In this session, the presenter discusses the use of OER in supporting L2 writing. The presenter will share how materials are adapted to meet learners’ needs, and the challenges of using open resources for academic success. The presenter will offer tips and resources for beginner adopters of OER.
There is a growing movement in higher education regarding the authoring, adoption, and use of Open Educational Resources (OER) in undergraduate courses across disciplines. Studies supporting the adoption and implementation of OER materials have focused on cost savings by making high-quality educational resources freely available to the students (Colvard, Watson and Park, 2018). Researchers such as Watson, Domizi, & Clouser, (2017) have found that a majority of faculty and students perceive OER to be equal to, or better than, commercial textbooks in terms of quality. Given that there is a lot of excellent work on the production of OERs in formal contexts (Conole, 2013), there are limited studies on how instructors search for educational resources related to their disciplines, how do they evaluate what they find, and adapt materials to meet their students’ needs. In recognizing the potential for using OER to support L2 writing, this presentation reports on a project to make learning materials more accessible and relevant to students. L2 writing teachers can go beyond the capacity to adopt and use existing OER, to adapt and develop new OER that meet specific learning objectives. As a beginner adopter of OER, the presenter will share strategies to locate, identify, and curate high-quality OER resources adapt to learners’ specific needs. Rationales for choices will be shared, as well as tips and caveats for L2 writing teachers. In addition, the presenter will show how open resources are supported by learning platforms such as Canvas. Attendees will leave with handouts that detail resources, key features, and pedagogical applications to adapt OER materials in the L2 writing classroom.
