Wikipedia

Renewable assignments

A renewable assignment is a learning activity that are completed by students of a course that has worth outside of the specific setting of that course.[1] The value of a renewable assignment is that the assignment, once completed by the students, can then be published for viewing and expansion by other students or by the wider scholarly community. These types of assignments are an important component of the open pedagogy model of learning.[2][1]

Definition and scope

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Infographic indicating what qualities a renewable assignment should have.

Renewable assignments are any activity that can be adapted and reused and can be worked on others outside a rigid course or academic term.[3] A traditional or disposable assignment is an activity that a student submits and is subsequently graded and discarded.[2] These types of assignments are typically only seen by the teacher or instructor of the course and rarely has meaning outside of credit for completing the assignment and has no lasting impact outside that specific course.[4][5] These can include essays, exams, and homework. In contrast, a renewable assignment is presented freely and openly to others after the course is complete. This provides an opportunity for other students or academics on a broader scale to continuously contribute to and improve the work. These assignments are typically a form of an authentic task, which enable students to apply their knowledge and learning in a more realistic setting.[6] They can be completed online or as an internal resource used by that education department.[7] If agreed to by the students and educators completing the assignment, it then could be potentially licensed under a Creative Commons license and possibly have a lasting benefit to the broader scholarly community as an open educational resource.[8]

Student goals

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The goals of utilizing renewable assignments is to encourage student autonomy and foster self-determination.[1][3] Renewable assignments have been shown to have multiple learning benefits for the students completing them.[9] According to a study published in College Teaching, "renewable assignments had higher levels of reported interest/enjoyment, perceived choice, perceived competence, relatedness, and pride than did traditional assignments. Traditional assignments had higher levels of reported pressure."[1] Another goal is to cultivate a students ability to communicate openly with other students, professionals, and educators and enable them to participate in scholarly discourse.[10] This helps students develop critical thinking and skills that may be used to obtain employment in their area of expertise after the course has completed.[7]

Popularity

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Renewable assignments have been growing in popularity at graduate universities and gained more popularity since university teaching has shifted from a lecturer disseminating their knowledge in front of the class, to a more student-centered, constructivist approach. When given a reusable assignment, students then become an active learners, capable of constructing and developing their own knowledge.[11] Instead of listening passively, the take on a more active role in their thought development and education.

 
Computers have allowed for easier collaboration and exposure to students work.

Renewable assignments are popular among digitally capable students.[12] They help students feel like their effort has value since their submissions are visible beyond the grade book of a course.[13] This knowledge that their work is exposed to a wider audience can motivate them to exert more effort and produce better work than if it wasn't seen by others. Renewable assignments tap into the notion that students want recognition for their efforts.[5]

Examples

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These types assignments can take many different forms. Examples include:

  • A group of students co-creating or update an existing glossary in an open source textbook.[14]
  • A cohort of instructional designers producing an online textbook about project management.[15]
  • Students developing a public interest website or wiki of their chosen subject
  • A group of computer programming students or webpage designers creating HTML5 content for the H5P Content Hub where interactive content can be shared and reused.
  • Students reviewing relevant textbooks for their chosen subject.[14]
  • Medical students creating or editing existing articles on Wikipedia to share and update public health information contained in those articles.[16][17]

References

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  1. ^ a b c d Clinton-Lisell, Virginia; Gwozdz, Lindsey (2023-04-03). "Understanding Student Experiences of Renewable and Traditional Assignments". College Teaching. 71 (2): 125–134. doi:10.1080/87567555.2023.2179591. ISSN 8756-7555.
  2. ^ a b Jhangiani, Rajiv (2017). "E-xcellence in Teaching Essay: Ditching the "Disposable Assignment" in Favor of Open Pedagogy". The Society for the Teaching of Psychology. Retrieved 24 May 2024.
  3. ^ a b Chen, Baiyun (2019-02-12). "Foster Integrative Learning with Renewable Assignments". University of Central Florida. Retrieved 2024-09-17.
  4. ^ Seraphin, Sally B.; Grizzell, J. Alex; Kerr-German, Anastasia; Perkins, Marjorie A.; Grzanka, Patrick R.; Hardin, Erin E. (March 2019). "A Conceptual Framework for Non-Disposable Assignments: Inspiring Implementation, Innovation, and Research". Psychology Learning & Teaching. 18 (1): 84–97. doi:10.1177/1475725718811711. ISSN 1475-7257.
  5. ^ a b Wiley, David. "Toward Renewable Assessments – improving learning".
  6. ^ Herrington, Jan (October 13–17, 2006). "Authentic e-learning in higher education: Designing principles for authentic learning environments and tasks". Key Note Address at World Conference on E-Learning in Corporate, Government, Healthcare, and Higher Education (ELEARN) 2006. Retrieved 25 October 2014.
  7. ^ a b Ohri, Faheem; Westmore, Megan R.; Thomas, Latisha; Chakraborty, Priyanjali; Mauldin, Rebecca L. (2024-04-03). "The Use of Open Educational Resources and Renewable Assignments in Social Work Ph.D. Programs in the United States". Open Praxis. 16 (2): 180–194. doi:10.55982/openpraxis.16.2.626. ISSN 2304-070X.
  8. ^ Wiley, David; Webb, Ashley; Weston, Sarah; Tonks, DeLaina (2017). "A Preliminary Exploration of the Relationships Between Student-Created OER, Sustainability, and Students Success". International Review of Research in Open and Distributed Learning. 18 (4). doi:10.19173/irrodl.v18i4.3022.
  9. ^ Wallis, Peter; Mae White, Jennifer; Kerr, Stephen. "High Structure Renewable Assignments: A Design Study". Open Praxis. 14 (1): 39–53. doi:10.55982/openpraxis.14.1.46.
  10. ^ Tualaulelei, Eseta; Yosheen, Pillay (2022). How can renewable assignments enhance students’ graduate attributes? Insights from an action research project. 39th International Conference on Innovation, Practice and Research in the Use of Educational Technologies in Tertiary Education (ASCILITE 2022). Australia: Australasian Society for Computers in Learning in Tertiary Education (ASCILITE). doi:10.14742/apubs.2022.107. Retrieved 2024-09-17.
  11. ^ o'Connor, Kate (2022). "Constructivism, curriculum and the knowledge question: Tensions and challenges for higher education". Studies in Higher Education. 47 (2): 412–422. doi:10.1080/03075079.2020.1750585.
  12. ^ Humaid Al Abri, Maimoona; Dabbagh, Nada (April–June 2019). "Testing the intervention of OER renewable assignments in a college course" (PDF). Open Praxis. 11 (2): 195–209. ISSN 2304-070X. Retrieved 2024-09-16.{{cite journal}}: CS1 maint: date and year (link)
  13. ^ Moss, Jen. "Non-disposable assignments and why you should use them – Open Education @ UAF". Retrieved 2024-05-10.
  14. ^ a b Wallis, Peter. Structured Renewable Assignments.
  15. ^ Randall, D; Johnson, L; West, R; Wiley (2013). "Teaching, doing and sharing project management: The development of an instructional design project management textbook". Educational Technology. 53 (6): 24–28.
  16. ^ Azzam, Amin; Bresler, David; Leon, Armando; Maggio, Lauren; Whitaker, Evans; Heilman, James; Orlowitz, Jake; Swisher, Valerie; Rasberry, Lane; Otoide, Kingsley; Trotter, Fred; Ross, Will; McCue, Jack D. (2017). "Why Medical Schools Should Embrace Wikipedia: Final-Year Medical Student Contributions to Wikipedia Articles for Academic Credit at One School". Academic Medicine. 92 (2): 194–200. doi:10.1097/ACM.0000000000001381. PMC 5265689. PMID 27627633.
  17. ^ Smith, D. (2023). "Leveraging Wikipedia in undergraduate health sciences education: A key tool for information literacy and knowledge translation". The Journal of the Canadian Health Libraries Association. 44 (3): 79–84. PMC 11081111. PMID 38737529.
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