Overview of the Book
Although the literature indicates positive attitudes toward open educational resources (OER) among students and instructors (Hilton, 2020), adopting OER in educational contexts has often been slower than anticipated (Ehlers, 2011). This highlights the need to explore further strategies to integrate OER into teaching practices across disciplines. The chapters in this volume argue that by incorporating these practices, instructors can intellectually challenge students, propel critical thinking, and encourage greater investment in learning. Specifically, the book posits that students become more deeply engaged when they take ownership of their learning by contributing to course design and applying course concepts to real-world scenarios. An underlying theme is that this approach produces analytical thinking and helps students understand the relevance of their learning.
Emphasizing a Student-Centered Process: Open Pedagogy Course Assessments Across Disciplines illustrates how open pedagogy can create meaningful, inclusive, and collaborative learning environments. Grounded in both theory and practice, the book’s five chapters showcase diverse approaches to student-centered learning, with each contributor offering pedagogical strategies that emphasize collaboration, transparency, and real-world application.
Chapter 1, by Hether, establishes the book’s foundation by examining how students co-create syllabi and assignments in an upper-division communication course. Her emphasis on collaboration and curriculum design reflects the core goals of open pedagogy, namely fostering student ownership, critical thinking, and long-term relevance. This approach sets the stage for later chapters by demonstrating how open practices can be embedded in the structural design of a course.
Chapters 2 and 3 extend open pedagogy into disciplinary contexts where it is less commonly applied. In Chapter 2, Hertzberg explores a flow visualization course in engineering, where students use artistic expression to represent fluid dynamics. By incorporating oral critiques and public sharing of creative work, she highlights the role of creativity and visibility in student learning. Chapter 3, by Lohiser, focuses on observational research in an interdisciplinary course for non-scientists. Students use EarthCam and OERs to develop essential research skills, aligning with Bloom’s taxonomy and demonstrating how open pedagogy can foster higher-order thinking. Together, these chapters illustrate how open pedagogy encourages both creative and scientific engagement, supporting learners with varied academic backgrounds.
Chapters 4 and 5 broaden the lens of open pedagogy. In Chapter 4, Steidinger introduces a renewable assessment in which students evaluate and revise AI-generated multiple-choice questions. This practice advances students’ critical thinking and promotes ethical engagement with emerging technologies while also creating useful resources for future learners. In Chapter 5, Hilburger shifts to an institutional perspective by detailing a campus-wide model for supporting open pedagogy through infrastructure and collaboration. This chapter underscores the importance of administrative support in sustaining and scaling open practices.
Following the authors’ contributions, McGowan-Kirsch will reflect on the key insights from this volume, emphasizing the transformative potential of open pedagogy and OEP. Throughout the five chapters, the authors illustrate how these practices can foster collaboration and enhance critical thinking by making students active participants in learning. I will also discuss how these open pedagogy practices create more equitable learning environments by promoting diverse voices and perspectives. The book concludes by exploring the implications of open pedagogy.
Taken together, the chapters in this volume reveal the multifaceted nature of open pedagogy. From course-level design to institution-wide frameworks, and from creative expression to research-based skill building, the book illustrates how open pedagogy empowers students as active participants in their education. These contributions collectively highlight the potential of open educational practices to foster equity, innovation, and lasting engagement across disciplines.
