U-M alumni create open courses from scratch

From openmichigan

Actors: U-M faculty, Alumni Association, Open.Michigan staff, alumni (pre-screened, must pass computer literacy test)

Description: In this scenario, the Open.Michigan Team and the Alumni Association collaborate on launching a program to recruit and train Ann Arbor area alumni to become dScribes. Open.Michigan staff identify departments and faculty who are willing to have alumni audit their courses, while also serving as dScribes. The alumni dScribes are supervised by a departmental dScribe2 (if available) or by the Open.Michigan Team.

Fun Fact: We could call them “A-Scribes” or maybe refer to them as the “A-Team”.

Full Story:

The Open.Michigan Team would arrange a meeting with the appropriate people at the Alumni Association to launch a collaborative effort to recruit alumni dScribes. We may also want to collaborate with the Development Office and/or development offices within specific departments to assist in recruiting as well.

Following buy-in from the Alumni Association, we would plan a pilot launch of this program, possibly aiming for the fall 2010 semester. We would start by targeting departments/colleges where this alumni dScribe pilot would most likely succeed. Success factors might include:

• departments/colleges with supportive faculty
• departments/colleges with a dScribe2 already trained and embedded in the department
• departments/colleges with curriculum that might be easier to clear (engineering and science perhaps, but avoid American studies)

Once we have identified the departments/colleges and faculty who will participate, we put out a call to alumni who attended those departments/colleges and want to audit a course. In order to qualify, these alumni recruits must pass a computer literacy test and also have access to a laptop, productivity software (such as MS Office), and high-speed Internet connection. They must live in Ann Arbor metropolitan area and be able to attend training and classes in-person. They must be prepared to devote 15-20 hours a week to dScribe training, attending the actual classes, and performing dScribe work.

After we have identified dScribe candidates, we bring them in for orientation and training approximately two weeks before the start of the semester. It would be ideal if we could provide a brief overview for the faculty as well, so they have a better understanding of our process and how to best support the dScribe.

The semester starts and the dScribes begin attending the classes. For the first 4-6 weeks, they will probably need to check in with the Open.Michigan Team at least once a week for guidance and assistance (we’ll hold dScribe office hours). The dScribes should also attend faculty office hours every week or two to get the additional information they need as they clear the materials.

When the semester ends, the dScribe will have 6 weeks to have the course ready for faculty approval and final publication.

Pros:

• connects alumni back to the university (potentially increasing donations, makes development and alumni offices happy)
• connects alumni back to department/college and faculty (they benefit from auditing courses they once majored or minored in)
• “free labor” (I know that’s not really true, see “cons” below)
• creates grass-roots OER evangelists across a very large demographic (according to wikipedia, there were an estimated 460,000 living U-M alumni in 2007)

Cons:

• “free labor” (probably will require lots of supervision by departmental dScribe2 and/or Open.Michigan Team)

Requirements for Alumni dScribes:

• Must complete computer literacy test
• Must have access to laptop, productivity software (such as MS Office), and high-speed Internet connection
• Must live in Ann Arbor metropolitan area and be able to attend training and classes in-person
• Must be prepared to devote 15-20 hours a week to dScribe training, attending the actual classes, and performing dScribe work
• Must complete dScribe work and have the course ready for faculty approval and final publication no later than 6 weeks after the semester ends

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