Negotiating Digital Academic Writing Development Using an Open Educational Resource (OER)

Gino FransmanPhD Research

Department Of Applied LanguagesNelson Mandela Metropolitan University

(NMMU)South Africa

Negotiating Digital Writing and Literacy Development Using an Open Educational Resource (OER)by Gino Fransman is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.

1. Introduction Background (the context is uniquely SA)

2. The PhD2.1 Illustrating (part) of the problem2.2 Research Question/ Gap/ Aims

2.3 Method

3. Pilot Research 20163.1 Emerging challenges

4. Current Research Stage

5. Activities in Open 2016

At the heart: http://bit.ly/1ymeRZQ

Consider a strategy where:

“With active learning as the primary mode of instruction, not as a supplement to the

lecture, such learning will lead to permanent high-level cognitive

development.”Mouton, N., Louw, G. P., and Strydom, G. L. Present-Day Dilemmas And

Challenges Of The South African Tertiary System. International Business & Economics Research Journal – March 2013, Volume 12, Number 3. The Clute Institute.

Why even try?

Research Question & Sub-questions▪ How can engaging with a language-based Open Educational Resource

support developing digital academic writing literacy amongst a cohort of undergraduate students in the Architecture Department at NMMU?

▪ What are the experiences of students and educators who used the OER?

▪ Does using the OER contribute to developing academic literacies, and if so, how? 

▪ How can the OER be developed to better support developing digital academic writing literacy in the South African higher education context? 

Perceived ‘gap’ in the NMMU/ SA context:

USING: a writing-based OER, to support digital

academic writing literacy

SHARING: specific writing OER tools with students and

educators, collaborate/

facilitate, and cross-evaluate

the experiences

REMIXING/ REPURPOSING evolving tool into NEW OER

REDISTRIBUTING: SHARING OPENLY

Opening Up at NMMU A writing OER: an open tool via OERcommons/ Library of Congress

Often facilitated with no devices, Mitigated this by distributing copies of excerpt/ text to engage with on hardcopyHand written, supported writing artefactsFor immediate review, for group-work and peer review, for developing in association with academic support units

student reflections…using the Writing OER

▪ …the steps are essential and handy in writing a good piece…

▪…when answering the questions, I realised that I was not specific, my statements were vague…

▪…It got me to reflect on a question and critically think about what I am writing…

Lecturer reflections▪ About yesterday’s presentation, a welcome eye-opener to all of us; it

also puts the Writing Centre in a more “modern” light. OER: thumbs up!*

▪ Motivational, interesting, you caught and kept our attention, eye-opener and a nice exercise in class; the Rhodes topic interesting and stimulating

▪ I definitely see potential for using the OER Writing Tool in my T&L. To make it more meaningful and practical, I would like us to spend more time on the actual OER searching part in class, this could then be enforced and followed up by means of an assignment

*Response after Intro to Open & OER, instigating further interactions, several emails, and ongoing and future engagements between August 2015 July 2016.

What?1. Document Analysis: Establishing Instructional Terms currently and previously used in four distinct curricular offerings, analysing five varying NMMU modules, academic expectations, and direct T&L support as provided

DEFINE, DESCRIBE, DISCUSS (Possible Instructional Terms to be selected, based on document analysis of lecturer materials, assignments and assessments)

2. Engaging with the Writing Tool (in-class support using an Academic Literacies approach; where educators are included in the writing support process)

3. Applying and infusing use of the tool within a formal assessment task

3. Evaluating Student and Educator Experiences of Using the Writing Tool

...literacy & negotiation......language of deficits – cultural backgrounds, embarrassing gaps in knowledge, measured failure to achieve (and teachers to impart) some aspect of their functional, essayistic or cultural literacy

...literate actions emerge out of a constructive cognitive process that transforms knowledge in purposeful ways...

... literate act may be a process of negotiation, in which individual readers and writers must juggle conflicting demands and chart a path amongst alternate goals, constraints and possibilities

Flower, L. (1994) The Construction of Negotiated Meaning: A Social Cognitive Theory of Writing

Bandura (1988) Social Cognitive Theory

CognitiveBehavioural

Environmental

Research Sample 1. Department of Architecture▪ Bachelor Architecture: 3 year levels of

Undergrads▪ Masters Architecture Postgrads (2 years)▪ Subjects where writing is prioritized and

more intentionally supported 1. Introducing the OER

2. Using the OER 3. Evaluating the

OER4. Adapting the OER

Group 1 B Arch I

Group 2B Arch II

Group 3B Arch III

Group 4 & 5

M Arch

1. Make it EasyHarness the power of defaults. Motivating lecturing staff to make utilising the writing OER as part of the formal assignment process

Reduce the ‘hassle factor’ of taking up a service. Providing in-class support workshops introducing and illustrating how to use the OER.

Simplify messages. Breaking the task of academic writing into smaller, stand-alone or staggered chunks. From planning writing, drafting iterations, to attribution

EAST Behavioural Framework sets out 4 principles for setting up the 2016 pilot research process looking to facilitate use of a writing OER at NMMU (1)

2. Make it AttractiveAttract attention.

Regular communications to lecturing staff to maintain awareness

Design rewards and sanctions for maximum effect. In light of #feesmustfall, the potential of Open Textbooks

Textbooks to decrease cost of learning materials

Research collaboration and integrating new materials into curriculum

3. Make it SocialShow that most people perform the desired behaviour. While not ‘most’, included case studies of impact OER is having elsewhere. Maricopa Millions, MIT Open, OER Africa, Siyavula.

Use the power of networks. Have groups form social media based networks, sign up for newsletters, etc.

Encourage people to make a commitment to others. Infuse advocacy and OERs social value, e.g. OER Africa’sTeacher Education training materials

4. Make it Timely

Prompt people when they are likely to be most receptive. New lecturer induction, bi-annual event. Academic development Days (per campus x 4)

During curriculum design phase, NMMU institutional re-curriculation in process. Truth is, it is still all too often necessitated by an educator having experienced very poor writing competences amongst students in an assignment or text being assessed.

Behaviour is generally easier to change when habits are already disrupted, such as around major life events.

Consider the immediate costs and benefits. #feesmustfall protests illustrated the need to engage in more online activities in the teaching and learning project.

Help people plan their response to events. Looking at the research project’s intentions, the lecturers’ expectations, and student expectations per group. Planning alternate methods to assess student writing in order to generate more frequent activities.

The Writing OER research - four main stages1. Defining the outcome

Identify exactly what behaviour is to be influenced. Consider how this can be measured reliably and efficiently. Establish how large a change would make the project worthwhile, and over what time period.

2. Understanding the context Visit the situations and people involved in the behaviour, and understand the context from their perspective. Use this opportunity to develop new insights and design a sensitive and feasible intervention.

3. Building the intervention Use the EAST framework to generate behavioural insights. An iterative process that returns to the two steps above.

4. Testing, learning, adapting - CREATING Put intervention into practice so its effects can be reliably measured.

http://constitutionallyspeaking.co.za/feesmustfall-on-the-right-to-mass-protest-and-the-use-of-force-by-police/

And then…

My challengeDeep insecurity about repeating the process with a similar research sample after 2016

Exploring a new iteration of the concept, but this needs to be less able to be manipulated by similar disruptions in HE SA.

A possible relocation to another institution suggests a resetting of the research project and process

Input into this evolution would be appreciated

Activities in Open 2016Open Government Partnership

Invited by the Minister of Public Services and Administration

Asked Dr Glenda Cox from GO_GN and UCT to join in the presentation

Africa representative addressing governments from the African continent on the Sustainable Development Goals, and specifically Open Education’s potential

...a comment on literacy...

“We ought to be much less interested in creating a ‘new science’ than in creating a new society,” (Gee, 2008:89)

Gee, J. P. J. (2008) Social Linguistics and Literacies. Ideology in Discourse. Third Edition, Routledge, London and NY.

Opportunities to follow up in 2017

References

De Vos, P. (2015). #FEESMUSTFALL: ON THE RIGHT TO MASS PROTEST AND THE USE OF FORCE BY POLICE. Retrieved February2, 2017, from http://constitutionallyspeaking.co.za/feesmustfall-on-the-right-to-mass-protest-and-the-use-of-force-by-police/Gee, J. P. J. (2008) Social Linguistics and Literacies. Ideology in Discourse. Third Edition, Routledge, London and NY.Gourlay, L. (2014). Creating Time: students, technologies and temporal practices in higher education. E-Learning and Digital Media, 11(2), 141-153.Mouton, N., Louw, G. P., and Strydom, G. L. Present-Day Dilemmas And Challenges Of The South African Tertiary System. International Business & Economics Research Journal – March 2013, Volume 12, Number 3. The Clute Institute. WEF. (2015). New Vision for Education Unlocking the Potential of Technology. In New Vision for Education: Unlocking the Potential of Technology (pp. 1–32).

Thank You

gino.fransman@nmmu.ac.zaginofransman@gmail.com

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