The Final Deliverable

Over the past year, I’ve had the privilege of partnering with eCampus Ontario on an Open Education (OE) Fellowship experience. With eCampus support, I learned about Open Educational Resources and Practices in Ontario and beyond, engaging in a variety of transformational learning opportunities. The OE Fellowship has led to profound changes in my teaching practices, in my instructional design workflow, and in the conversations we’re having in the Cambrian College Teaching and Learning Innovation Hub, and we’re just getting started!

The final deliverable for the OE Fellowship required me to create and disseminate an Open Practice Project. Since conversations about Open Education really weren’t happening at Cambrian until a core team of supportive and fantastic colleagues and I held an Open Day on campus last May, the concept of Open Education still feels quite new in my context. I wanted to tell the story of how I came to know of and start exploring Open Education, as I see common and generalizable elements of my undergraduate student experience, my adjunct teaching experience, and the inspiration and empowerment that Open Educational Practices can bring to both teaching and learning.

Inspired by the visual storytelling practices of Giulia Forsythe and Nick Sousanis, I decided to partner with a Graphic Design student to tell my story in a highly visual manner. I really hope you enjoy browsing through the graphic novelette that Rowan and I created! Rowan was also kind enough to walk through her creative process in detail, captured in the videos below.

If you’re interested in learning more about the project, please don’t hesitate to connect with me via Twitter or via email. I’m always thrilled to talk about Open Education.

Finding Rowan

In this video, Jess describes her rationale and inspiration for the project, and Rowan explains why she wanted to get involved.

Opening: From Systemic Disenchantment to Empowerment in Higher Education

Here it is! The graphic novelette that Rowan and I created.

Please click here to access a printable .pdf version of the graphic novelette.

Rowan Describes Her Process

In this video, Jess and Rowan take a closer look at the finished product, chatting about the artistic process and the intention behind each panel.

Final Thoughts

I am so very grateful to eCampus Ontario for facilitating this transformational learning journey. As I wrap up the year, I’m realizing that my teaching practice, faculty support, and scholarly activities have never been so well-aligned with my values. To have arrived at this place while I am still in the dawn of my career makes me so hopeful for what’s yet to come. I have a great deal left to learn, and I will continue to try, reflect, and try again as, like everyone, I navigate this new teaching and learning environment.   

I must also express gratitude to my colleagues in the Teaching and Learning Innovation Hub. Together we created and facilitated Open Day, one of the Hub’s first major professional development events. Thank you Hub team, including the ever-supportive Marnie Seal, for leaning into this conversation and jumping onboard with me. Thanks for helping me think through changes to practice, for celebrating the small wins, and for your constant willingness to learn, to try, and to imagine what could be, despite the various obstacles that we’ve encountered along the way. 

Finally, I’d like to thank Rowan. Without her amazing artistic vision and outstanding work ethic, this project just simply wouldn’t be. In the final video, below, Rowan shares her friends’ reactions to her work, and we say goodbye for now.