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Learning Objects: Coming to a Classroom Near You!. Dahlia Shaewitz, OER STEM Project Director Amanda Duffy, OER STEM Task Leader American Institutes for Research COABE March 18, 2014, 11:00am-12:15. Agenda. Project Overview & Major Activities What is an OER ?
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Learning Objects: Coming to a Classroom Near You! Dahlia Shaewitz, OER STEM Project Director Amanda Duffy, OER STEM Task Leader American Institutes for Research COABE March 18, 2014, 11:00am-12:15
Agenda • Project Overview & Major Activities • What is an OER? • OERs for Enhanced Teaching and Learning in Adult Ed • Evaluating OERs • Managing and Sharing OERs • What’s Next: More PD Opportunities
Introductions • Your name • Your interest in STEM and/or OERs
OER STEM: Project Goal Develop new and innovative ways to improve the teaching of STEM content to adult education students using open educational resources (OERs) Find out more on our project page: http://lincs.ed.gov/programs/oerstem
Major Activities • Select teachers (User Group members) to use and evaluate STEM OERs • Create online professional development and training materials to expand use of STEM OERs • Disseminate project tools and generate excitement about teaching STEM and using OERs • Expand thinking about NETP and Digital Badges in adult education
Reasons to Use OERs OERs help students and instructors + OERs are accessible and convenient + OERs enrich learning OERs increase the capacity for teaching and learning STEM topics in adult education
What is an OER? “Open educational resources (OER) are teaching, learning, and research resources that reside in the public domain or have been released under an intellectual property license that permits sharing, accessing, repurposing—including for commercial purposes—and collaborating with others.” - Page 56, National Educational Technology Plan, 2010
: The 4 R’s Resource: Creative Commons licensing & what material is legal to re-use: wiki.creativecommons.org/Creative_Commons_and_Open_Educational_Resources
“I'm using some of the resources in my math groups and modifying them accordingly. Others are already prepared for a variety of skill levels. It took me several attempts searching for OERs before I felt confident with an evaluation. Now that I have completed two of them, I am anxious to continue...I've learned to automatically look for Creative Commons on resources before sharing them.” - User Group I Member
Terms of Use Example from PBS Learning Media:
When in Doubt…Ask! “When I found the algebra2go.com I asked about "creative commons" licensing and they weren't aware of it as an option... so now I'm going to ask again about the videos, which are under the "standard" license. The author also didn't know about OERcommons.org and was delighted to be part of it...” - User Group Member
Example 1 www.oercommons.org/courses/heredity-mix-n-match/view
Example 2 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Tr75SIxNf80
“I am using video OERs to supplement my classroom instruction. Most of the time I will introduce a concept through hands-on activities and exploration. We then discuss what we have discovered. I will then use an OER to show students what others have thought or discovered about the concept. I also use lesson plan OERs. I usually modify them slightly for each class.” - User Group Member
Tips for OER Searches Define Key Words Use query operators • For example: “quotes” to search for an exact phrase; A dash ( - ) to exclude a word or a site; A plus ( + ) to add a word or site Use Advanced Searches • Advanced searches narrow options by reading level, language, file type and usage type
How to Select the Right OER? Remember! Technology does not replace instruction, but it can enhance teaching and learning.
Using OERs for Teaching and Learning • OERs are tools to aid teaching • Students can use OERs for learning in class and on their own • Teachers report that it can be time consuming up front to plan with the OER, but it saves time later
“If one of my learners has trouble grasping a concept or skill after our activities and discussion, I may refer them to an OER ... The students really appreciate the ability to pause and replay [the videos] as many times as necessary. The students become much more engaged and empowered. They feel they have more control over their learning process.” - User Group Member
“Knowing and using the rubrics to evaluate the OER resources have advanced my awareness to discover and use more effective resources. I am searching with more scrutiny, which is resulting in better resources.” - User Group Member Resource: Achieve Rubrics and tutorials http://www.achieve.org/oer-rubrics
Achieve Rubrics • Developed for evaluating “the quality of instructional resources” • Include eight rubrics: • I. Degree of Alignment to Standards • II. Quality of Explanation of the Subject Matter • III. Utility of Materials Designed to Support Teaching • IV. Quality of Assessments • V. Quality of Technological Interactivity • VI. Quality of Instructional and Practice Exercises • VII. Opportunities for Deeper Learning • VIII. Assurance of Accessibility
How to Manage and Share OERs? • How can will you manage the large number of possible OERs to use? • Identify online sharing sites and tools that are free and shareable with others, for example: • Online storage sites, e.g., Dropbox • Online sharing sites, e.g., Delicious, Diigo, etc. • Online collaborative groups, e.g. OER Commons
More Opportunities with OERs • LINCS Discussion about STEM OERs • OER Challenge – coming soon! • Training of Trainers (on the PD courses) • OER STEM project page on LINCS: http://lincs.ed.gov/programs/oerstem
Last Words from User Groups “My classroom…is a more fresh and relevant place to learn with these new OER gems!” - User Group Member “I have also shared the OER commons site with my colleagues and will be sharing the site with my audience at the COABE conference this month.” - User Group Member
OER STEM Project • Learn more about the Open Education Resources to Support Adult STEM Teaching and Learning project at: http://lincs.ed.gov/programs/oerstem • Contact us at OERSTEM@air.org • Learn more about the American Institutes for Research (AIR) at: www.air.org