Co-op Students: Megan and Lauren

Megan

Describe your first introduction to the concept of OER? How has your understanding of Open Pedagogy changed by being part of a team advancing OER support?

My first introduction to the concept of OER was when I was taken on as a co-op student for Fanshawe College as a graphic designer in 2021. Previously, I had never heard of the concept of OER since my program was all online, but I have learned the positive benefits it has for students and faculty. Individuals being able to publicly access materials and resources online anywhere is a major advantage for online and in class learning.

Being a part of the OER team in the design studio, every positive outcome does have some challenges that arise. One major challenge that I faced was explaining creative ideas over message/email and having the other individual and/or team understand completely. Having an idea in your head and not being able to portray it without bouncing ideas face to face off one another can be difficult when working virtually from home. Another challenge I faced when designing for OER was wanting to have a better schedule and plan, as well as deadlines. Having a plan that is laid out with every project we must complete with due dates would be extremely helpful in my case to help self motivation.

In your role, identify ONE benefit and ONE challenge you experienced in the design/delivery process.

One benefit I have achieved is the ability to stay focused and be self-disciplined. Despite working from home virtually, I have learned to shut out distractions and focus on projects that need to be completed. Since OER has an expanded approach to learning and can be accessed anywhere at any time, it has driven me to complete tasks quickly in order to work on the following graphics. One challenge I have experienced is making all designs inclusive to everyone. Having a wide range of students from all around the world attend Fanshawe, it was difficult to make sure that all designs were appropriate to accommodate all ethnicities.

Lauren

Describe your first introduction to the concept of OER? How has your understanding of Open Pedagogy changed by being part of a team advancing OER support?

My first introduction to the concept of OER was through a co-op job in Fall 2021. Being a student with only online classes, I was not exposed to the concept through the school. When I was first introduced I wasn’t fully aware of the reason for it, although I quickly came to realize that OER benefits students and faculty tremendously. I am so happy that I got to be part of this team in helping future students and advance OER support.

Making OER material can be a little difficult since there are so many people working on the same project, things can become unorganized. Good communication and checking in with each other helps to ensure things run smoothly and we can work towards fixing any problems that arise.

In your role, identify ONE benefit and ONE challenge you experienced in the design/delivery process.

In my role as part of the graphic design team, there were many benefits and challenges. One major benefit I gained was the experience this opportunity taught me. I learned what it means to be part of a design team, and how to work remotely.

One challenge was making sure all the graphics were accessible to everyone. When designing graphics and placing them into textbooks and websites, double checking that the image had alt-text and could be distinguished when displayed in black and white were extremely important