Open pedagogy is the practice of engaging with students as creators of information rather than simply consumers of it. It's a form of experiential learning in which students demonstrate understanding through the act of creation. The products of open pedagogy are student created and openly licensed so that they may live outside of the classroom in a way that has an impact on the greater community.
Open projects frequently result in the creation of open educational resources (OER). OER are free teaching and learning materials that are licensed to allow for revision and reuse. They can be fully self-contained textbooks, videos, quizzes, learning modules, and more. UTA Libraries sponsor a grant program that supports open pedagogy and OER adoption/modification/creation projects.
From "Free + Freedom: The Role of Open Pedagogy in the Open Education Movement" by Rajiv Jhangiani and Robin DeRosa
Open pedagogy is a high-impact practice that empowers students by providing them an opportunity to engage in information creation through the use of renewable assignments. As creators of information, students in these courses gain a greater understanding of the rights and responsibilities associated with information ownership so they may make informed decisions about their own intellectual property. Practitioners of open pedagogy embrace collaboration, student agency, and authentic audiences while recognizing the differences in privilege and progress that impact how students balance the benefits of sharing and a need for privacy. This open educational practice challenges traditional teaching roles and has the power to transform the educational experience for both teachers and students.
Miranda Dean, a film studies alumni at Keene State College, describes how her experiences in an open pedagogy course taught her about herself and changed how she understands and interacts with the world and with the information that is shared within it. Miranda was a student in Dr. Karen Cangialosi's Evolution and Human Behavior (BIO302) course in spring 2017. In addition to teaching an open pedagogy course, Dr. Cangialosi facilitated the Open Pedagogy Faculty Learning Community and writes about open education on her blog.
Contents of this guide were shaped by the work of Dr. David Wiley, who reminds us that education is about sharing, and Dr. Robin DeRosa, who gave us the phrase, open education is "about reducing barriers to education, empowering learners, and connecting the academy to the world that it serves."
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