Reflecting on an OER Faculty Learning Community: One Year Later

Last year I had the privilege of serving as a facilitator for a campus wide faculty learning community (FLC) related to open educational resources (OER). Our plucky little group saw some modest successes that helped keep the campus OER program moving forward. Before the pandemic, we focused on how to find resources, copyright issues, and adapt content. In March, like many schools in the US, our classes moved online, as did our bi-weekly OER FLC meetings. Fortunately, moving online occurred just after a week of activities planned for Open Education Week (March 2-6).

As background, a faculty learning community has been described as “a peer-led group of faculty members who engage in an active, collaborative, year–long program, structured to provide encouragement, support, and reflection” (Center for Teaching Excellence, n.d.).  Another source defines an FLC as a “structured learning community of faculty and staff in higher education that includes the goals of building community, engaging in scholarly practice, and developing the scholarship of teaching and learning’ (Miami University Center for Teaching Excellence, n.d.). In practice, specific campus culture will also influence the exact nature of the group.

I’ve been trying to imagine how starting an OER faculty learning community might unfold if it was being planned for this upcoming year. For a variety of reasons, last year was full of surprises; it is guaranteed that this year will include unexpected elements requiring adroit flexibility as well. While some things may be the same, others would certainly change. The extraordinary experience of the spring semester provided additional perspective to frame new goals, implementation and assessment for an FLC. All face-to-face gatherings would be replaced with online meetings and additional communication. There would be an even deeper emphasis on listening, sharing best practices, and the belief that new approaches, such as adopting OER at scale, are possible.

Looking at these elements with the benefit of hindsight provide opportunities to prioritize them differently in adapting to changing situations. These are some of the main things that would change or receive different consideration, along with suggestions for improvement, in my OER FLC for 2020-21.

Structure/Environment

1. Recognizing the new pandemic environment. This acknowledgement would be a key starting point and incorporate elements of a “pedagogy of care” (Mondelli and Tobin, 2020). Those in need of care, caregivers, as well as self-care are part of a new FLC experience requiring our attention and action along the way.
2. Building community and fighting isolation. While some faculty learning communities are structured formally, I would argue for a more informal and permeable community that allows guests, interlopers, and lurkers, as agreed to by the group. One of the major advantages of a faculty learning community is that it can act as a counterforce to individual separation, as well as departmental and institutional silos. The relationships created will almost certainly transcend a given year or situation.
3. Enhancing communication. The somewhat informal bi-weekly face-to-face meetings would transition to online session in Zoom, Collaborate or other platforms. Not everyone has the same degree of comfort in the online meeting world. Embrace a period of adjustment for helping each other get up to speed. Recognize that learning and practicing with another tool or app may be useful in other areas as well.

Process/Implementation

4. Trusting the process. Pause to respect and appreciate honest dialogue and multiple teaching and learning lenses. The spectrum of ‘openness’ taking place is broad and diverse. Leaning into open ranges from the relatively straightforward adoption of OER to more nuanced uses of open education, open science, open data, and beyond.
5. Creating new Keep an eye out for opportunities to use disruption for good, to accomplish goals in new ways or reset milestones as needed. This may be the year to consider adding new audiences, tangential spin offs, and sidebars that may otherwise be overlooked. Using an explicit ‘idea parking lot’ whiteboard or online notepad can be helpful to capture these thoughts for later consideration. In terms of inclusion and diversity, it is always a good time to ask who’s not included, who’s voice is not being heard, and try to address gaps or missing perspectives.
6. Increasing accessibility. More than ever, OER must be mindful and accountable in providing content that is accessible to those who are differently abled or just learn differently. Access to appropriate technology is also a crucial variable. There are new global audiences requiring quality OER materials far beyond our own institutions. Intentionally planning OER that is accessible is a huge win for everyone. It is no longer a luxury, but a requirement.
7. Finding joy. The successful faculty learning community has always valued the opportunity to express gratitude to others who are showing the way, sharing struggles, and working through solutions. Celebrating small wins and larger gains lifts morale and helps all. Sharing joy is a win for the individual, group and the institution.

Reflection/Assessment

8. Appreciating A faculty learning community typically spans multiple disciplines, teaching modalities, learning goals and more. It is more important than ever to understand and respect different teaching and learning perspectives – social, legal, economic, scientific, arts and humanities-based, data-driven, vocational, etc.
9. Sheltering from the A supported faculty learning community can provide a beacon of hope for the future and provide opportunity to brainstorm, pilot programs, and demonstrate proof of concepts before making larger commitments of time, staffing and resources in a safe environment.
10. Layering in A faculty learning community this year, in the midst of intense budget pressure, by necessity, will be demonstrating resilience and proving its viability. The faculty learning experience also encourages transformation and provides an additional vantage point to consider what works, and what doesn’t in going forward.

These elements take on additional urgency and relevance in negotiating the COVID-19 learning environment. It will be even more important to recognize the quality of OER content available at our fingertips. At the student level, at least one headline claims that student-based “learning communities can save colleges – and engage remote students” (Mabry, 2020). While they may not save colleges, faculty learning communities may add more value than ever before.

References

Center for Teaching Excellence. Southern Methodist University. What is a faculty learning community. Retrieved July 24, 2020. https://www.smu.edu/Provost/CTE/Services/Communities

Mabry, S. A. June 29, 2020. Learning Communities Can Save Colleges—and Engage Remote Students. Edsurge. https://www.edsurge.com/news/2020-06-29-learning-communities-can-save-colleges-and-engage-remote-students

Miami University Center for Teaching Excellence. Faculty Learning Communities. Retrieved July 24, 2020. https://miamioh.edu/cte/faculty-staff/flcs/index.html

Mondelli, V. & Tobin, T. J. 2020. Pedagogies of Care: Open Resources for Student-Centered and  Adaptive Strategies in  the New Higher-Ed  Landscape. https://sabresmonkey.wixsite.com/pedagogiesofcare