Open Pedagogy as Textbook Replacement
Humanities in the Open: The Challenges of Creating an Open Literature Anthology
Christian Beck; Lily J. Dubach; Sarah A. Norris; and John Venecek
Authors
- Christian Beck, Ph.D., University of Central Florida
- Lily J. Dubach, University of Central Florida
- Sarah A. Norris, University of Central Florida
- John Venecek, University of Central Florida
Project Overview
Institution: University of Central Florida
Institution Type: public, research, undergraduate, postgraduate
Project Discipline: Humanities
Project Outcome: literary anthology
Tools Used: Institutional Repository
2020 Preface
Six months into the year and 2020 has been witness to some of the most transformational events to take place in generations. The COVID-19 pandemic caused universities to move entirely online in a matter of weeks (in some cases days), countries world-wide went into lockdown, and the highest rate of job loss since the great depression hit the United States. During this global crisis, the US erupted in protest over the murder of George Floyd, Jr. at the hands of a Minneapolis Police Officer. As universities discuss how best to resume classes in the fall and the US debates how to fix its systemic racism, it seems strange to further advocate for the implementation of an OER…but this is 2020 and “change” and “strange” might best characterize this year. With these pivotal events in mind, we would like to reiterate that the challenges of creating an OER, as discussed in our chapter, do not begin to outweigh the benefits of making education more affordable and culturally relevant.
The past few months have underscored the need for openly accessible course materials. Many students and faculty at the University of Central Florida, and institutions globally, had challenges accessing textbooks and other course materials when courses rapidly transitioned online in March. With libraries’ physical buildings closed, there was no access to print course material. With face to face courses cancelled there was not an option for students to share texts. Compacted with accessibility, the need for affordable course materials for students (many of whom are facing financial challenges) is even more necessary. OERs pose many difficulties, but the world we are currently living in desperately needs access to free, open, and critical educational resources.
In addition to affordability and accessibility, our chapter argues that designing an anthology around the idea of “radical familiarity” allows readers to make connections between historical literature and current socio-political events. As the United States faces difficult realizations about the embeddedness of racism in its culture, society, and institutions (including higher education), consciously making room for diverse student voices not only within the course, but also in the selections and introductions to the readings is essential for equity in education. Integrating topics such as police brutality