Month: October 2024

What is Open Pedagogy?

（A short animated movie to introduce you to “Open Pedagogy”）

Open pedagogy is a student-centered approach to education that emphasizes collaboration, sharing and innovation in the learning process. It differs from traditional teaching method mainly in the way of knowledge transfer and the change of students’ roles.

With the development of Internet technology and the birth of various social media, we have access to all kinds of knowledge and news without leaving home. I think platforms such as TikTok and YouTube, which have many creators publishing content, are a kind of open education. They have their own profit models, but the viewer is free when viewing the video content. Open education significantly lowers the financial barrier to education and makes quality education accessible to more people. This is especially important for learners from economically disadvantaged families. The flexibility and accessibility of open education enables people to learn and self-improve at any stage, supporting the goal of lifelong learning and skills development.

In traditional teaching methods, the teacher is often the main provider of knowledge, students acquire knowledge by listening to lectures and practicing, learning materials and resources are usually closed, and the results of assignments are mostly graded by the teacher only. In contrast, open teaching methods encourage students to actively participate in the creation and sharing of knowledge and focus on the openness of learning resources. By allowing students to construct and apply knowledge in practice, open pedagogy pays more attention to dynamic communication and collaboration in the learning process. For example, students can participate in creating Open Educational Resources (OER), sharing research results, or collaborating on projects on authentic problems. In this model, students are no longer just passive receivers, but become co-creators of knowledge.

The OER approach helps students develop critical thinking and self-directed learning skills, while enhancing their sense of social responsibility, as the content they create has potential social value. Educators also benefit from this approach by sharing and adapting instructional materials based on open resources, thus continuously enriching their curricula.

The Role and Impact of OER:

The benefits of using OER for my learning or teaching are significant. First of all, it provides a flexible choice of resources and the freedom to choose materials that suit different learners’ needs, which is especially helpful for the implementation of the UDL framework. Through OER, I can provide diverse learning materials such as videos, interactive exercises and text resources to accommodate different learning styles and abilities. In addition, OER is updated frequently and the content is more real-time and relevant, which can help learners keep abreast of current knowledge.

From the perspective of educational equity, OER can reduce the cost of educational resources and provide unpaid learning opportunities for students who are not financially well-off. At the same time, these resources are usually open source, and anyone can create and share them twice, forming a knowledge-sharing ecosystem that further promotes the spread of knowledge and the globalization of education.

Global Trends in OER:

One of the most influential current global trends in OER is the support and promotion of policies at the national level. Governments and international organizations are increasingly incorporating OER into their education policies, such as the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), which put forward an Open Educational Resources Recommendation in 2019, encouraging countries to promote and support OER.This trend has boosted the penetration of OER into the global education system, increasing the visibility and usage of OER. For example, countries such as the U.S. and Canada have supported the creation and promotion of OER in their policies, encouraging colleges and universities to use open textbooks, thus effectively reducing the cost of education for students. International cooperation can promote the sharing of global educational resources and help overcome the problem of educational inequality. For example, through translation and localization, OER can be made to reach a wider audience and knowledge can be disseminated across language and cultural barriers.

Another notable trend is the active participation of higher education institutions, with many universities sharing quality educational resources through open courses (e.g. MIT’s OCW). This provides free or low-cost learning opportunities for students around the world, especially those who do not have access to prestigious institutions. Nonetheless, students may still face the challenge of lack of support services in utilizing these resources, especially in some developing countries, where although the government supports the development of OER programs, there is an imbalance of resources in the promotion of OER in different countries, especially in areas with poor technological infrastructure. Problems of coordination in policy formulation and implementation may also affect the actual effectiveness of OER.

In addition, the integration of OER with technological innovation is evolving, and new technologies such as artificial intelligence and virtual reality are enhancing the interactivity and personalization of OER. However, this technological integration also brings with it high requirements for equipment and networks, and many educational institutions may face financial constraints. Overall, despite the many opportunities presented by the development of OER, there are still a number of challenges to be overcome in its rollout and implementation to ensure that it truly benefits all learners.

Understanding Creative Commons Licensing:

In the context of OER, Creative Commons licenses greatly facilitate the sharing and use of educational resources, allowing educators and learners to use, adapt and redistribute resources legally and responsibly. Creative Commons licenses offer a variety of licensing options that ensure copyright protection of resources when they are shared by clarifying the rules for their use. For me, these licenses have not only helped me to follow compliant use in my learning and teaching, but they have also encouraged a culture of participation in resource sharing.

Several key types of Creative Commons licenses, such as Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike, ensure that when a resource is used and adapted, the original author is given attribution, the resource is used for noncommercial purposes, and the modified work is shared under the same license. This mechanism can drive iteration and optimization of the resource while ensuring that the resource is open for use in the first place. With Creative Commons licenses, I can clarify which resources can be freely cited, edited, and re-created, as well as how to legally share adapted versions.

In my teaching, let’s say that I design and publish an economics lesson as an OER resource. In order to encourage others to use and adapt this resource, I could use an “Attribution-Noncommercial Use” license. This allows anyone to use my courseware and attribute it to me, but not for commercial purposes. This protects my copyright and promotes the sharing of knowledge. Other educators can adapt my courseware to suit different teaching needs, which also promotes the diversification of OER resources. On the other hand, when I am looking for teaching resources, I can also filter through Creative Commons licenses to find resources that meet my needs. For example, when I find a CC BY-SA licensed resource, I can make appropriate modifications on the premise of retaining the original author’s signature, and share the modified resource again to create new value for others to use. This practice not only improves the utilization of the resource, but also enhances its sustainability.

Creative Commons licenses ensure the respect of copyright and legal use of resources in OER, and promote the ecology of “all for one, one for all” resource sharing. At the same time, it helps educators to develop a responsible attitude when using other people’s resources, which contributes to building a mutually trusting and beneficial knowledge community in the long term.

Attributes of Open Pedagogy:

Key attributes of open pedagogy such as collaboration, transparency and student-centered learning are essential to creating an inclusive and engaging learning environment. Collaboration encourages students to work together in groups to solve problems and share different perspectives and experiences, thereby enhancing their communication skills and teamwork. In my educational practice, I can facilitate this collaboration by designing group projects and interactive discussions to ensure that every student has the opportunity to participate and contribute their ideas.

Transparency is another important attribute that relates to the clarity of instructional objectives, assessment criteria, and the learning process. When students understand their learning objectives and assessment criteria, they are more likely to feel that their learning journey is meaningful and actively engaged. In my teaching, I can help students build stronger motivation for learning by clearly stating lesson objectives and providing feedback to keep them informed of their progress.

Student-centered learning emphasizes respecting and meeting the needs and interests of each student. This approach not only motivates students to learn, but also provides individualized support for students of all abilities and backgrounds. In my practice, I can create a more inclusive learning environment by ensuring that every student finds their place in learning through flexible curriculum design and diverse teaching strategies.

What is Universal Design for Learning (UDL)? 

“All roads lead to Rome”, each of us has our own individual strengths that will lead us to a different direction in the future in our respective fields. The same is true for teaching and learning, as UDL creates a more inclusive and flexible learning environment for all students. Diverse design programs increase student engagement and reduce barriers to learning, allowing more students to participate effectively and efficiently. Additionally, UDLs for students with special needs can lead to a better learning experience and avoid discrimination. I once saw a movie about a student who had dyslexia since childhood. When he concentrated on a book, the words on the page looked like fish in the sea and started to swim. His classmates laughed at him and most of the teachers thought he was disrupting the class. But one teacher sensed his peculiarities and taught him through drawing. In my opinion this is a manifestation of UDL.

At the same time, I understand that the key to UDL is that it is not just designed for a few students with special needs, but for the best interest of all students. Everyone learns differently, and UDL tries to anticipate those differences and create a flexible learning environment where every student has the opportunity to succeed. Through this framework, we can avoid a “one size fits all” approach to teaching and learning and instead use an “inclusive design” mindset.

Speaking for myself, I strongly dislike the idea of having only three exams in a course of study that account for all the points. Whether it’s a physical teacher or a digital classroom, it’s important to lead students to understand and generate interest in the lesson, and to assign a variety of learning tasks in a progressive manner. At the same time, student engagement is very crucial during a lesson. Exams are a hard test, but they don’t reflect the engagement and results of the entire class, and UDL’s core philosophy is to minimize barriers to learning by providing multiple learning modes, so that every student can participate in the class and learn.

In a physical classroom, multiple types of learning materials such as paper, slides, audio recordings, and physical models can be provided. In this way, students will be able to find the learning style that best suits them, whether they are visual, auditory or kinesthetics learners. A variety of teaching methods such as lectures, interactive discussions, group work and hands-on practice can be used to ensure that students with different learning styles are engaged. For hands-on students, more experimental and practical activities can be arranged, while for reading students, more text-based resources can be provided.

In a digital classroom, digital tools can provide instant feedback to help students understand their progress and adjust learning strategies as needed. Adaptive tests and personalized learning tasks can also better help students at different learning levels. In addition, students can communicate and collaborate in real time through online discussion forums, collaborative group projects and virtual classrooms. Digital platforms can also provide flexible participation opportunities for students with different geographical locations or time constraints.

Ensuring Accessibility in Online Settings:

After setting up a diverse program of instruction, how can we make it smooth for every student to navigate and apply it? Ensuring accessibility in online learning starts with ensuring the accessibility of the technology platform. Online learning platforms should comply with Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) standards. At the same time, the website and content must be designed to be compatible with different devices to ensure that students can access it smoothly regardless of the device they are using.

To ensure that every student has equal access to digital resources, specific strategies include providing captioning and audio transcription to help students with hearing impairments participate in learning. Using screen reader tools like NVDA or JAWS can support students with visual impairments to access content without barriers. The design should also use high contrast colour schemes to ensure that colourblind students can read clearly, and to help students with other visual impairments can use screen readers to understand image content, provide text descriptions for images and diagrams, and attach audio explanations. In addition, flexible learning pathways and assessments are used to allow students to choose the pace of learning (staged learning tasks) and presentation (e.g. projects, essays or presentations) that suits them and thus better reflects their ability and understanding.

In my learning and future teaching, I see accessibility as crucial. It not only enhances opportunities for student engagement, but also ensures that each student’s learning experience is respected and supported. As a student, I relied on accessibility to enhance my learning, and as a future educator, I will strive to design course content that meets the needs of diverse students and ensures that they have equal access to resources and are able to successfully participate in their learning.

Ethical Challenges of EdTech:

The first is the issue of privacy and data security; educational technology often collects personal information, learning habits and behavioural data from students, which can be misused or hacked in violation of student privacy. Student data security is not only a legal issue, but also affects feelings of trust and safety in learning. Educators need to ensure that platforms are secure and follow strict data protection regulations, such as the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), to safeguard student privacy when using these technologies.

Another ethical challenge is fairness. While educational technology can improve teaching and learning, not every student will have equal access to these resources. For example, some students may not have adequate hardware devices or a stable internet connection, which can exacerbate inequality in educational resources, especially in less economically developed areas. Teachers should be mindful of these technological gaps and provide alternative learning modalities (e.g., paper-based materials or offline learning content) to ensure that all students have the opportunity to participate in the instructional process.

To balance the benefits of technology with issues of privacy, data security and equity, educators need to choose the tools they use carefully, ensuring that they comply with laws and regulations and have transparent privacy policies. In addition, teachers can help students understand how to protect their privacy and security by educating them about digital literacy and cybersecurity.

Ethical Considerations in Digital Interactions:

Ethical considerations in digital interactions are especially important in today’s learning and socializing environment. As a participant in an online community, it is my responsibility to ensure that I act ethically and respect the views and rights of others. In order to create a positive environment for digital interactions, we should all respect the achievements, privacy, and information of others. We should also be mindful of how we speak and behave, and refrain from plagiarism, cheating, and other behaviors that are harmful to others.

PEACE & LOVE, UNITY, RESPECT!

Applying UDL and Accessibility Principles:

As an UVic Economics student, looking back over the years there is a great deal of variability in the courses I have been involved in. Some of them consisted only of traditional PowerPoint lectures and practice problems, while some of them did embody the principles of Universal Design for Learning (UDL) and accessibility to a certain extent. For example, in Econ245, I was struck by the fact that the instructor gave us an assignment to post two economics-related topics (questions) per week on a forum-like website and respond to four classmates. For me, this way of learning increased interaction between classmates and also increased my knowledge of current economic news. This is very helpful for me to learn this course. In addition, the teacher provided a variety of choices in terms of assessment, and we could present our learning outcomes in different ways, such as essays, presentations or group projects, which fulfilled the requirement of a variety of ways of expression.

However, during the actual experience, I also noticed some aspects that could be further improved to ensure that all learners are effectively supported. Firstly, although there were multiple ways of presenting content, not all resources were equipped with aids such as subtitles and transcription files, which sometimes caused difficulties for students with hearing impairments or limited language skills. One way to improve this is to ensure that all video and audio content is accompanied by high-quality captioning and that text transcriptions are available, which would allow more students to access the content easily.

What does pedagogy mean to you?
To me, pedagogy means thoughtful and intentional teaching practices whose primary goal is not only to impart knowledge, but also to inspire critical thinking, curiosity, and a love of learning. Pedagogy represents the methods and approaches that teachers use to engage us, develop our understanding, and enable us to grow academically, emotionally, and socially. In addition to imparting knowledge, it is more important to create meaningful learning experiences based on the different needs of each of us. It involves adapting instructional strategies to encourage active participation and creating a supportive and inclusive environment where we feel motivated to explore and take ownership of our learning. It requires a balance between structure and creativity, reflection in practice and continuous development to meet the changing needs of education and society.
In my own learning process, pedagogy has influenced my learning outcomes. For example, behaviorist pedagogy helped me to master core knowledge through repeated practice at the foundation stage; cognitivist approach helped me to enhance my analytical and problem-solving skills through information structuring and understanding of complex concepts; and constructivist approach enabled me to gain a deeper understanding of the subject matter through collaborative work and real-world projects.
1. the behaviorist reward mechanism was very effective for me in the early stages, reinforcing my motivation to learn through feedback from exams and quizzes.
2. the cognitivist structured learning approach helped me to make sense of complex problems and break down knowledge points, which was particularly useful in analyzing and reasoning in economics.
3. constructivist project-based learning and group discussions allowed me to gain deep understanding in more complex areas and encouraged me to collaborate with others and learn to think from multiple perspectives.

Networked pedagogy in action:
Networked pedagogy is an approach to teaching and learning that emphasizes connecting people, resources, and ideas through digital networks. One such approach is online learning, through which I am able to access course content and learning resources anytime, anywhere, and learn at my own pace. This flexibility is particularly suited to situations where I have a busy academic schedule or a tight schedule, helping me to better balance my studies and life. At the same time, the rich resources provided on the online learning platform far exceed the limitations of the traditional classroom, and I can browse the content I need more easily and quickly.
Through the e-learning method, I am able to connect with classmates, teachers and even experts from all over the world. For example, I’m in China right now and in this semester’s EDCI 335, I need to participate in online discussions and collaborate on projects with my fellow group members. We utilize online collaboration tools such as WeChat, Google Docs, Zoom, Teams, etc. to share our ideas, data analysis. Our teacher provided us with a media software called Mattermost, and our whole class was a Channel in which the teacher would usually post messages, while we could also pull exclusive discussion groups for the group to discuss. Technology plays a key role in facilitating these connections. Video conferencing tools allowed us to discuss in real time, online forums gave us the opportunity to discuss issues and get feedback, and collaboration platforms allowed us to synchronize our work and edit documents. Overall, online pedagogy has made learning more open, interactive, and global, and the use of technology has allowed me to not only collaborate with my peers, but also access a wider range of learning resources and support.

Learning theories in practice:
I am particularly interested in constructivist learning theory, especially the possibility of applying it to online learning environments. Constructivism suggests that I can actively construct knowledge by interacting with my environment and others, rather than passively receiving information. It emphasizes the promotion of deep learning through authentic situations, social interactions, and personal experiences. The application of constructivism in online learning environments can significantly enhance the effectiveness of self-directed and collaborative learning. The online learning environment provides a wide space for project-based learning. By designing projects based on real-world problems, I can explore and solve problems with my group members. At the same time, I can interact with members and build knowledge in real-life situations through online forums, video discussions, and collaborative platforms. If I were to apply constructivism to my learning, I would focus more on active and reflective learning, and enhance my understanding through self-directed exploration, collaboration with others, and application of knowledge in real-world situations. In the study of economics, this approach would help me to better understand complex theoretical knowledge through real-world data analysis and group discussion.

Role of the lecturer:
I see the role of the lecturer in an online course as a guide, supporter and facilitator of learning. Compared to the traditional classroom, the instructor in online learning must focus more on integrating technology and instruction to create an environment that supports student self-directed learning and collaboration. Because online learning lacks immediate face-to-face interaction, students are more reliant on instructors to provide timely and detailed feedback. Good tutors are able to respond quickly to students’ questions and help them overcome barriers to learning. At the same time, tutors need to be proactive in checking on students’ progress, providing personalized advice, and ensuring that students always receive the support they need. In my last semester’s AE319 course, what I remember is in our Final project, the instructor explained the project by breaking it down and letting us gradually complete it step by step at each stage of the course, instead of just giving us a homework requirement and letting us understand and complete it on our own. The teacher guided and taught us step by step with great care and gave each of us individual meeting time in between to discuss each of our topics.

Exploring the digital space:
Digital learning allows me the flexibility to study on my own schedule, especially if I have a heavy academic load or other time constraints. It allows me to balance academics, work, and my personal life, and to choose the pace of my learning based on my personal progress. Online learning tools and platforms offer personalized learning paths that provide advice and feedback based on my learning behaviors, progress, and needs. This personalized experience helped me master content more effectively, especially for an economics major on some of the more complex economics concepts. At the same time, the autonomy of digital learning requires strong time management skills. Without a set study time or physical classroom, it is easy to procrastinate or lose track of your learning. Therefore, I had to learn to self-monitor and plan my study time to ensure that I kept up with the pace of the course. Whether in online learning forums or social networking platforms, I actively participate in discussions and share my views. This not only helps me to interact with others, but also helps them to better understand the issues.