Having reviewed the various approaches to learning environments, I came across Open Pedagogy, which piqued my curiosity and sparked my interest in exploring my own thoughts on the subject. What did I think about it?
The sole instance I could recall and the primary connection I could establish with Open Pedagogy relates to a past semester when my professor assigned an assignment without providing a rubric. It did definitely leave me ill at ease. However, then it began to make sense. She expressed her intention of not wanting us to confine our work within predefined parameters, essentially avoiding constrictions or already set boundaries that could potentially stifle our creativity and limit our exploration of the subject matter. Now when I think about it, rubrics can to a certain extent impede a person’s ingenuity, if not totally restrict it.
Previously, I obviously didn’t devote much consideration to it, but now, after conducting some research on the said instructional approach, I could see a multitude of ideas emerge and simultaneously evolve. Especially, after looking at David Wiley’s mind map of Open Ped, I could see what the 5 Rs (Retain, Reuse, Revise, Remix and Redistribute) meant.
Catherine Cronin, an open education researcher describes Open Pedagogy as “a values-driven, transformative approach to teaching and learning that is based on collaboration, connection, and the creation and sharing of knowledge in a networked world.”
This learner centered approach emphasizes on learner agency, empowering them to take an active role in their own learning. Take what I am doing right now, maintaining a blog where I regularly reflect on my learning experience, engaging in peer discussion and sharing insights. This is open practice!
Open Access Journals where students are the publishers, authors, peer reviewers, and even editors is another example of how open pedagogy contributes to the dissemination of knowledge.
Upon reflection, I have come to realize that, without consciously intending to, I have structured my learning design blueprint in alignment with the principles of Open Pedagogy. As an illustration, the case study assessment and CANVA presentation will facilitate student collaboration, enabling them to collaboratively generate their own open educational resource (OER). This process will actively involve them in research, content curation, and the publication of their work under an open license, exemplifying the principle of authentic assessment. It appears I have hit the mark!
My comment on Noah’s blog post :
REFERENCES
Cronin, C. (n.d.). Opening up Open Pedagogy – Catherine Cronin. http://catherinecronin.net/research/opening-up-open-pedagogy/
What Is Open Pedagogy? | UMKC Online. (n.d.). https://online.umkc.edu/what-is-open-pedagogy/
Hi Tanya! Thanks a lot for sharing your reflection on Open Pedagogy. I also find David Wiley’s mind map very insightful. I think it’s amazing how this approach focuses on learner agency and empowers students to lead their own learning. Giving students more control over their learning makes them more invested in the process and more likely to retain the information. Additionally, using open educational resources can save both students and educators money, making education more accessible for all.
Hi Tanya! Thanks a lot for sharing your reflection on Open Pedagogy. I found your exploration of Open Pedagogy to be insightful and thought-provoking. It’s interesting to see how your personal experience with an assignment without a rubric made you realize the potential benefits of open-ended learning environments. I agree that rubrics can sometimes limit creativity and exploration by imposing predefined parameters. Your reflection on the 5 Rs of Open Pedagogy and the examples you provided, such as maintaining a blog for reflection and engagement, and students becoming publishers and reviewers in open access journals, highlight the learner-centered and empowering nature of this approach. Well done!