Step 4. Produce preparatory assignments

Preparatory assignment for lecturers

The preparatory assignment for lecturers has the following objectives: 

1. Bring basic knowledge up to scratch
2. Define the premise of the meeting
3. Set participants to work on educational resources for their own course

Bring basic knowledge up to scratch

Many lecturers have little basic knowledge of open educational resources (OER). Participants can achieve the desired level of knowledge through self-study. To prepare for the session, ask participants to go through the online module Introduction to open educational resources.

Be clear when communicating to participants that they must put time into the preparation because the basic knowledge is needed to ensure full participation in the session. 

Define the premise of the meeting 

Ask the lecturers to describe the course they want to redesign: which subject is involved, how is the subject structured, what part of the subject do they explicitly want to change, which sources do they currently use and what are potential new sources. By describing this, the participants will establish the premise of the course they intend to redesign. This part can be done individually, or together with a team of lecturers. 

Example: Course description

Set participants to work on educational resources for their own course

During the session, specific educational resources that can be used in teaching practice are discussed. It takes too much time to go looking for usable open educational resources during the session. That is why this is given as a preparatory assignment. Instruct the lecturers to search for educational resources they think they can use when redesigning their teaching. Ask them to give their assessment of the value of each educational resource and also how they would use it. 

Once lecturers have submitted this assignment, the support specialists will also set to work on it (see step 4). This allows lecturers to see what the support specialists can offer them and the support specialists will see first-hand the barriers that lecturers face.

Examples of preparatory assignments for lecturers

• Welcome email with preparatory assignment RUG (PDF)
• Welcome email with preparatory assignment HAN (PDF, in Dutch)

How to submit the assignment

Think carefully about where and how lecturers should submit their preparatory assignment. A good place is probably the institution's own digital learning environment. This is a safe and reliable place that everyone will already be familiar with. Everything is stored securely and it makes it easy to find someone else's work and pick up where they have left off.

Preparatory assignment for support specialists

The preparatory assignment will give the support specialists an understanding of the situation with educational resources in the institution. Furthermore, they will make a first attempt to elaborate their ideas on this subject.

Objectives of this preparatory assignment: 

1. Bring basic knowledge up to scratch
2. Describe the current situation in the institution
3. Elaborate ideas for open educational resources from the perspective of support specialists
4. Ensure participants are able to make a start on using the educational resources retrieved

Bring basic knowledge up to scratch

It is also important that the support specialists have a thorough basic knowledge of open educational resources. This assignment is therefore actually the same as that of the lecturers: follow the online module Introduction to open educational resources.

Describe the current situation

Ask the support specialists to prepare a report of the current situation regarding policies and the support offered for OER. This assignment is a good one to do together with the other support specialists who are taking part in the session. Ask the support specialists to work together to fill in the following table:

Elaborate ideas for open educational resources from the perspective of support specialists

Ask the support specialists to write down why they want to use open educational resources within their own institution. And what role do they see for themselves?

Review preparatory assignments of lecturers

Once lecturers have submitted their preparatory assignments, share them with the support specialists. Ask the support specialists to review these and add their own sources to them. But also get them to add any promising initiatives or interesting links in the field, such as subject-specific communities. Ask the support specialists to add tips, ideas, educational resources, sources and communities to the lecturer's document in the collaboration environment. 

TIP

You can divide the lecturers among the support specialists. Make strategic choices as you do. It is best to link the information specialist of a particular faculty to the lecturers of the same faculty.  

How to submit the assignment

Think carefully about where and how support specialists should submit their preparatory assignment. A good place is probably the institution's own digital learning environment. This is a safe and reliable place that everyone will already be familiar with. Everything is stored securely and it makes it easy to find someone else's work and pick up where they have left off.

<< Back to step 3. Recruit participants

>> Continue to step 5. Organise online meetings