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Beyond Open Connections: Leveraging Information Literacy to Increase Impact of Open

This paper for the Open through an information literacy lens allows Education Global Conference by us to connect more holistically to other Michelle Reed and Billy Meinke is licensed under the Attribution Open movements and align our work with 4.0 (CC BY 4.0) license. Submitted March 15, 2018. formal educational programs that are already in place at many colleges and universities. Keywords This conference paper merges the Information Literacy, Open Educational perspectives of a librarian and an Resources, Professional Development instructional designer who have approached open education with an intentional Introduction concentration on information literacy. It explores ways to leverage information With a core focus on access and licensing, literacy to develop robust educational outreach and education about open programs and professional development educational resources (OER) provide a opportunities that advance open educational perfect opportunity to explore how concepts practices. of information literacy can guide our work with faculty, staff, and administrators who University of Hawai’i are new to open education or who have fallen prey to misinformation about OER. The University of Hawai’i (UH) is a public Legal tools such as Creative Commons (CC) land-grant college and university system licenses make it easy to share creative work comprised of ten campuses across four main with others; however, navigating the world islands in the Hawaiian Island chain. Total of content reuse and copyright can be a student enrollment across all campuses was primary barrier for many educators who are approximately 74,605 students in Spring not confident in their understanding of 2018, representing a diverse student intellectual property law. Likewise, because population of Native (or part) Hawaiian, libraries prioritize making access as Caucasian, Filipino, Japanese, Chinese, and 1,2 seamless as possible for our communities, students of mixed ethnic background. UH educators are frequently unaware of the campuses and research facilities are well extent of their own information privilege. known for programs in Hawaiian/Pacific These topics of access, ownership, and studies, Astronomy, East Asian Language privilege are central to information literacy. and Literature, Asian Studies, Comparative Considering open education advocacy Philosophy, and Marine Science. Education

1 University of Hawai’i Institutional Research and 2 University of Hawai’i, “About UH,” accessed Analysis Office, “Opening Enrollment,” accessed March 15, 2018, https://www.hawaii.edu/about-uh/. March 15, 2018, http://www.hawaii.edu/iro/. Beyond Open Connections 2 of 8

centers within the UH system are located in adoption strategies to all campuses that did more remote areas of the state (outer not have a full-time staff dedicated to islands), and rural communities are served curation, adoption, and creation efforts. As through courses. members of the system-wide OER committee largely hold librarian positions, OER-focused trainings are offered to faculty the UHM OER Technologist serves as and instructional staff at three campuses in technology lead for the system. In this the system: UH Mānoa (UHM), Leeward capacity, he identified a need to broaden Community College, and Kapi’olani OER skills as a means of developing Community College. The OER trainings technology skills beyond the UHM campus. vary in scope and delivery format but have similar goals in terms of participants leaving The OC is now developing a non-credit with actionable skills and knowledge that certificate that recognizes UH faculty and would build capacity among OER-curious instructors who have completed OER faculty. A shared set of outcomes was culled trainings at any UH campus. A shared set of from the trainings offered at each campus, outcomes and multiple means of acquiring and from them an OER guidebook was OER training recognized throughout the UH created to support training and self-learning system will allow UH to coordinate cross- anywhere in the UH system.3 Covering campus collaborations between OER topics from author attribution for re-using advocates who have a shared set of skills CC-licensed content to uploading original and knowledge supporting OER adoption work into the UH OER system-wide digital and adaptation. repository, the book provides essential information those who are interested in OER University of Texas at Arlington would need to begin with confidence. The University of Texas at Arlington (UTA) The Outreach College (OC) at UHM is a four-year public research university operates credit and non-credit education located in the continental United States. programs to traditional and non-traditional Total global enrollment for the 2016-17 students in the community and around the academic year was 58,664.4 This makes world. All evening, weekend, and summer UTA the largest institution in the University courses are processed through the OC, of Texas System; in addition, it is a extending the reach of UH’s rich educational Hispanic-Serving Institution, and it regularly opportunities beyond day-school courses not ranks among the top US colleges and accessible to all learners. The OC began universities for undergraduate diversity, investing in OER activities in early 2014, transfer students, and veterans. Affordability first by hiring a full-time OER Librarian to has long been a top priority of the aid in the curation of OER and then by institution, and the UTA Libraries’ open hiring an instructional designer to serve as education initiatives, which began with the OER Technologist for the UHM campus in hire of an Open Education Librarian in Fall Fall 2016. A system-wide OER committee 2016, have a direct impact on this made up of representatives from each UH institutional priority. campus was formed in 2015 to extend OER

3 William Meinke, “UH OER Training,” accessed 4 University of Texas at Arlington, “Fast Facts,” March 15, 2018, http://pressbooks- accessed March 15, 2018, dev.oer.hawaii.edu/oertraining/ https://www.uta.edu/uta/about/fastfacts/.

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UTA had previously undertaken efforts to The Open Education Librarian fields emails, increase the use of OER on campus; provides one-on-one consultations, and however, the impact of such initiatives was presents at administrative, departmental, and not measured or preserved. Approximately a committee meetings about OER. Though decade ago, for example, the Office of the interest in OER varies, one consistency Provost provided financial incentives to among all stakeholder groups is a support OER, and in 2014 a professional remarkably low understanding of intellectual learning community brought faculty and property rights and, in particular, of open staff together to explore the theme of OER. licensing mechanisms on which OER are Recognizing a gap in campus-wide OER built. The most recent Babson Survey coordination and the potentially significant Research Group report on OER in higher impact on UTA’s student population, the education in the United States shows that Libraries began providing leadership in this over 80% of faculty describe themselves as realm. It officially launched an open being “very aware” or “aware” of copyright, education program in February 2017 with and less than 50% say the same of Creative workshops facilitated by presenters from the Commons.7 Despite steady increases in self- Open Textbook Network. reported awareness, anecdotal evidence suggests these numbers may be inflated. Since then, the Libraries developed a grant program, now in year two, to support the Open Connections adoption of open educational practices.5 The program incentivizes OER adoption, The authors began working in our respective modification, and creation and provides roles at approximately the same time in funding and support for experiential learning 2016. Though we share similar goals, such opportunities that feature students as open as raising awareness of OER and growing content creators. In the 2017-18 academic adoptions of open content, we have different year, the Libraries partnered with colleagues backgrounds and are positioned in different from across campus to implement OER units within our institutions, resulting in course designations in response to state diverse daily activities and entry points. legislation.6 Additionally, the Libraries joined forces with a small group of student As Open Education Librarian, Michelle volunteers to involve a greater number of Reed is frequently approached by instructors students in the OER conversation and who have heard of OER from colleagues or expand capacity for outreach across campus. the Libraries’ programming and who desire The student group is a subset of a cross- to learn more. Open education, then, is the campus coalition of stakeholders tasked with impetus for the conversation. These raising awareness of affordable educational consultations typically unfold in the same resources. way as traditional “reference interviews,” a topic on which much has been written in the library literature and that is commonly

5 UTA Libraries, “Open Education at UTA: Grants,” 7 I. Elaine Allen and Jeff Seaman, “Opening the accessed March 15, 2018, Textbook: Educational Resources in U.S. Higher http://libguides.uta.edu/utacares/grants. Education, 2015-16,” Babson Survey Research 6 UTA Libraries, “Open for UTA Students: Find Group, July 2016, accessed March 15, 2018, OER Courses,” accessed March 15, 2018, https://www.onlinelearningsurvey.com/oer.html. http://libguides.uta.edu/students/MyMav.

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explored in The Reference Librarian, an Despite these differences, the authors were academic journal. That is, they begin with a independently exploring connections series of open-ended questions designed to between open education and information better understand the instructor’s literacy when we met approximately one information need. One way in which OER year after our respective start dates. consultations differ from traditional reference interviews is that they always Information Literacy include a discussion of CC licenses. A grant- funded training program for librarians For over a century, academic librarians in designed by Quill West provides excellent the United States have provided instruction tools for approaching OER consultations designed to help patrons effectively navigate through well-established practices for and use the resources and services provided reference interviews.8 by the library. Today we refer to this type of learning experience in terms of “information Billy Meinke, on the other hand, is typically literacy.” As digitization has shaped the sought to support broader course ways that we access and share information, transformations in his role as an so, too, has information literacy evolved to instructional designer. OER is one represent a more nuanced relationship component of the conversation which between the people who create and consume naturally arises in the context of course information and the systems we use to refreshes or redesigns, where aspects such as communicate in a networked world. In outcomes, assessment tools, and underlying January 2016, the Association of College technical content delivery and interaction and Research Libraries (ACRL) adopted a systems also play significant roles. new Framework for Information Literacy Consultations with faculty who are for Higher Education, which transitioned interested in OER often begin with librarians from a skills-based approach to exploring the current structure and delivery teaching and learning to a conceptual one.9 method of the course, to which an existing Though the language in the Framework is “off the shelf” OER textbook or course student-centric, as are the information content package may fit with minimal literacy programs that operate out of revision. When no existing OER are deemed academic libraries, we argue that the an appropriate fit for a course, conversations knowledge practices and dispositions with faculty often expand to include heavier represented in the document apply to adaptation or in some cases the publishing educators as much as they do to the students of original content as OER. In all cases, ad- we serve—particularly in the context of hoc training in copyright and CC licensing, open education. along with technical guidance for adaptation of OER bring to light any gaps in faculty Information literacy, as defined in the knowledge and skills that are essential for Framework, is “the set of integrated abilities smooth integration of OER into a course. encompassing the reflective discovery of information, the understanding of how information is produced and valued, and the

8 Quill West, “Searching for Open Materials,” 9 Association of College and Research Libraries, accessed March 15, 2018, Framework for Information Literacy for Higher https://libraryasleader.org/searching-for-open- Education, accessed March 15, 2018, materials/. http://www.ala.org/acrl/standards/ilframework.

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use of information in creating new supplemented by public peer reviews of the knowledge and participating ethically in OER. Those in higher education who communities of learning.” The Framework question the quality of OER tend to presents six frames that are central to construct authority according to traditional information literacy. They can serve as publishing practices. This is despite anchors for lessons and learning activities evidence that a traditional model does not and provide a strong vocabulary for protect against issues of quality and discussing information issues. The credibility. Take, for example, the Pearson Framework should not be taken as nursing textbook that was pulled for prescriptive but rather as a set of including harmful stereotypes about racial, foundational ideas with flexible religious, and ethnic groups.11 implementation options to support learners at various levels of proficiency. Below we’ll 2. Information Creation as a Process summarize each frame and discuss their implications for open education. The second frame discusses the dynamic nature of information creation, embraces the 1. Authority Is Constructed and Contextual ambiguity of emerging formats, and encourages critical reflection on both The first frame discusses the significance of process and product when determining how authority is established and realized in information value. Learners with high different contexts. Learners with high information literacy proficiency in this area information literacy proficiency in this area seek to understand the context in which understand that different communities information was created and effectively construct authority according to different match an information product with an paradigms and recognize that implicit and information need. explicit bias can privilege certain voices or worldviews while excluding or silencing The creation of OER is rarely the effort of others. individuals acting alone, and as such the process of creating such content is often “OER Mythbusting,” an open resource from conducted by a group of collaborators who the Scholarly Publishing and Academic adhere to a set of shared processes and Resources Coalition (SPARC), lists “you get objectives. These processes may mimic what you pay for” as one of the top seven classic instructional design systems myths about OER in North American higher frameworks, such as ADDIE (analyze, education.10 The reality is many OER design, develop, implement, evaluate), or undergo peer review, and OER publishers frameworks that are meant to support the tend to be transparent about the creation nuances of OER development, such as that process, allowing instructors to determine of the OERu (select, design, develop, quality based on both the process and the deliver, revise).12 Other OER design final product. In some cases, these are workflows, such as the CORRE framework,

10 Scholarly Publishing and Academic Resources https://www.insidehighered.com/news/2017/10/23/nu Coalition, “OER Mythbusting,” October 25, 2017, rsing-textbook-pulled-over-stereotypes. accessed March 15, 2018, https://sparcopen.org/our- 12 Wiki Educator, “Digital Skills for Collaborative work/oer-mythbusting/. OER Development/Design Blueprint/Workflow,” 11 Scott Jaschik, “Anger Over Stereotypes in accessed March 15, 2018, Textbook,” Inside Higher Ed, October 23, 2017, http://wikieducator.org/Digital_skills_for_collaborati accessed March 15, 2018, ve_OER_development/Design_blueprint/Workflow.

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extend beyond a basic set of processes content in the processes of their own (content, , reuse & repurpose, learning despite this new information evidence) to include roles as they relate to arguably having “value.” The copyright of each step.13 In all cases, an emphasis on the personal information that is created and processes of information creation sit at the collected “behind the scenes” as OER core of understanding the dynamic nature content is used in learning environments is OER content, which is crucial in typically granted to those who govern the understanding how and where new delivery systems for digital content. collaborators must focus their energy when Learners with high information literacy making any level of adaptation to open should be aware of such transfer of rights content. even if it is not highly visible in most cases.

3. Information Has Value 4. Research as Inquiry

The third frame focuses on the production The fourth frame discusses the iterative and commodification of information. nature of research and the benefits of Learners with high information literacy flexibility, persistence, and organization proficiency in this area are informed and during the inquiry process. Learners with respectful information consumers and high information literacy proficiency in this creators; they are aware of the ways in area identify and address information gaps, which privacy is impacted by online appreciate disagreement in deepening behavior, they understand intellectual conversation, and value collaboration in property rights and restrictions, they discern advancing knowledge. the significance of information access, they are cognizant of their own information In many ways, OER creation is an exercise privilege, and they are aware of the in inquiry and is iterative in ways similar to mechanisms by which personal information the research process. Likewise, collaboration is collected and commodified. and dissent, along with open licenses, allow for continual improvement and reuse of The “Information Has Value” frame is resources for new purposes. A growing robust in its implications for open education. number of educators are developing The connection between OER use and reuse teaching strategies that allow students to and instructor awareness of intellectual contribute to content creation through an property rights and restrictions has already inquiry process, addressing OER content been discussed. What has been less gaps and turning traditional teacher-student prevalent in our conversations is how roles into more collaborative relationships student data are collected around the use of that benefit the university community and OER via end-user license agreements greater public. Writing on her blog, Dr. (EULA). While scholarly or community Robin DeRosa described one such project in norms may provide a means for offering which she partnered with students in the credit for improvements made to OER content, interaction data around all types of digital content including OER may not be attributed to learners as they engage with the

13 University of Leicester Institute of Learning https://www2.le.ac.uk/departments/beyond-distance- Innovation, “Corre 2.0,” accessed March 15, 2018, research-alliance/projects/ostrich/corre-2.0.

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discovery, creation, and dissemination of an organized, and critical when seeking open textbook.14 information.

5. Scholarship as Conversation The Babson report notes that the difficulty of finding OER remains the top barrier to The fifth frame recognizes that systems of adoption.17 Though it’s true that OER do not communication can reinforce or dismantle exist to meet every need, many instructors information privilege. Learners with high will declare there is “nothing” in their information literacy proficiency in this area subject areas without having conducted a contribute to knowledge production, comprehensive search for relevant recognize that diverse perspectives drive resources. When we consider information innovation and discovery, and cite the literacy in the student context, we note scholarship on which new work is built. values of flexibility, persistence, and openness. However, concerns about Open education provides numerous avenues instructor time may prevent us from also for broadening the conversation in higher applying these values to discovery and education. In some cases, open licensing adoption of course resources. Librarians allows instructors to revise, supplement, make excellent partners for all university convert, or otherwise improve an communities in their exploration of educational resource. A wonderful example information and should seek to empower comes from Grand Valley State University. faculty and students alike with the mental Dr. Matt Boelkins’ open textbook, Active flexibility and creativity necessary to Calculus, has been revised and improved navigate the nonlinear and iterative nature of upon over time by a community of search. educators.15 In other cases, students become active contributors through the experience of Information Literacy in Practice content creation. Examples include students curating and writing content for textbooks In the process of harmonizing OER trainings and ancillary materials, contributing to at UH campuses, several existing digital and Wikipedia, and creating interactive OER for information literacy frameworks were peer audiences.16 referenced, including ACRL’s Framework. It would not seem far-fetched that 6. Searching as Strategic Exploration possessing skills and knowledge related to OER would also indicate a heightened level The sixth frame reflects the importance of of information literacy among both student access to information. Learners with high and faculty instructors, but OER is not information literacy proficiency in this area typically the medium through which embrace serendipity, search broadly and information literacy skills are gained. The deeply, and remain flexible, patient, learning outcomes of the UH OER training handbook were cross-referenced with the

14 Robin DeRosa, “My Open Textbook: Pedagogy 15 Matt Boelkins, “Active Calculus,” accessed March and Practice,” actualham (blog), May 18, 2016, 15, 2018, https://scholarworks.gvsu.edu/books/10/. accessed March 15, 2018, 16 UTA Libraries, “Introduction to Open Pedagogy,” http://robinderosa.net/uncategorized/my-open- accessed March 15, 2018, textbook-pedagogy-and-practice/. http://libguides.uta.edu/openped/examples. 17 Allen and Seaman, “Opening the Textbook,” 2016.

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Framework to identify commonalities and About the Authors areas where OER training might be able to support growth in information literacy, Michelle Reed is the Open Education making progress in a knowledge domain Librarian at the University of Texas at already the focus of libraries. Arlington. She leads OER initiatives and advocates for the creation of experiential While information literacy programs at learning opportunities that foster higher education institutions are often collaboration and empower students as targeted at student learner populations, the content creators. As an OER Research UH OER trainings target faculty instructors Fellow, she investigates the impact of open as learners but may be applicable to all educational practices on student learning individuals regardless of their role in the and engagement. She can be reached at institution. As students can play a role in the [email protected]. updating and improvement of content, these trainings may be extended to invite greater Billy Meinke is OER Technologist at the engagement with OER content used in University of Hawai'i at Mānoa. He leads courses. OER adoption and creation efforts within the University of Hawai'i system and Conclusion designs training and technology systems to empower individuals to leverage the This paper introduces a framework for openness of OER. He can be reached at understanding information literacy and [email protected]. begins developing the important connections that bridge open education and information Acknowledgements literacy. Still, there are many more connections that have yet been unexplored Michelle Reed’s travel to Deft for the Open or that require further unpacking to reveal Education Global Conference was supported greater overlap. Approaching open by the Association of College & Research education through this domain provides Libraries’ Value of Academic Libraries opportunities for all campus stakeholders to Travel Scholarship. build on academic libraries’ impressive history with information literacy and develop collaborations that advance open education through the intentional integration of information literacy concepts and mapping. There is still much room for librarians and instructional designers who support OER adaptation and creation to strengthen formal and informal modes of teaching information literacy and improve capacity to advance OER. One possibility is by creating and remixing professional development offerings that further shared goals.