This week, we hear from Barbara Lee, Assistant Professor in the School of Social Work.
~~~
What motivated you do adopt/adapt/create open educational resources in your work?Virtual simulation offers a cost-effective and sustainable pedagogical tool to teach direct practice in an online or blended learning format that is suitable for on-campus or distance education. As we consider the diverse learning needs of our students and the demands of the social work field, the use of technology is an area that can offer new insights and innovation for students to prepare for practice. Offering it in an open educational format removes barriers to access and promotes equitable inclusion in education.
Can you tell us about the open education projects you have been working on?I’m currently developing an online educational toolkit comprised of educational materials regarding child welfare policies and practices, an online virtual simulation, and critical reflection questions and activities. The virtual simulation involves three child welfare case scenarios, 1) an immigrant Chinese family with allegations of child abuse, 2) an Indigenous family with allegations of neglect, and 3) a White family with concerns of children exposed to intimate partner conflict. The virtual simulation guides the participant through the process of a child welfare investigation such as the receipt of the case referral, developing an investigation plan, interviewing family members, and determination of the case outcome. Different simulated client videos are presented, depending on the decisions and actions selected in the virtual simulation. Participants can repeat the virtual simulation as many times as they wish and select different actions to result in different simulated client responses and outcomes.
What benefits have you seen from using open educational resources in the classroom?The educational toolkit is still under development, however, pilot test results indicate that virtual simulation is an interesting, thought provoking, and effective educational tool. It was deemed a better educational approach than reading and discussing a written case scenario. Students indicated that the virtual simulation scenarios were realistic and the reflection activities embedded within the learning modules helped them reflect in and on practice.
What was the biggest challenge you faced and how did you overcome it?Finding the most suitable platform to host the virtual simulation was the biggest challenge. With support from Open Education Initiatives, Arts Learning Technology Support, Scholarly Communications and Copyright Office, and Centre for Teaching, Learning and Technology, we were able to integrate Youtube, Qualtrics, and WordPress for the virtual simulation.
Do you have any advice for other faculty developing OER?Think big, be creative, and have fun.
Is there anything else you’d like to add about OER at UBC?OER at UBC has been phenomenal. Thank you for your continued support and enthusiasm for my project!
~~~
Thank you, Barbara, for taking the time to participate!
