One of the assignments that I find to be worthwhile in my classes is a research paper analysis. For this assignment, students must read and analyze a scientifically peer reviewed article; the topic would have to be related to human anatomy and physiology. One of the most difficult aspects of this assignment is finding a research paper; some students are not able to properly navigate data bases or differentiate between different scholarly sources. However, DOAJ is simple to use and can be used by students to find a research paper that would be suitable for the class. One of the skills that students lack is the ability to distinguish between…

Open Assignment published on Open Educational Resources, Spring 2021 https://academicworks.cuny.edu/kb_oers/19

The first half of the meeting made me feel uncomfortable since there were only 2 students and everyone else were professors. I thought I signed up for something else and expected more students. Once we all started to discuss situations that were going on , I felt so much better because there was so much intake and it didn’t feel like they were more superior them me. They had so many perspectives that helped me realize , we have alot in common. I got the opportunity to hear their points of view and they had a chance to hear mine as well.

What initially drew me to open pedagogy is the idea of engaging students in content creation.  My students are working to become future educators, and one of the conversations that we often have in our class is how important it is for children to engage in creating work for authentic audiences. For children, those audiences might be their peers, family members, or others in the community. However, in the context of the courses in which my students participate to become educators, the audience for their work is often limited to their peers and their professor.   Over the years, I’ve been excited, impressed, surprised, and challenged by the ideas, experiences, and overall…

Open Assignment published on Open Educational Resources, Spring 2021 https://academicworks.cuny.edu/kb_oers/18

In thinking about how to offer the greatest benefit to faculty and students who peruse open assignments, I reflected upon the assignments I teach that have great success in face-to-face instruction and have been equally successful when modified for online instruction.  Each of these open assignments can address a variety of course competencies and allow for faculty interpretation and modification. Student choice is at the forefront; there are opportunities for creating an independent or small group product. Assignments include a weekly schedule that create rhythm and structure to assist with time management and assessment. All assignments have a creative component for students to broaden the scope of the initial assignment.…

My initial thoughts about a potential open assignment are focused on navigating, on the one hand, the desire to engage students in a way they find productive, interesting, and somehow self-serving outside the classroom with, on the other hand, an assignment that creates an opportunity for a student to really understand course material and meet the course learning outcomes (and, I should add, the need to consider an assignment design that has a clear rubric and a manageable amount of grading). I want to be careful to avoid putting too much focus on the production of some type of end project without ensuring students have the chance to establish a…