scholarly journals Developing a Needs Assessment for an Open Education Initiative

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Anna Newman

For my SPARC Open Education Leadership Program capstone project, I conducted a needs assessment of the current state of Open Educational Resources (OER) at Worcester Polytechnic Institute (WPI), in order to connect with campus OER stakeholders and identify current attitudes about, areas of opportunity for, and barriers to OER. To start this process, I identified the scope and research questions for my assessment, which focused on campus practices relating to course materials. I collected data using a variety of methods, including interviews with faculty and campus offices, student and faculty surveys on course material acquisition, and analysis of financial aid data. Based on the data I collected, I identified needs and opportunities and compiled a series of evidence-based recommendations for developing WPI’s open education initiative. I also created a community resource that focused on how to plan for a needs assessment for an open education initiative. This project was successful in achieving most of the goals that I established in the planning process. Lessons learned included the importance of the needs assessment process for open education initiatives in the early stages of development, how to adapt messaging and terminology to engage faculty, and how to seek out small, intentional actions to build larger projects.

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Stephanie Quail ◽  
Sarah Coysh

Catalyzed by the passing of the York University Open Access Policy last year, a recognition has been growing at York University, like most other institutions, about the value of Open Educational Resources (OER) and more broadly, open education. This heightened awareness led to the formation of a campus-wide Open Education Working Group in January 2020. The group advocated that faculty members who receive internal funding for teaching innovation projects through York’s Academic Innovation Fund (AIF) should include a Creative Commons license on their grant outputs to facilitate the re-use, and potentially re-mixing, of the content by educators inside and outside of York University. A copy and/or link to their grant output would also be deposited into York’s institutional repository, YorkSpace. To support the 71 funded projects in achieving these lofty goals, an open education and open licensing curriculum was developed by two of the librarian members of the Open Education Working Group. This session describes how the librarians created the training program and participants will leave the session better understanding: How to develop learning modules for adult learners and apply these best practices when teaching faculty online (synchronously & asynchronously); How to access York’s open education training program and learn how they can remix the content for their own institution’s training purposes; The common types of questions and misconceptions that arise when teaching an open education and Creative Commons licensing program for faculty. Originally the program was conceived as an in-person workshop series; however, with the COVID-19 campus closure, it was redesigned into a four module synchronous and asynchronous educational program delivered via Moodle, H5P and Zoom. Modeled after the SUNY OER Community Course and materials from Abbey Elder’s OER Starter Kit, the program gave grant recipients a grounding in open educational resources, searching open course material repositories, copyright/Creative Commons licensing, and content deposit in York’s institutional repository, including OER metadata creation and accessibility considerations. The librarians modeled best practices in the use and creation of Creative Commons licensed resources throughout the program. Qualitative feedback was gathered at the end of each module in both the synchronous and asynchronous offerings of the program and will be shared with participants. The presenters will also discuss lessons learned, next steps, and some of the challenges they encountered. https://youtu.be/n6dT8UNLtJo


Collections ◽  
2021 ◽  
pp. 155019062098784
Author(s):  
Whitney Baker

In 2018, the University of Kansas (KU) Libraries upgraded from a tired, twenty-year-old basement space to a new, purpose-built conservation lab for library and archives collections. The new conservation lab, which is housed in the special collections and archives library, quadrupled available lab space for its conservators and fleet of student employees. The move afforded Conservation space in the same library as the most vulnerable collection materials. In addition, rooms in the special collections and archives library were repurposed for audiovisual (AV) preservation, creating two new spaces for film and video workflows and upgrading an existing small audio room. This paper will discuss the conservation and preservation lab construction literature and will serve as a practical exemplar of the challenges and successes of the planning process, including lessons learned and unexpected benefits.


2020 ◽  
Vol 4 (Supplement_1) ◽  
pp. 102-102
Author(s):  
Alice Prendergast ◽  
Kristi Fuller

Abstract Efforts to include community voice in health policy and service planning are gaining recognition and support in the United States. Findings suggest community involvement can contribute to a better understanding of systems and factors that impact health, and, subsequently, more effective and sustainable policy and program design. Additionally, engagement can increase community buy-in, and community members can gain a greater awareness of services; increased confidence navigating systems; feelings of social connectedness; and capacity to advocate around issues through participation. Despite these findings, the extent to which community members are engaged in planning and decision-making varies considerably. Researchers from Georgia State University conducted a review of state plans on aging using the Person-Centered Outcomes Research Initiative (PCORI) Engagement Principles and the Health Research & Educational Trust’s Community and Patient Engagement Spectrum as frameworks to assess evidence of community engagement. The frameworks recognize engagement throughout the planning process, including design, data collection and interpretation, and dissemination. The review revealed that few planning processes described significant engagement, but rather met the minimal requirements established by federal policy. Federal guidance on community-informed planning practices is sparse, as are resources to support states in adopting these processes. To address this gap, the research team drew on the frameworks and other promising practices to design two community engagement projects, both in partnership with Georgia’s Division of Aging Services. Methods for participant engagement, data collection, interpretation and application of results, and lessons learned through both projects will be discussed, as well as potential implications.


2013 ◽  
Vol 37 ◽  
pp. S39
Author(s):  
Keith Bowering ◽  
Stewart Harris ◽  
Lawrence A. Leiter ◽  
Vincent Woo ◽  
Jean-François Yale

2019 ◽  
Vol 47 (1) ◽  
pp. 37-47 ◽  
Author(s):  
Heather Moorefield-Lang

Purpose What happens when a librarian outgrows their maker learning location or transfers to a new library? The purpose of this study is to explore the planning process for second and/or new library makerspaces. Is the planning more intentional? Is there more focus on how the makerspace should be put together for the community served? Is the community further involved? This study will explore those questions and more. Design/methodology/approach Using content analysis, the perspectives of practicing librarians in the achievement of subsequent makerspaces are examined. Data include librarian interviews, an analysis using NVivo 11 through the lens of design thinking, and a final review using member checking by each research participant. Findings Makerspaces continue to grow in popularity in school and public/community libraries. What is unexplored is the moving from a first makerspace to the implementation of a second and/or new maker learning location. More intentional planning is involved. The community served by the library is further engaged in the planning. Study results illustrate the value that community insight and intentional planning play in the design and implementation of makerspaces. Originality/value Makerspaces in libraries continue to grow in popularity; in turn, the body of peer-reviewed, scholarly publications also continues to grow. Librarians in the field are beginning to move from their first to second makerspaces. This study investigates those perspectives. Much can be gained from the experiences of those who have implemented their second or third makerspace.


1994 ◽  
Vol 8 (1) ◽  
pp. 19-28 ◽  
Author(s):  
William A. Weimer

One of the most significant cooperative industry–higher education projects in Europe during the past decade has been EuroPACE, the European Programme of Advanced Continuing Education. In January 1993, EuroPACE ceased its broadcasts and re-entered the planning process. By the time this article has been published, EuroPACE should again be broadcasting, but with a somewhat different format and content. In this article, Bill Weimer presents a brief history of the first five years of EuroPACE and analyses the project. He examines key assumptions and decisions made, points out those which now appear to have been in error, and lists the lessons learned. Many of the assumptions and decisions made were correct; some of these are also discussed. This article will contribute the experience and lessons learned by EuroPACE to other joint industry–higher education projects. It may help them to avoid making some of the same mistakes.


2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
OCTO

Jon Day shares key lessons learned from stakeholder engagement efforts during the Representative Areas Program in the Great Barrier Reef, which was a key part of the comprehensive rezoning of the entire Marine Park between 1999 and 2003. As a result of this planning process, the total area of no-take zones increased from less than 5% to over one-third of the Marine Park, highlighting in large part the importance of effectively engaging stakeholders.


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