Multiply K-12 OER Media Project

In March of 2017, The Multiply K-12 OER media project was added to the Blended and Online Learning and Teaching (BOLT) blog supported through Athabasca University. The OER videos have closed captioning and Universal Design for Learning principles were considered in the media design and delivery. Additionally, the audio format requires less broadband, which may be significant for in-service teachers in rural or northern Canada and furthers the equity of access. To further accessibility, transcripts of both the podcasts and the videos are also available on the blog. In total there are 3 videos and 17 podcasts that form this project.

The niche that these media now fill becomes apparent when a quick Google search is conducted with the terms such as “K-12 OER Canada” or “K-12 OER Alberta”. The results quickly indicate the current status of OER in Canada is less developed than in countries such as the USA with their federal Department of Education’s #GoOpen for K-12 teachers.

Because the media have CC-BY-SA licensing, these media can and will be reused – posted in blogs or embedded in credit and non-credit professional learning offerings. This reuse will likely not remain within Canada, not merely because of internet connectivity but because as educators themselves, the podcast contributors came from the USA, England, and New Zealand.

The sharing out of the media and potentially having teachers elsewhere in the world study these media will be part of the multiplying effect of these podcasts and videos. As K-12 teachers further their understanding of OER and Open Pedagogy their students and parents will also become part of the growing awareness of the potential of OER, thus multiplying out support for open educational practies. This OER project was funded by the Alberta Open Educational Resources (ABOER) Initiative and was made possible through an investment from the Alberta government.

project url: http://bolt.athabascau.ca/index.php/oer/multiply-k-12-alberta-oer-project/