Introducing VIU’s Open Education Working Group

Photo by James Sutton on Unsplash

The VIU Open Education Working Group (VIU-OEWG) brings together key stakeholders from across the institution to provide advice and support for VIU’s open education initiatives, which include the creation, adaptation, and adoption of open educational resources while embracing innovative open pedagogies.

Email maxwell.stevenson@viu.ca if you wish to join this meeting. Meetings happen approximately once a month in person or you can join via web with VIUOnline Rooms.

Goals of the VIU Open Ed Working Group

  • Raise awareness about open educational resources (OER) at VIU including open textbooks available through BCcampus
  • Making OER more discoverable by faculty and students
  • Provide opportunities for training with OER creation, adaptation, and adoption
  • Provide opportunities for training with open pedagogy
  • Organize campus-wide events during Open Education and Open Access weeks
  • Promote development of Zed Cred courses or programs (those that have no textbook costs or hidden/supplemental fees for resources, materials)
  • Market and communicate VIU’s open education initiatives, both internally and externally
  • Generate interest by faculty to apply for external grants to support VIU’s open education initiatives
  • Encourage research on open educational practices
  • Develop procedures and practices in support of OER adoption

Composition of Working Group

  1. Director of Centre for Innovation and Excellence in Learning: Maxwell Stevenson
  2. Centre for Innovation and Excellence in Learning Reps: Jacqueline Kirkham and Anwen Burk
  3. Administrative Support: Stephanie Didsbury
  4. University Librarian: Ben Hyman
  5. Librarian: Dana McFarland
  6. Decanal Rep: TBD
  7. Bookstore Manager: Mike Thibodeau
  8. Faculty: Jessie Key, Alison Taplay
  9. Students: Open invitation for anyone to join
  10. VIUSU representatives: Chantelle Spicer (Chairperson), Avery Bonner (Director of External Relations) and Jessica Sandy (Organizer – Campaigns and Communications)

Operating Processes

The scheduling of meetings, resources and administrative support will be provided by the Centre for Innovation and Excellence in Learning (CIEL). The Centre can also chair or co-chair meetings.

If a committee member cannot attend an in-person meeting, a delegate may attend on the member’s behalf or the committee member may wish to attend via web conferencing (VIUOnline Rooms/Zoom).

The committee is ongoing. The VIU-OEWG welcomes anyone who wishes to attend meetings outside of the core working group – we have an ‘open’ membership!

More info on Open Education Resources: https://wordpress.viu.ca/openeducationalresources/

Credit: Ideas borrowed from KPU’s Open Ed Working Group Document