches to teaching, of face-to-face instruction combined with technology, or of activities that require technology (Weller, Ch. 6, para. 5). Regardless of the degree of blending or the exact term used, online learning continues to expand and respond to the distance learner’s needs.

One of the needs of many students is the ability to receive a quality education at a reasonable cost. By using the Internet to deliver instruction, online education, in general, is more cost-effective for the student. However, added to the cost of tuition is often the price of expensive textbooks and materials required to supplement course instruction. Open educational resources (OER), however, can help minimize these extra costs for the student by offering accessible, free, and reusable course materials. Before reading the course materials on this topic, I knew, in general, that open textbooks made my online learning journey easier, but I did not know about the specific details of OER materials’ copyright licenses. Weller writes that OER have an open license that allows users to adapt and redistribute with relative freedom (Ch. 11, para. 1). I also did not know the exact distinctions between an open textbook and an online textbook. The open textbook allows for the student to keep access to it across their entire studies, and reuse it as much as they wish. The online textbook, however, often involves a login and password, and usually after the course, is no longer accessible.

My own experiences with open educational resources such as open textbooks, videos, articles, and learning modules are positive. In past courses, expensive textbooks often are not used much, and a lot of the material is not applicable to the exact lessons we are learning. OERs allow instructors to pick specific materials and redistribute them to the student, allowing for a more targeted education. Often, an instructor will give a student a packet of resources through a classroom Google Drive that has a mash-up of materials. Having read Weller’s chapter on OER, I have a better understanding of exactly what these materials are and a deeper appreciation for open licenses. Instead of rifling through a thick, expensive textbook to find the one specific passage that supplements the course work, I can open a Google Drive and find multiple sources handpicked by the instructor.

Works Cited
Weller, Martin. 25 Years of Ed Tech, AU Press, 2020.

Hello everyone! My name is Chloe. I am from Macao, China, but my parents are working in Guangdong, China, so I live with them in Guangdong as well. I have been back to China since last year because of the pandemic. I am a year 2 student in economics, and this semester is my second semester at UVic.

I think one of the things that I missed during the pandemic was meeting more people and making more friends because of online classes, we could not see each other. I would like to visit Ottawa, the capital of Canada, because I studied in Vancouver for two years, but I have never been to the capital of this country once. I want to know the history and culture of Canada, and also want to feel the regional differences between the east and the west. I have been studying online for a year and a half. Also, although this course is an elective course for me, and I do not have any experience with using social media for learning, I will try my best to learn this course.

Thanks for your time! I am looking forward to working with you.

Hello everyone! My name is Ka Io Ian, and this name is not easy to pronounce, so I prefer you call me Chloe. I am from Macao, China, but my parents are working in Guangdong, China, so I live with them in Guangdong as well.

I am a year 2 student in economics, and this semester is my second semester at UVic. I have been studying online for a year and a half.

Although this course is an elective course for me, and I do not have any experience with using social media for learning, I will try my best to learn this course. 

Moreover, I love dancing and singing. I had been learning dancing for fourteen years when I was in China, but after I study in Canada, I stop dancing. However, I will keep dancing in the future.

Thanks for your time! I am looking forward to working with you.