Session 2: Project Scoping

Textbook Success Program May 2024 A Cohort
1

Thanks for the excellent session yesterday, @may24a-cohort. We went over the Week 2 homework (expected deliverables) during our meeting. It is also on the handout for session two and is at the bottom of this recap announcement. I’ve included links to any documents and locations that are relevant to a particular task. Let me know if you run into any issues.

Otherwise, here’s the chat transcript from this week’s meeting. The Zoom Recording from LOUIS will be posted here. I am afraid that I do not have control over when those recordings go up. See below for Key Links, Recap, then the Homework Checklist. The final HW item is to post a response to this thread before Session 3!

Key Links

Recap

This session started off with a review of our work in session 1 and your homework which was due before our meeting began. Everyone should have signed the MOU agreement and posted an introduction at this point. Please send me a message if you still need help with those session 1 assignments. Then, we moved on to a brief overview of the different stages of the open publishing process. Knowing what goes into publishing can help you as a creator plan for the work involved. The model depicted in the slides is cyclical to demonstrate that you will progress through the publishing process in unique ways, sometimes circling back or working in multiple stages all at one, in correspondence with the unique parameters in your project. There is no one way for all projects in our cohort, but understanding the different stages in the process, will help you plan ahead to better navigate those unique contexts.

Prior to our next session, please complete the activities listed on your Handout for Session 2 [link above], under the Homework Activities. I’ve copied the checklist to the bottom of this recap. The checklist includes further working on your Project Summary [link above], and starting to locate suitable OER in your discipline. As a reminder in the template, you’ll consider:

  • Title: informative for reader and adopter, but in this case, set by LOUIS
  • About the project: Brief, highlight any unique elements or aspects about the resource
  • Audience: Think beyond the course to the classroom and consider student accessibility needs, reading levels, backgrounds, contexts, etc.
  • Significant Learning Outcomes: Phrasing Overarching OER Outcomes and more specific sub-goals can guide you in the location of suitable resources or inform you of gaps that you will need to fill
  • About the content: list of topics or concepts covered, plus a brief structural breakdown of the book or course materials
  • License: Thinking about the permission you might (not) want to grant future adopters will help you define the license of your choice down the road
  • Team: list the full group of people involved in the project
  • Support or funding: mention institutional support and/or funding if applicable; again, in this case, LOUIS is providing the funding
  • Participation options: pathways to contact the team to get involved; check the chat for some resources that can be provided by LOUIS
  • Measures of Success: short and long-term goals that don’t solely need to be quantitative

Another important part of the Project Scoping stage is the coordination and forming of an effective team. A first step in this process is for you to set up systems and tools that will help your team to organize and make transparent all project- related communication. This will also allow for everybody to feel fully involved and contribute seamlessly, i.e. access, discuss, write, edit, and/ or format your OER. If you haven’t done so yet, please finalize this setup with your teams. We discussed the tools that we are already using including Google Docs, the Rebus Forum, Pressbooks, and Zoom. You may want to use other organizing programs.

Next week, we’ll continue to plan and finalize the vision for the project with our session on storytelling and communication. I look forward to connecting with you then again.

Homework: Share Team Progress Updates in Forum

This week, you are meeting with your team to complete your Project Scoping Document. Unfortunately, we were not able to get started on this task during the meeting because of our breakout room issue. Please meet with your team to complete your first draft of this document.

After working with your team, review the reflective checklist on your session 2: Project Scoping handout. Then, make an individual post as a reply to this Session 2: Project Scoping thread in the Discussion Forum prior to our next session:

  • Were you able to meet all of the goals on the reflective checklist with your team this week?

  • What challenges, if any, have you faced, and what solutions have you found to address those challenges?

  • Then, leave a few thoughts around the items with regards to the upcoming Session 3: Storytelling and Communications 1 [Read the initial 5 slides]

    • that excite you,
    • you would like to know more about,
    • or you have questions about.

We will start the third session with a look at the 6 Project Scoping Guides. Please have someone on your team who is ready to share their screen and present on what you have created so far.

If you have any questions or would like my help, just let me know!

2

We did get the opportunity to meet and work on our project summary. One of the challenges was determining just how deep we should go or should the content be just the tip of the iceberg information. But, I believe we found a good middle ground with our information. We discussed individually exploring OERs and then returning later as a group to discuss our findings. We began thinking about consistency in our content, including formatting and presentation. It was a good meeting.
I am looking forward to the storytelling and communications meeting. I have used storytelling in presentations. It is very effective. I am interested in seeing how this tool translates to the OER.

3

The Intro to Pharmacology cohort met to start the Project Summary document. We agreed that we wanted to explore open licensing/Creative Commons before stating anything definitive. We settled on an audience of allied health students, such as those in nursing, rad tech, and pharmacy tech. We are now using Basecamp to coordinate project documents and plan to continue using it throughout the project. We so far have identified two OpenStax textbooks to use for source material. Our challenge was much like the poster above: we were not certain how far along in the process we should be; we believe we will understand more after next week’s meeting. I personally think I’m in a great group because two of my cohort colleagues have taught this course for a similar audience before. I look forward to learning from them! As for next week’s topic/meeting: the slide that says "you are transforming “education” is intriguing! I would like to know more about using best practices in storytelling intentionally with a view to being both inclusive and culturally sensitive. I would like to know more about the way storytelling relates to the associated assessments, especially summative ones: Are the same stories usually used on exams? Or similar ones? Or are the stories not typically related to the exams at all and they are used as a teaching tool only? Thanks!

4

Our team was able to meet all of the goals on the reflective checklist. We shared our experiences using OER and motivations for participating in this project. Our team contributed ideas to the draft Project Summary and identified areas where existing resources could be used, and those that needed more focus. We also discussed our timeline and deliverables for phase 1.

I regards to Session 3, I never thought of OER in terms of storytelling. I look forward to learning about this aspect, and how we will incorporate storytelling into our project.

5

Thanks for turning in your reflections, @tristamesserli @natalielenard @sarinalirette!

Before we meet today at 11 on Zoom, please make sure that you have turned in your response to session 2, @may24a-cohort.

6

Hi all,

The Foundation Skills team was able to dive into the scoping document. It is a work-in-progress that we will revisit over our next couple of meetings. During our meeting, we spent some time also discussing how we would approach each of the different strands within the foundation skills and how we also approach those at our respective institutions.

A lot of the discussions we had about the next steps of the process actually revolved around storytelling and communications, so we are also ready to dive into that work.

7

The Nutrition Cohort met to discuss our project summary. During our meeting, we discussed the weekly LOUIS meetings, Nutrition cohort meetings, the checklist and our project summary. We were reminded to utilize Rebus as well as Basecamp for communications. The group decided that Basecamp and email were our preferred methods of communication. We were encouraged to view the recorded LOUIS sessions to remain focused and on task. We also discussed our experience with OER. We were encouraged to remain diligent so that we may produce a resource that will benefit our target audience. Our Project Summary is in progress. One of the challenges that we discussed was time management, particularly with teaching loads and other tasks related to responsibilities as faculty. Team members were encouraged to strategically and intentionally plan dates and times to complete OER tasks so as not to become overwhelmed. Other challenges that were discussed included: the members first time participating in OER resource development, clarity on the project (what needs to be done and how will it be done), getting started on the OER resource and maintaining the necessary momentum for success. I have begun the process of searching the OER commons (https://oercommons.org/) to locate existing and relevant OER in the area of nutrition.

I am looking forward to Session 3: Storytelling and Communications 1 because I enjoy taking opportunities to become a better storyteller and communicator. I would like to know more about capturing and maintaining the audience’s attention, particularly in technical subject matter for individuals who may be taking a course as a prerequisite rather than a sincere interest.

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8

The Flood Mitigation Cohort will be meeting after the OER teams meeting today. We have shared the Project Summary document and began looking at other OER materials as well as government resources, such as FEMA.

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9

Hi, everyone! As Natalie stated, the Intro to Pharmacology cohort met last week to start the Project Summary document and will be using Basemap as a project management tool.

I believe we have completed the items on the Reflective Checklist (I’m going to post our Project Summary after posting this).

One challenge with the Project Summary was that we still have more to learn about licensing and other items to be completed in the summary, so we weren’t able to finalize the summary. We also were not sure if we had to use the exact content area description from the Louisiana Statewide Common Course Catalog, or if we could make changes.

10

I was excited about getting the chance to work with our A & P II lec/lab team on Thursday. We were able to begin working on our Project Scoping. We were able to discuss ideas that would positively affect the direction that we were going to take our OER. Our team leader identified a system for our collective and collaborative communication. So far, we have utilized Zoom, Google docs, email, and the Rebus Forum. One challenge is beginning. There are many options and finding the right option for our collective team is a challenge. However, we decided that writing our ideas down in a collective document for all of us to review and edit would be the best way to begin. I am excited about the direction that our team is moving in and I can not wait to learn more about Storytelling and Communication in our upcoming Session 3.

-Joy Davis-

11

Hi Tasha,

I am a little confused. I thought I did post my response to session 2. Is there somewhere else I should have posted? Any help would be greatly appreciated.

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12

Hi, we’ve had to do some moving around due to people having to leave the project. I have now moved to the CDL (commercial driver’s license) team. We have not yet been able to have a team meeting, but we are hoping to get that set up soon. We have created a Basecamp and a shared Google doc for the project summary. I’m looking forward to getting to know and work with my new team.

13

Our A&P II group met on Thursday and got to know each other a bit. We’re going to be using Google Drive to organize our work, and the next step is to look over already-existing A&P II OER resources to see which ones we’d like to use to guide our work. We’ve been able to meet the goals on the checklist so far.

14

My team was able to meet last week. We worked on the Project Summary together and are mostly in agreement. The challenges include deciding how many modules should be included in the course and how to navigate shared files and keep up with Rebus materials. I am most interested in providing comprehensive materials for students and building trust among my team members.

15

Our team was able to meet all of the goals on the reflective checklist. We shared our experiences using OER and motivations for participating in this project. Our team contributed ideas to the draft Project Summary and identified areas where existing resources could be used, and those that needed more focus. We also discussed our timeline and deliverables for phase 1.

I regards to Session 3, I never thought of OER in terms of storytelling. I look forward to learning about this aspect, and how we will incorporate storytelling into our project.

16

The Human A&P 2 team is mostly finished with the checklist. We are beginning to learn about Open Licenses, identified our communication channels, and have share our Project Summary in the appropriate forum.

17

I was unable to attend our first cohort meeting, but I am researching currently available OER, and I am very proficient with the current FEMA curricula and online resources.

18

Our team was able to meet and accomplish the items on our to-do list. We left off with a plan for moving forward as we explore different OER texts to develop just how we want we want our text to look. I, too, am intrigued by the idea of storytelling in terms of OER. I believe students engage with material more readily if they feel like they are being told a story, and they are able to follow along. I am interested to see how storytelling can be applied to not only our final product, but the different steps we will take to get there.

19

The nutrition cohort has plans to nail down our scope and objectives this week. I am looking forward to creating a more realistic nutrition textbook that revolves around lifestyle choices, food choices, practical exercise and ways to maintain a healthy life style as a busy adult. I think it will be especially important to incorporate the pros and cons of Louisiana cuisines and alcohol consumption since both are “vices” in our communities here.

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20

The Foundational Digital Skills cohort was able to meet and begin working on our Project Summary. We had a great conversation regarding potential learning outcomes and topics to cover in the text/course. We met all of the goals from Session 2. We discussed potential challenges and ways that our cohort would communicate and work. I am excited to begin shaping the narrative of the text.