Author: rwalsh

What is Open Pedagogy?

Pedagogy is the method of how knowledge is shared, taught, and received. It focuses on the principles of access and openness creating a more inclusive and freely available form of education for any individual. Open pedagogy goes beyond simply providing access to educational resources, it focuses on creating a collaborative and participation based environment for students to learn with their peers. Traditional teaching methods tend to be teacher focused, the instructor is viewed as the leader and expert on the content while students are simply meant to absorb information. Students then get tested on their knowledge from repetition and studying. Open pedagogy differs from this traditional method as it is more student focused. Content and resources are more flexible to fit each student’s personal needs. Students learn information not only from listening to a teacher give a lecture but instead by communicating and sharing with peers, as well they gain more real world knowledge on the topic. 

The Role and Impact of OER

Open Educational Resources 

• Freely accessible teaching and learning resources 
• Available to anyone and can be changed and shared 
• Ex. textbooks, videos, quizzes, etc.

Examples

• OpenStax
• Khan Academy
• Quizlet
• OpenLearn
• Etc.

Advantages

• Accessibility: can be accessed by anyone anywhere, especially useful in online and distance learning, as well it is is available in a variety of formats to meet the needs of any learner
• Financial: reduces any financial pressures that many refrain students from getting an education, also saves students lots of money by not needing expensive textbooks
• Customizability: instructors are able to change and modify OER to work alongside their specific lesson plans and overall curriculum

Open educational resources contribute to education in a very positive way, by making learning tools and resources readily available to any students. OER greatly contributes to educational equity by supporting any learning style and makes online learning much easier, it also is a positive factor for increasing global access as students and teachers do not need to be in the same area but are able to use the same materials.

Understanding Creative Commons Licensing

Creative commons licensing allows individuals to share their work with the public under certain conditions. The creator will gain their credit for their work however many others get to benefit by being able to use, modify, and share the content. Creative commons licenses are very important for OER learning but educators and students must ensure they understand how it works so that materials are being shared and used ethically and legally. 

Attributes of Open Pedagogy

Collaboration is a crucial attribute to pedagogy as it gets students to work together and share knowledge. I find collaboration with peers very helpful for my learning type as not only am I gaining knowledge by the repetition of hearing myself speak about a topic; but I learn a lot from others who may have a different point of view on a certain matter or additional information I may not have known beforehand.    

Transparency is another very important key attribute that educators must ensure to apply. The focus on open communication about what is expected for assignments, tests, etc. as well as learning outcomes throughout a course will give the student a higher chance of success. As I am in my 5th year of university I have had many different professors and based on assignment grades the class average is always much higher when a teacher gives detailed and clear instructions for said assignment. 

Student-centered learning allows students to feel more autonomy in their learning journey. Moving from a method of instructor-led teaching towards student-led gives students the opportunity to explore more content in their areas of interest. I think it is fair to say that we all find it easier to complete school work if we are interested in the topic therefore I think student centered learning definitely promotes a better chance of students achieving success in their courses.

What Does Pedagogy Mean to You? 

I feel as though pedagogy is the method of how knowledge is shared, taught, and received. Pedagogy requires active involvement of both the learner and the teacher. As a very social individual I enjoy collaborating with others in many ways, whether it be academic or socially with friends and family. I find it very interesting to learn the different learning styles of other individuals. Sometimes I might be explaining something to another person and although it makes total sense in my head they are not understanding, therefore using what we have learned in this module I would try different methods and strategies of delivering that information in a way they might understand better. 

Networked Pedagogy in Action

Networked pedagogy has made online collaboration much easier for our generation. By utilizing platforms such as zoom, discord, google docs, etc. students and professors are able to contribute information and ideas in a quick and efficient manner. As well it creates a way to connect with others who have similar interests and studies no matter their geographical location. As learning is slowly becoming more technology heavy rather than simply traditional classroom teaching, the use of online resources can aid in the possible lack of social interaction between students. 

Learning Theories in Practice

The learning theory I resonate most with would definitely be constructivism. I am a very active learner and enjoy using real life experiences to shape my understanding on learning content. Being a psychology major the entire focus of my academic learning surrounds the study of how humans think, feel, and interact with others. There are many theories and terms that apply to everyday life that are relatable to all. Psychology is a very discussion heavy course which can easily be applied during online learning with the help of online meeting platforms such as zoom and discord as well as online discussion forums where users are able to contribute thoughts and ideas as well as interact with other classmates by responding to their posts. 

The Role of the Instructor in an Online Course

I have always found that an instructor can greatly impact the enjoyment of a course. Online courses can be a bit more challenging as the professor must be committed to being actively online when possible. For in person courses if a student has a question they can simply raise a hand during lecture or wait till after class and propose their question being able to do so they get an immediate response or suggestion of how they might get the answer they are looking for. During an online course students do not have that in person time with their teacher, therefore we are left to sending email, posting questions or comments on course sites, etc. I feel as though if a teacher agrees to teach an online course they need to be committed to making themselves easily accessible to students. A successful online teacher will create engaging content, interactive activities to promote connection between students, clear communication and instruction of assignments, and overall support for their students

Hi everyone! My name is Rachel, I am in my 5th and final year of my psychology degree, hoping to get into a career with a focus on mental health and wellbeing in children and adolescents. I grew up on Vancouver Island and attended a private high school up island just 45 mins from uvic. My high school, Brentwood College, was very mental health positive which I think really inspired me to focus on that as a future career. Aside from school I spend the majority of my time working 3 jobs as well as maintaining a busy social life. 

Distributed education allows students to be taught and complete an education in a very flexible way. The flexibility of location makes education extremely accessible to all. Some schools could have an amazing program a student is leaning towards but may not have an ideal location, being able to complete the program of one’s choice but not having to take into account the location eliminates this issue. As well the option between synchronous and asynchronous can appeal to all personality types. Those that need structure and due dates will benefit from the synchronous learning by being on a set schedule, whereas individuals who enjoy the freedom of completing work whenever they feel and know they will motivate themselves will likely enjoy the more open asynchronous learning.

Different modes of learning include:

• Face to face learning
• Online learning
• Blended learning
• Hybrid learning

Each of these modes of learning have their advantages and will appeal to different individuals based on their preferences. Overall the variety of learning modes is an extremely useful and inclusive way of delivering content and information to everyone. For myself I enjoy hybrid learning. Attending a proper class in person brings learning to a more personal level by being able to discuss course content with peers in an academic setting. As someone who is always on the go and enjoys being busy I value my time a lot. I work a part time job while attending university therefore the flexibility of being able to complete the course online is a bonus as it makes a work schedule much more manageable. I find the commute of getting to and from school wastes more time for me rather than simply being able to shut my computer at the end of class and leave for work. Preference of learning modes can also depend on the subject of the course. For example a psychology course that is majority discussion based would be more engaging in person, whereas a more technical subject such as chemistry or computer science might be no different in person versus online. I try to create a balance between work and school therefore some days I will do both and other days it will only be one or the other, either the hybrid or the blended modes of learning are what works best for me. 

Digital literacy is one’s knowledge and capability of using technology and different digital tools. This can range from something as simple as using google to something more technical such as being able to understand a coding sequence. As the world is rapidly being taken over by technology it is important that we adapt and learn not only how to use it but as well understand privacy and security while using technology and online platforms. I attended a private high school that was very technology focused, everything we did was digital and we learned how to confidently use various platforms for assignments and collaboration activities. I am grateful that I had access to this knowledge as it made the transition to university, where everything is also digital, much easier to understand. 

Digital identity is the way in which we present ourselves online. The internet is full of information and many people do not even realize how much access we give to it. Whether it is your name, a photo, or a video, the internet is able to store it all. Safety and privacy is extremely important when using any sort of technology especially social media platforms as it can be difficult for something to be deleted fully from the internet once it is put on there, there is always a digital footprint. Displaying a positive digital identity is extremely important in one’s professional life. In today’s day employers will search individuals up online to see if there is any poor or off putting information about them online. The person with a professional and successful digital identity is more likely to be hired over the individual who may have negative content about them online.