As I’ve mentioned in previous posts, I’ve grown fond of open educational practice (OEP) recently. It stems directly from listening to colleagues speak so passionately about it, combined with various research and professional development experiences which have engaged with OEP. I’m so much more comfortable with the concept than I would have been previously. While I have started to add Creative Commons licenses to resources I develop, I recently remixed, or adapted, an open educational resource (OER). It was experience I had to capture as it was such a positive experience and in a strange way, quite liberating!
The opportunity arose during an initiative I’m currently working on with a few colleagues, one focusing on open educational resources (OER). We were keen to develop a support, or guide, to help people make their resources more accessible. I initially started down my normal path, starting a mindmap, looking at what else was out there as guides in this space, sketching some mock ups etc. I had come across many supports via webinars, websites, my Twitter network and from speaking to colleagues and students. There were some great resources available - could I adapt or re-use one that was already out there, one with a Creative Commons license? Would I find one? Would it be of good enough quality? Could I embrace OEP?!
Below is my ten step guide for remixing a CC licenses OER
I hope it helps someone else!
A helpful template to use when adding your license with remixing - just edit the text in CAPS. coming from the National Forum's Choosing an Open License guide.
Bonus points if you link the license to the relevant page, and link the original resource name to where it exists online. Hyperlinking is not always possible depending on the media format (e.g. JPEG image), but important to consider.
"This work “INSERT TITLE OF YOUR REMIXED/ADAPTED OER” is an adaptation of INSERT TITLE OF ORIGINAL CC LICENSED OER by INSERT CREATORS/DEPARTMENT/ORGANISATION OF ORIGINAL OER, used under INSERT CC LICENSE OF ORIGINAL OER. “INSERT TITLE OF YOUR REMIXED/ADAPTED OER” is licensed under INSERT CC LICENSE OF YOUR OER by INSERT YOUR NAME/DEPARTMENT/ORGANISATION."
The experience in my case was one of growth, again doing something I hadn’t done before. The icing on the cake was when the original creators responded to my e mail with happiness about their OER being complemented, considered and adapted. As I mentioned to them, I was "standing on the shoulders of giants"!
UPDATE - Oct 2021: ⬇️⬇️⬇️
The open education practice continues to grow...continuing to share Tracy and Jen's excellent accessibility framework.
But, and this is probably the most important point....the creators of the original OER commenting below how
"this is what #OER is all about"
"So this was my first experience of a proctored exam - and I was the one being examined!"
So firstly, what does 'proctored' actually mean? It refers to the remote, online equivalent of someone neutral (the proctor) invigilating or supervising a test or exam. The role of the proctor is often defined as ensuring the identity of the test taker and checking the integrity of the test taking environment. It has become quite popular in certain countries whereby online exam assessment had started to be ever-present. It draws debate from many stakeholders, with views spanning across a broad spectrum from maintaining integrity of exams being mentioned by one side to intrusion on privacy and inducing anxiety on the other. Here, I thought I would outline the experience gained from being a student on a course which employed online proctoring for the final exam.
Preparation for the exam
In order to ensure all was in working order, 72-hours in advance of the exam, I was advised to download and install particular software on my laptop before taking an exam 'tutorial'. As part of the software installation process, my camera, microphone and screen were tested. All good, plenty green ticks! The automated step-by-step tutorial helped become familiar with the software for the exam (flagging questions for follow-up, moving to next questions, submitting etc.). Once I then confirmed the date/time/exam I was taking, my focus for the coming days shifted to final preparations and review of course notes. The day of exam. On the day of the exam, I already had a lot of good fortune on my side. I had a quiet house, with the kids in school. Thankfully, our broadband is able to handle both of us working online at the same time. I mention these, as I know not everyone would have these options - it is important to realise this. I can't imagine doing an exam like this, or any exam for that matter, in a noisy environment or one where broadband can suddenly become unstable, or where you even have some added anxiety about this possibly happening. The platform advised the system would be open for access 15 minutes ahead of the exam time. After logging in, my laptop functionality (microphone, speaker, screen) was checked once more - more green ticks after a slight hiccup with it saying my microphone wasn't working - but after speaking slightly louder, another green tick. It's worth mentioning that the software 'takes over' your full screen, preventing the viewing of any other software (your screen is also recorded as you perform the exam). At this point, I had the option to 'connect to your supervisor'. A message popped up that I had a wait time of 15 minutes - it reminded me of those countdown timers on ticketmaster.ie! The suddenly, I was connected. The supervisor introduced themselves (I couldn't see them, just hear them), and I was asked to verify my identity - note - have your drivers license/passport closer to hand than I did! After a dash to find a suitable form of ID, I was then given a few tasks:
At this stage, I was reminded it was a no material/notes exam, no phones allowed and also to perhaps get a glass of water. The supervisor told me they would be recording the exam/screen/audio/camera and that a chat option was present throughout should I require any assistance. Finally, I was wished the best of luck and reminded the Institution who set the exam take any form of infringement very seriously - a lovely note to end on :-) Then the exam commenced.... The exam experience Ultimately, time flew by. I was conscious throughout that my 'supervisor' was present in the background watching/recording/listening - as I had the bright green light of my laptop's camera light permanently on above my screen, but personally I didn't find it too off putting. I was more focused on the questions and the countdown timer in the platform which I was monitoring throughout. You do get an automated time reminder with 30, and 5, minutes remaining. The option to flag certain questions was helpful, allowing me to know which ones to revisit at a later stage. At the end of the exam, the system auto-submits your answers - but you can submit sooner should you wish. You receive your overall exam outcome immediately (thankfully, I made it through), but no feedback on the questions you may have missed. That was something I would have liked to see. When it ends, it ends. No discussion with the supervisor, no walking out with colleagues to have a debrief or conversation about the exam. I realise now how much help that can be sometimes, to share experiences and support each other. Proctoring for all?
Does it help the exam process?
It was mentioned during the course that proctoring was in place to protect the 'integrity of the exam'. This appears to be a common term from some of the reading online I did recently around the topic. Other articles I came across state how it stops any cheating, but many of those exact same articles go on to describe how the system can be compromised, and how companies need to keep evolving their approaches to verification and examination. The initial introduction and official document verification did confirm I was indeed....me! Did it feel invasive? Slightly in all honesty, very strange doing a 360 tour of my home office initially. Was the room tidy? - of course! My desk was spotless, apart from my laptop and a glass of water. I had spent some time earlier moving notes/folders etc. out of the room, and making sure all was even tidier than normal! Also, I'm not a big fan of installing software on my personal laptop that someone else insists I do, and one I can't validate/review etc. But I guess it's an important part of the proctoring process adopted by the institution. **I should point out the Institution mentioned they can facilitate people taking the exam at their premises also. I'm unsure if this implies in-personal invigilation, or a way for people with poor broadband to perform the exam with the online proctoring platform there. Was there pressure? Yes, time was ticking all the time! In comparison to other exams I have done, this was all about interpreting MCQs based on various scenarios - so was very different than writing content. You knew the content, but it was more based on applying that knowledge and understanding based on how you interpret certain situations. You aren't informed if you got one right/wrong during, or at the end of, the exam, so you proceed in (and with!) good faith! I felt anxious at times, even when I was waiting for it to begin, but that can be the case with any exam. Would proctoring suit everyone? No. I don't this is an approach that would suit everyone. Firstly, considering your personal exam environment and as I mentioned at the onset, good broadband and a quiet, uninterrupted space is not always guaranteed for many. Re. accessibility, I read a thread on twitter around that time from Dara Ryder, CEO at AHEAD.ie that really resonated with me. I link the thread here and encourage you to read it - from considering the points made throughout, you may think differently about proctoring. Alternatives Is it an efficient process? Yes, I guess so from an examiner point of view. Once banks of questions are set up in the system, an exam can be carried out and corrected in real time, all supervised by someone neutral to the process. Does the assessment format reach its learning potential? No - not really. Without confirmation of what was correct, and incorrect, with time to reflect on the correct scenario, further learning is definitely prevented. It's a pity this is the case, but perhaps it is due to keeping the exam questions 'secure'. Even though the exam was earlier today, I feel like you do after a good stand-up comedy show - I used to leave a Tommy Tiernan gig having laughed for hours at his numerous, and humorous, stories (and side-stories), yet unable to remember most of them when I got back home. Likewise today, you are bombarded by so many scenarios to consider, each with long text answers that occupy your mind, and prevent you from remembering them! What did I learn? Going through this process caused me to empathise with students who are being asked to take this approach all the time, especially those who may be feeling anxious and intruded on by proctoring. For many learners, it has the potential to increase the pressure, of an already high-pressure situation. Certain personality types may be quite comfortable with this approach, but I imagine it may not be considered 'comfortable' for the majority. Educators have to continue reflecting, partnering with students, and learning from current experiences around assessment, in order to navigate how remote examinations will take place as we potentially move forward to a hybrid learning world. See some recent updates at the foot of this post. How could you avoid proctoring?
'Assessment design', 'alternative assessment, 'reimagining assessment' are terms at the forefront of Higher Education in a COVID/post-COVID world. How can educators redesign their approach to assessment to ensure it remains authentic. Can student partnerships support this redesign? Can open book exams, with non-google-able questions be designed? Can we include reflections, and justifications for certain answers selected?
In addition to teaching in a digital world, assessment is really under the microscope right now, and it will be an interesting area in the coming years to reflect on and see how far we have come. In recent years, the assessment of/for/as has brought on the field in leaps and bounds. It will be fascinating to see how this evolves further over time. While Institutional Teaching & Learning departments provide great resources around alternative assessments, another good place to start for ideas is Sally Brown and Kay Sambell's post for further examples. However, there are pre-pandemic reports elsewhere noting that while real world authentic assessments can be beneficial (e.g Sotiriadou et al., 2019), they may not necessarily solve all associated issues (Ellis et al., 2019). However, it's worth noting that since lockdowns commenced in March 2020 due to the pandemic, educators have become much more skilled and creative around authentic assessment design. It will be interesting to follow the literature and scholarship as we move forward now.
FYI - JISC produced a report last year that presents five principles and targets for assessment in a 2025 digital world (Authentic, Accessible, Appropriately automated, Continuous, Secure). I link the reporthere.
FYI - An interesting article can be found here on The Verge's website around proctoring/learner anxiety. Update 1...another viewpoint [APRIL 2021]
At the recent OERxDomains2021 online conference, a presenter (Emily Carlisle-Johnston from UWO in Canada) mentioned an interesting scenario - one certainly worth being aware of. She described a recent scenario whereby educators were attending a training session around implementing remote proctoring in their institution. However, once they realised the amount of work and digital aptitude required to set it up in the first instance, combined with learning it would be them having to view entire videos of any examinations flagged by the AI/remote system as requiring attention, many ended up pursuing other assessment strategies! Certainly another insight worth being aware of, and that it is not simply the 'plug and play' approach many believe it to be.
Update 2...another great overview [OCTOBER 2021]
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Ronan BreeEducation Developer,Science Lecturer, Archives
March 2023
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Any opinions expressed here represent my own and not those of my employer.
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