Intentionally Centering Students

It’s crucial to never lose sight of who your audience is: students! As Robin DeRosa (2015) puts it, “when you use OER, you change the relationships among you, your students, and your course materials.” You’re creating this resource for their learning, growth, and development. You want to engage students in work that is meaningful to them. This means that all activities and assignments should have a purpose, which is clearly defined and explained to students. Why are students doing these assignments? How does it link to and help them achieve the learning objectives? How does it relate to the real world, their lives, and their community?

A great example of writing for students is Business Writing for Everyone by Arley Cruthers. This resource contains interactive H5P activities for students to test their learning, and activities for further reflection that instructors can use in the classroom or assign as homework. Additionally, it clearly lays out the purpose of the OER, including how to use it, and provides flexible learning opportunities for students depending on their needs.

Whatever your role in education, you can ask yourself how students and their learning is impacted with the use of OER, either positively or negatively, and determine if open resources are right for your students. What types of barriers do students in your area face?  Often, OER is considered a magical tool that saves students money and works well. That said, how does the use of an online-only OER support or hinder the learning experience of a student with no access to technology (whether that be an Internet connection or reliable access to a computer)? Can you create offline formats for students? If so, will they still have the same experience? Which students in your class are more likely to struggle with these decisions, and which students are more likely to benefit from these decisions?

The open publishing projects we support not only enhance the educational experiences of students, they also help students feel seen and supported on a personal level. The goal is making your OER as impactful as possible. When we centre the student experience while designing OER, we again have an opportunity to challenge the status quo and create equitable learning environments and experiences for students.