Session 2: Scoping your project (summary and updates)

Textbook Success Program October 2022 C Cohort
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This is where Amy will post her summary and you can leave your replies with updates

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Thanks for the excellent session last Friday, @oct22-c-cohort ! Before dropping a lot of information on you, I want to point out that the Week 2 homework (expected deliverables) 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 today. 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 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.
  • About the project: Brief, highlight any unique elements or aspects about the resource
  • Audience: Think beyond the courseThe/classroom about 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
  • Licence: Thinking about the permission you might (not) want to grant future adopters will help you define the licence 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
  • Participation options: pathways to contact the team to get involved
  • 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 equitable team. A first step in this process is for you to set up systems and tools that will help your team to organise 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 finalise this setup with your teams.

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

Reminder to take Baseline Survey

For those who haven’t yet taken our LOUIS baseline survey , this is a friendly reminder and invitation to do so. It will close on Sunday October 30, 2022.

Homework Checklist

  • I have contributed to the Project Summary draft that guides our team in the Scoping Process.
  • I have shared some of the relevant scoping information on our public-facing project homepage (click on your group, then the Project Summary thread).
  • I recognize the value of open licenses as a base for choosing an appropriate open license for our own project down the road.
  • My team discussed teaching intentions and student audience to help us locate suitable OER for inspiration or remixing purposes.
  • My team discussed the tools with which we will organize our content, streamline our communication, and coordinate our writing and publishing.
  • I started locating existing OER in my discipline.
  • I posted an end-of-Week 2 update to the [Session 2 Thread](see details in the prompt immediately below and hit reply)

Share Team Progress Updates in Forum

To let each other know of the progress you are making as you are working through the tasks of the week, post your reply to Session 2: Project Scoping thread in the Discussion Forum prior to our next session:

  • What activities have you managed to complete?
  • What challenges have you faced and what solutions have you found to address those?
  • Leave a few thoughts around the items with regards to the upcoming Session 3: Storytelling and Communications [Read the initial 5 slides]
    • that excite you,
    • you would like to know more about,
    • or you have questions about.
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Anatomy & Physiology 1:
A. The activities our team has managed to begin/complete:
We have composed a Project Summary that guides our team in the Scoping Process.
We recognize the value of open licenses as a base for choosing an appropriate open license for our project.
My team discussed teaching intentions and student audiences to help us locate suitable OER for inspiration or remixing purposes.
We have started locating existing OER in my discipline.
B. One has faced one challenge in deciding on learning outcomes related to so much information needing to be condensed. The solution was to share resources and in the next meeting decide what to include.
C. We are excited about using the storytelling method to help catalyze the communication factor to scope the work ahead, we would be interested in learning how effective it can be for the team and the initiative.

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Physical Sciences:
The Physical Sciences Team met for the first time on 10/24, and had a brief meeting during last week’s TSP session on Project Scoping. We have reviewed the Project Summary and will finalize it at our next team meeting on 11/7 before posting to the forum.
I think our greatest challenge as a team is going to be time management and staying focused on our goals. We are a team with some experience, and lots of enthusiasm, so I believe that we will bring those talents to bear on these challenges.
I am hopeful that we will learn more about the specific skills and processes that will make our OER possible in the coming TSP sessions.

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Hi @Priscilla and team. Filtering through the many learning outcomes can be daunting. And finding a common language for those, too, can be tedious. But it’s awesome that your team is putting these front of mind to guide the content. One thing to keep in mind is that if one or other team members are particularly passionate about a certain learning outcome that does not make the list/make the cut, these outcomes could still be incorporated as unit or chapter level outcomes. In this way, it’s a win-win for everyone! I think if I made a list of learning outcomes for my students, there might be 20 things on it, which just isn’t feasible! And no one wants a list of that many :sweat_smile:. Pare down as your group deems fit and view it as a first milestone of something accomplished in this OER’s journey.

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Thank you, @kellyedwards and Physical Science team, for the update! I’m glad you were able to meet and talk through some things. Happy to hear that you are all motivated and excited! In the coming weeks, we’ll talk about team roles and responsibilities, talk about ways to timebox the work so that it doesn’t fall to one person or feel so overwhelming, and look at the various opportunities to add interactive elements and student engagement strategies into your planned OER. Lean on each other’s strengths and experiences!

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Andrea Alexander Oct 22 C Cohort
Environmental Science

  • What activities have you managed to complete?
    We have largely completed our Project Summary contributions in the template document.
    We have met twice as a group.
    We are working on the Storytelling and Communications template document and have made progress on it.
    We are still scoping our project, brainstorming, and in the process of examining sample OER textbooks and courses in Environmental Science, to help with project scoping (content ideas) and possible textbook adoptions.
  • What challenges have you faced and what solutions have you found to address those?
    Keeping up with Rebus materials and individual cohort tasks – and also, optimizing our workflows, communication, expectations, and meeting productivity. Making sure everyone is on the same page.
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Below please find a link to the project summary (still in development) for the Physical Sciences team:
https://docs.google.com/document/d/14TZfLzx1SwW2HQ8vAGH3D55EESHfUBzvj0q4PS4pUMk/edit?usp=sharing

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Update for the Introduction to Criminal Justice Cohort.

We have shared the Project Summary document with all team members and everyone now has access to edit this document. It has been challenging for all us to meet at once, but things seem to be getting better once the Fall semester is over. We have also exchanged phone numbers in order to group chat as this is a little easier sometimes. We have discussed our student audience (dual enrollment). We have posted several syllabi to start us on our course learning outcomes. We have also started locating existing OER in criminal justice that we can use for this project. Using storytelling as part of our project seems to be exciting!