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Open Education Week (March 4-8, 2024)
Featured Open Educational Resources at Oregon Open Learning
Spotlight on Project Based Learning (PBL)
March #GoOpen Events
Oregon Open Learning (OOL) was created to help improve equitable access to high quality instructional materials, to empower educators to take control of the materials they use with their students and to grow their sense of efficacy. As we move toward more equitable systems and approaches with the instructional materials we use to serve our students, the use of Open Educational Resources (OER) plays a fundamental role. Open Educational Resources support not only equity of access to high quality resources, they also enable a shift in the power structures that have historically driven the development of educational materials by broadening access to authorship, and supporting the inclusion of historically marginalized voices. Additionally, the use of OER gives educators agency to make changes to materials, empowering them to improve upon them, adapt them to their local context and share the revisions they’ve made with others who can benefit from their work, both locally and across the state.
Back in December 2023, our COOL newsletter explained that in 2019 the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) connected the need for free global access to OER to the critically important work of ensuring universal human rights. Our OOL team believes that our three foundational ideas of equity, empowerment and effectiveness help drive the progress of OER in Oregon and, in our small way, help move closer towards human rights for all.
March 4th through the 8th is Open Education Week for 2024 and we hope you are able to take some time to explore the resources, information and events we are providing you this month! Be sure to check out:
The Oregon Open Learning Hub was launched in May 2020. The Hub continues to grow and now contains thousands of resources that have been authored or curated by Oregon educators. In November 2022, the Hub launched the Oregon Collections section with the first collections made up entirely of resources created and evaluated by Oregon educators. In addition to the rich resources contributed to our subject area and topic area groups, the Hub houses collections of resources that have been curated, created, and evaluated by Oregon educators and Education Specialists from the Oregon Department of Education.
Resources in this section have been evaluated using the Oregon OER Quality Framework.
Our current collections include a Multilingual/English Learner Resource Collection and a Sex Ed Open Learning Collection.
What is Project Based Learning (PBL)? It can mean a lot of things to a lot of educators, but PBLWorks, from the Buck Institute for Education defines PBL as:
… a teaching method in which students gain knowledge and skills by working for an extended period of time to investigate and respond to an authentic, engaging, and complex question, problem, or challenge.
They elaborate more by stating that in contrast to end-of-unit projects, PBL centers the project as the vehicle for teaching and involves students working on a project over a longer period of time (a week, to a month or more). PBL includes:
- Solving real-world problems and/or
- Answering complex questions, and
- A demonstration of learned knowledge and experience for a live audience
Want to see PBL in action? Take a look at this short video called March Through Nashville Project by PBLWorks. For more information on incorporating PBL into your next lessons, check out their Gold Standard PBL Seven Essential Project Design Elements.
Oregon Open Learning has a specific Project Based Learning group, which currently has 34 affiliated OER for you to incorporate into your classroom. Topics range from humanities-based lessons on journaling to the City X Project and an Exploration of Data and Bias. Here are a few other OER from groups like PBLWorks to help introduce how you can develop your own OER-based PBL curriculum:
INTERESTED IN HELPING SUPPORT AND GROW The Oregon Open Learning PBL group? Get in touch with our team. We would LOVE to hear from you!
Contact us at: OregonOpenLearning@ode.oregon.gov
March 4, 2024 @ 8:30 am - 9:45 am PST
Creative Commons Mountain View, CA, United States
Invited presentation from Shanna Hollich, Learning and Training Manager at Creative Commons, as a part of Affordable Learning Kentucky's Open Education Week Virtual Symposium. Join us as we discuss the implications of Open Educational Resources (OER) for accessibility and social justice.
March 4, 2024 @ 11:00 am - 11:45 am PST (VIRTUAL - click title above for more info)
Madison Area Technical College Madison, Wisconsin, United States
What are Open Educational Resources (OER) and what role do they play in building equity into the educational landscape? OER goes beyond cost savings and provides customizable content which can reflect historically marginalized voices and viewpoints. This presentation will provide a foundation on what OER are, how they are used, and their importance in equity in education. Practical resources and tips for incorporating diverse content will also be provided.
March 4, 2024 @ 10:00 am - 11:30 am PST (VIRTUAL - click title above for more info)
Athabasca University Athabasca, Alberta, Canada
In this session, you will learn what OER is, where to find it online, and how to assess its quality. We’ll also cover the difference between ‘free’ and ‘open’ and explore some of the many benefits afforded by OER – as well as some interactive games! Mark your calendars for March 4th at 11am MT for this whirlwind tour of Open Educational Resources.
March 5, 2024 @ 11:00 am - 12:00 pm PST (VIRTUAL - click title above for more info)
UC Davis Davis, CA, United States
While AI promises to revolutionize many fields, including education, this technology’s unsustainable carbon footprint and other devastating ecological impacts mean that revolutionary progress is far from guaranteed. In fact, the rapid, widespread adoption of energy and resource-hungry AI invites revolutionary regression. This year’s talk discusses the environmental impacts of generative AI by examining the often hidden ecological costs of these new tools and asks how we, as open practitioners, can ensure the burgeoning collaboration between AI tools and open education serves learners, teachers, and the environment.
March 6, 2024 @ 10:00 am - 11:00 am PST (VIRTUAL - click title above for more info)
Saskatchewan Polytechnic Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada
Two speakers from First Nations University will talk about their resources, which incorporate indigenous knowledge into practical applications (finance and math) and how to engage indigenous communities. Dr. Arzu Sardali has created the Cree Dictionary of Mathematical Terms. Dr. Bettina Schneider has adapted a resource titled Financial Empowerment for use by Canadian Indigenous and non-Indigenous students.
March 8, 2024 @ 10:00 am - 11:00 am PST (VIRTUAL - click title above for more info)
Saskatchewan Polytechnic Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada
Alec Couros, Director of the Centre for Teaching and Learning at the University of Regina will discuss the positive and negative effects of Artificial Intelligence, particularly focused on its effect on OE.
March 8, 2024 @ 2:30 pm - 3:00 pm PST (VIRTUAL - click title above for more info)
College of the Canyons Santa Clarita, CA, United States
In this 30 minute panel discussion, we address the question: “How can the open education field engage effectively with antiracist pedagogy?” Open for Antiracism Program (OFAR) is a project of the Community College Consortium for Open Educational Resources (CCCOER) program, within which we can find an example of how open education engages with antiracist pedagogy.
March 8, 2024 @ 4:00 pm - 5:00 pm PST (VIRTUAL - click title above for more info)
Open Oregon Portland, OR, United States
Join the Open Oregon Educational Resources team at a virtual happy hour to celebrate OER publications in our state. This event will feature readings by Oregon authors from their work; if you are an OER author, please pick out a short passage to share. Let’s raise a glass to celebrate the conclusion of another Open Ed Week!
March 27, 2024 @ 11:00 am - 12:30 pm PST (VIRTUAL - click title above for more info)
University of Calgary Calgary, Alberta, Canada
We’re excited to announce the third annual offering of The Open Education Talks, first offered in 2022 as The Open Pedagogy Talks, a series of lightning talks focusing on open education in postsecondary institutions. These 15-minute talks will be about facets of open education, including open pedagogy and learning, utilizing open educational resources, and integrating open strategies in higher education.
March 27, 2024 @ 11:00 am - 12:30 pm PST (VIRTUAL - click title above for more info)
Please Note: Unless hosted, facilitated, or published by The Oregon Department of Education (ODE), these resources have not been endorsed by ODE, but are being shared as relevant opportunities for education professionals to consider.
Questions, comments, or additions? Please get in touch with the ODE Oregon Open Learning team at OregonOpenLearning@ode.oregon.gov. Did someone forward you this newsletter? Want to stay connected with OER at the Oregon Department of Education? Subscribe to the OOL Newsletter Quarterly Newsletter! and check out our Oregon Open Newsletter Archive.
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