The Iowa Open Education Action Team is excited to announce our third annual call for participation for our OER Communities of Practice! The purpose of these communities of practice (CoPs) is to support instructors across the state who want to connect with peers over a shared interest in open educational resources (OER). Participants in this program will have the chance to foster connections, build expertise, and identify, adapt, or create OER to support their work. Instructional designers are also encouraged to apply to build connections with the instructors in the CoPs.
This year, we plan* to coordinate communities of practice for the following disciplines:
- Business
- Healthcare/Nursing
- Mathematics/Statistics
- Other Career & Technical Education (CTE) fields
*We will need a minimum of 5 participants from a single discipline to convene a community of practice.
Apply now to participate in the 2024/2025 OER Communities of Practice!
Application Sections
- A short questionnaire that provides information about you, your discipline, your institution, and your experience with OER.
- All levels of experience are welcome!
- A brief description (200-500 words) of the project you would like to pursue during the academic year.
- Consider what makes sense given your level of experience with OER (e.g. identifying OER available in your field, drafting an IRB application to study the use of OER in a course, or developing the outline for future OER development).
Timeline
- September 20: Applications are due (Deadline extended from original due date of Sept 16)
- September 27: Applicants will be notified of acceptance
- October 4: Virtual kickoff event with special guest speakers!
$100 will be provided at the end of the academic year to support the instructors who participate in at least 6 monthly meetings and complete an assessment reflecting on their experience in the community of practice.
About the Communities of Practice
This program will take place over the 2024/2025 academic year. The cohorts will have additional support and facilitation provided by 1-2 local Open Education leaders who will help drive discussions and answer questions. As teams become established, participants will begin developing original projects that build on the concepts they have learned. The project scope will be determined by each participant, based on their interests and time.
Expectations for Participants
Participants will be required to attend a virtual kickoff event with a guest speaker in October and to participate in monthly, one-hour calls with their community of practice from October 2024 through May 2025. Groups may choose to continue meeting past this point if they wish.
Throughout the curriculum, participants will work on an original project of their choice. This may be an individual or group project. In March, participants will be asked to present on their progress toward their final project, as part of international Open Education Week. This presentation may be fulfilled through the completion of a blog post, a poster presentation, or participation in a panel coordinated by the Iowa OER team.
In May, participants will be asked to complete a survey reflecting on their experience in the CoP program.
Questions?
Contact the project lead, Abbey Elder, at aelder@iastate.edu