Open Learning News and Updates

Watch: How To Access Open Learning Supports

Learn what you need to know about open education at Conestoga with our playlist created for faculty.  

• How to get and use OER search results (1 min) 

• Why does reporting adoptions matter (1 min) 

• What are Creative Commons licenses and how to they relate to course resources (6 mins) 

This bite-sized series is made to fit your busy schedule. Explore it today and let us know what you think. 

Open Course Resources Augment Learning

The first edition of Building a Medical Terminology Foundation has been viewed over 1.7 million times and adapted by 17 institutions. 

As is common in the open community, users shared their feedback with authors. And they listened. 

More Than Textbooks

Open educational resources (OER) are not limited to digital textbooks. Teachers sought more related course materials to augment learning.

Instructor's manuals, videos, and more can be OER. 

Suite of Resources

When it came time to produce the second edition of this OER, the authors had a clear plan. 

They worked with Open Learning to develop a suite of teaching ancillaries, a student companion workbook filled with worksheets, and an interactive study aid, the Anatomical Colouring Book.

Read more about how the authors created supplemental course resources to accompany Building a Medical Terminology Foundation 2e. 

Use OER 

Want to use OER in your classroom? Let us know which course, and we will find relevant open resources within 10 business days.

Connect with Open Learning for more on how to use or create open course resources.

New OER Helps Students Confidently Claim Tuition on Tax Returns

This tax season, students have a new open educational resource (OER) to make filing a little easier. 

Claim Your Tuition Tax Credit (Federal) - T2202 by professors Abraham Ibrahim and Tracy Vanderwyk in the School of Business breaks down important tax language and concepts relevant to post-secondary education tuition expense.

Motivated to provide students with clear information, the authors focused on creating a practical resource. 

"Tuition constitutes a significant part of students' expenditures," share the authors. "We hope to be able to guide students on how they can utilize their tuition costs to reduce their tax liability in an accessible, easy-to-understand format." 

This OER engages readers with H5P activities and clear language to translate the most important information to students looking to claim tuition expense on their tax return.

As we collectively discuss our taxes more this season, consider sharing Claim Your Tuition Tax Credit (Federal) - T2202 with the students in your life.

Please note that tax legislation is continuously changing. The information contained within this OER is current at the date of writing and general in nature. Readers should consider consulting with a tax professional for additional guidance on their specific circumstances.

Mark Your Calendars for OE Week

A global celebration of the open education (OE) movement kicks off Monday with OE Week. We encourage faculty and staff to participate by attending virtual events. 

Here at Conestoga, Open Learning has a student panel on working in open, a session on the intersection of OE and the UN Sustainable Development Goals, and more.

But we aren't the only institution celebrating OE Week. Find a listing of global events here.

Introduction to Open Education: PD Opportunity

The principles of open education can inform your teaching practice for a more inclusive, equitable, and accessible learning environment. Our concise micro-credential is a one-stop shop for understanding the need for open education.

With Introduction to Open Education (EDEV0006), learners will explore topics such as:

• Defining open education
• The link between social justice and open education
• What it means to be an open practitioner

This course is intended to provide educators with foundational knowledge on the importance of open educational practices, including open educational resources (OER).

This course is part of the micro-credential Open Education in a Post-Secondary Context offered through Conestoga's Continuing Education department. It can also be used towards Conestoga's Post-Secondary Teaching Certificate. 

Register today for the next offering.

Learn more about this micro-credential. 

6 courses in total make up the Open Education in a Post-Secondary Context micro-credential. 

• Each course is a 6-hour, 1.0 post-secondary credit. It is important to note that because these are credited courses, final grades will transfer to your transcript.
• The courses are Pass/Fail, with successful completion of assessments to receive a final grade of Pass. This makes these courses different from other Teaching and Learning workshops, so please ensure you are prepared to put in the required time and effort to complete all course requirements. 
• The courses are not intended to be taken in any particular order; therefore, there are no prerequisites to any one course. 

Open Education Week Events

Open Learning invites you to mark Open Education Week at the beginning of March by attending bite-sized learning sessions about open educational practices.

Learn how OER can save students money.

In-person information booths.

Visit our in-person information booth run by the Open Learning co-op and work-study students. Get informed on the basics of OER and be entered to win prizes. This event is geared towards current students but welcomes faculty and staff. 

• Monday, March 3rd, 11 am - 1 pm at DTK campus 

• Tuesday, March 4th, 11 am - 1 pm at Doon campus 

• Wednesday, March 5, 11 am - 1 pm at Waterloo Campus

What are teaching ancillaries, and how are they developed?

Monday, March 3, 10 am - 11 am. Virtual (registration preferred). 

Discover how faculty, library support, and students from three institutions (Conestoga College, Georgian College, and Sheridan College) collaborated to share resources and develop supplementary materials.  

Join the authors behind the collaborative Building a Medical Terminology Foundation 2e OER to discover how simplifying processes and sharing resources can encourage OER adoption. 

What do students think about working on Open Educational Resources?

Monday, March 3, 12 pm - 1 pm. Virtual (registration preferred).

This panel discussion will include student OER Assistants from Fanshawe's Design Studio, Centennial's OER Hub, and Conestoga's Open Learning team.

OER Assistants will share perspectives on Open, the types of projects they work on, and what a day in the life of an OER assistant entails. There will be time for Q&A.

What is open educational practice, and how does it benefit student learning? 

Thursday, March 6th, 10 am - 11 am. Virtual (registration preferred).

Learn how the Conestoga Community is advancing SDG 4 Quality Education at Conestoga College by adopting open educational practices (OEP). By the end of this interactive session, you will be able to: 

• Identify which UNESCO-recommended actions for OER to meet SDG 4 the Conestoga community is actively engaged in. 

• Describe Conestoga's global impact on Quality Education through open education projects and micro-credentials. 

• Learn how you can get involved and where to find support. 

The Case for Using Case Studies

Entrepreneurship is a hot topic among students, especially those in business. Many teachers aim to teach what is relevant to the real world to set students up for success beyond the classroom but find creating realistic examples challenging. 

Why not expose students to real-world business problems? Access case studies based on real events with the Open Access Teaching Case Journal (OATCJ).

Free Teaching Case

Payton Needs a Prototype is a case study published in the OATCJ that examines potential methods to create a physical prototype and what functionality a prototype needs.  

This case focuses on a young female entrepreneur's challenges when developing a product for adults with learning disabilities. It reveals, in a practical way, the various stages of production in relation to the product life cycle and the financial viability of different production methods. 

Written by a professor and small business owner, Payton Needs a Prototype is designed for entrepreneurship programs and aims to help students develop confidence in distinguishing between critical and extraneous factors. 

Encourage your students to think realistically about entrepreneurship with Payton Needs a Prototype, a case study from the OATCJ. 

About the Author 

Alexander “A.J.” Miller is a passionate educator and small business entrepreneur. Miller teaches various topics, including Introductory Accounting and Organizational Behaviour for Human Resources. He regularly uses his real-world experience as an escape room owner to enhance lessons.  

About the Journal 

The OATCJ is a free journal of descriptive or decision-based teaching cases based on factual occurrences that involve real-life organizations and people. 

All cases undergo a double-blind peer-review and are published with an open-access license. Teaching notes are available for every case.

With publication costs covered by the Conestoga College School of Business, this journal enables professors to share their experiences with students worldwide. The OATCJ intentionally aligns with the Principles for Responsible Management Education (PRME) initiative, working to achieve the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals.  

5 Cases Added to OATCJ in New Issue

The Open Access Teaching Case Journal (OATCJ) has published 5 new cases.

The OATCJ is a peer-reviewed, free-to-publish, free-to-access journal that intentionally aligns with the Principles for Responsible Management Education (PRME) initiative, working to achieve the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals.

Real-World Cases

This issue offers an interesting rage of cases: from the marketing challenges facing an Indigenous entrepreneur, to the equity of democratic elections, the role of teacher agency in a technology implementation project in India, dilemmas encountered in implementing supply chain management strategies, and the impact of the WE Charity scandal in Canada.

Cases are developed based on real-world events, connecting life and learning.

Written for the Classroom

Volume 2, Issue 2 is ready to use for free with your students.

When you find one that suits your course, use the linked OATCJ request form to access its accompanying Instructor's Manual. For each case there are thoughtful discussion prompts and activity guides.

We encourage you to explore the OATCJ today.

New OER for Hospital Unit Administration Students

Hospital unit administration course resources are unique. The field demands students are proficient in medical terminology, human resources, strategic communication, and trained on specific patient management software.

Nancy Weatherhead, a professor in the School of Business, has found that while there are textbooks that cover this range, there was room for more student engagement. How students process information has also changed over the years.

They expect concise, snack-sized information.

Course Pack Crafting

Over time, Weatherhead authored various resources and handouts to augment a textbook’s interactivity. About 7 years ago, she was introduced to Pressbooks, a digital platform to host and distribute her course content.

She used it to make a course pack.

“I found it easier to write short, targeted chapters of information that aligned with weekly lessons and include some knowledge checks to keep students interested,” she says. Not only did she build a comprehensive course pack over the years, but an engaging one.

Publishing Open

Tasked with creating an online version of her Hospital Unit Administration 1 (ADMN 2270) course, she knew it was time to transform her course pack into a robust open educational resource (OER) that can be more easily accessed.

Publishing in the Creative Commons was intentional. It ensures students have free access and can retain the content after graduation.

Hospital Unit Administration is an introductory resource for students in medical and health office administration programs about the role of hospital unit coordinators.

More than just a textbook, it is an engaging learning tool for college students, complete with renewable assignments and interactive learning activities. We encourage you to explore this OER today. 

Are you interested in transforming your course pack into an OER? Talk to our team about how.

Conestoga Named Twice in Top 10 Most Frequently Adopted List

With over 50,000 courses across the province already using open educational resources (OER), the 10 most frequently adopted OER in the Open Library have been named. Conestoga Open Learning resources account for 2 of the 10 most adopted.

We claimed places #2 and #8.

#2: Fundamentals of Business, Canadian edition

• An introductory textbook in business that covers a variety of topics: The Foundation of Business, Economics and Business, Ethics and Social Responsibility, Business in a Global Environment, Forms of Business Ownership, Entrepreneurship: Starting a Business, Management and Leadership, and more.
• Reported learner savings: $787,305

#8: Building a Medical Terminology Foundation (First Edition)

• This OER focuses on breaking down medical terms into their word parts, pronouncing medical terms, and learning the meaning of medical terms within the context of introductory anatomy and physiology. This resource is targeted for health office administration and health services students in the first year of their college programs. 
• Reported learner savings: $371,670 
• Bonus: Check out the new edition to this popular OER. Building a Medical Terminology 2e includes a student companion workbook, anatomical colouring book, and teaching ancillaries.

Who made this list?

The Open Library is an open repository for OER hosted by eCampusOntario.

eCampusOntario is a not-for-profit organization funded by the Ministry of Colleges and Universities that supports innovation, collaboration, and digital-by-design education in Ontario’s colleges, Indigenous institutes, and universities. They provide platforms, programs, and services to advance digital participation in postsecondary education. 

Open Learning actively uses these publishing platforms to share knowledge with the Ontario postsecondary community and beyond.

Learn more

Interested in using OER? Do you have an idea for a new OER?

Connect with Open Learning for more about using OER in your classroom.