Clint Lalonde discussed his work on developing Open Homework Systems (OHS). This project dealt primarily with the issue of open source publishing and academic digital tools. In identifying a need to develop OHS, Lalonde (2019a) referenced the work of Dave Wiley, who looked at student use of educational technologies to practice skills, primarily in courses in STEM areas. The students who engaged in practice activities had higher achievement, leading to the conclusion that practice led to learning benefits.
Lalonde’s planning process included gathering individuals from BC’s post-secondary sector as well as those in the open education community to form a project advisory group (Lalonde, 2019b). His pre-planning and research led him to develop a list of strategies to use to guide the work of the project advisory committee. Barriers were identified within the strategies to lead the group’s discussions. The strategies for moving forward included: commitment to open source and OER, identifying limitations of only one platform and hazards of too many platforms, focusing on two areas (STEM and likely Social Sciences or Humanities), targeting high enrolment courses and subject areas, utilizing existing platforms, creating content that students could engage with, aiming for open courseware as the final destination, leveraging existing open content, and meaningfully and ethically collecting and analyzing data.
As the pandemic rages on and the end may or may not be in sight, an issue that has emerged is the idea of widespread learning loss. Studies have suggested that K-12 students are falling behind in their reading skills (Cook, 2020) and Canadian post-secondary students have reported pandemic-related academic disruptions (Statistics Canada, 2020). While one might wonder what exactly it is that students are falling behind when all students are having similar disrupted educational experiences, the reality is that life has pushed on regardless of COVID’s roller-coaster ride. Lalonde’s goal to develop an OHS for increased student success in early post-secondary experiences could be an incredible asset for students making the leap into higher education. If, as suggested, the pandemic has resulted in learning loss, an OHS could be hugely beneficial in providing fledgling post-secondary students with the opportunity to develop their skills and fill the gaps in their learning, thereby increasing their chances of success in higher education. As this project continues in development, I would encourage Lalonde and his colleagues to also consider the perspective of pandemic-experienced students moving from K-12 public education into post-secondary programs.
References
Cook, S.D. (2020, November 29). Young Alberta readers falling behind during pandemic, studies say. CBC News. https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/edmonton/alberta-reading-lag-pandemic-1.5814752
Lalonde, C. (2019a, May 17). Technology improving learning – an edtech meta-analysis. EdTech Factotum. https://edtechfactotum.com/edtech-meta-analysis/
Lalonde, C. (2019b, September 6). Some strategies for the Open Homework Systems project. EdTech Factotum. https://edtechfactotum.com/some-strategies-for-the-open-homework-systems-project/
Statistics Canada. (2020, May 12). Impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on postsecondary students. https://www150.statcan.gc.ca/n1/daily-quotidien/200512/dq200512a-eng.htm