Topic 3

Open Pedagogy and Issues Affecting Contemporary Curriculum Design

Hey all! This week let’s synthesize some of the key insights taken from recent works by scholars involved in open pedagogy and challenges that exist in contemporary curriculum design.

Source: Zeidler, Maryse. “Midway Through the First Full Term of Online Classes, University Students are Burning Out.” CBC, 8 Nov. 2020. https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/british-columbia/online-university-burnout-1.5793757. Accessed 19 July 2022.

One of the emerging trends in modern education is the concept of open pedagogy, or the use of open-access educational sources to facilitate learning. As Derosa and Jhangiani note, notable debates and controversies surround the concept of open pedagogy, despite its tendency to foster a greater sense of equity and social justice than traditional models. A key issue that has noted in regard to open pedagogy is how to effectively filter content to meet one’s curriculum needs. Additionally, students taking courses online are increasingly exposed to concerns associated with the digitalization of their data, such as privacy, surveillance, and the maintenance of an online identity (Gilliard). Finally, researchers have documented contemporary trends associated with the need to design learning spaces that are culturally appropriate and which cater to the needs of hard-to-reach populations, such as Indigenous groups (Australian National University 1).

Each of these themes reflects a broader issue facing educators within higher education institutions, which involves the changing landscape of academia and the necessity for professors to possess a unique and unprecedented skillset that predecessors have not be required to develop. Specifically, higher educators must now be technologically proficient, be able to navigate the ever-increasing diversity of both open- and closed-accessed sources to support student learning and develop curricula in a way that aligns with highly diverse learners’ needs.

Online learning has been shown to increase the risk of student burnout and attrition as well (Zeidler). Educators must be aware of these trends and be prepared to incorporate them for higher education to remain valuable and fulfil its aims of enriching students intellectually, preparing them for their future careers, and also preventing them from experiencing burnout in an increasingly virtual academic environment.

References:

Australian National University. “4. Design Principles for Indigenous Learning Spaces.” Australian National University Press. press-files.anu.edu.au/downloads/press/p197731/html/ch04.html?referer=&page=10#toc_marker-11. Accessed 19 July 2022.

Derosa, Robin and Jhangiani, Rajiv. “1 Open Pedagogy.” Rebus Community. press.rebus.community/makingopentextbookswithstudents/chapter/open-pedagogy/. Accessed 19 July 2022.

Gilliard, Chris. “Filtering Content is Often Done with Good Intent, but Filtering Can Also Create Equity and Privacy Issues.” Common Sense Education, 24 May 2016. commonsense.org/education/articles/digital-redlining-access-and-privacy. Accessed 19 July 2022.

Zeidler, Maryse. “Midway Through the First Full Term of Online Classes, University Students are Burning Out.” CBC. www.cbc.ca/news/canada/british-columbia/online-university-burnout-1.5793757. Accessed 19 July 2022.