1 Introduction: History of the Pikula OER Learning Circle Model

This guide shares the OER (Open Educational Resources ) Learning Circle Process and Model.  This model has been used successfully to support faculty at both individual institutions as well as the Minnesota State system level. With the use of this model, faculty have learned about Open Educational Resources and adopted, curated, and created OER to redesign their courses around these resources.^[1]

History
The OER Faculty Development Learning Circle Model was born at Central Lakes College in Brainerd, Minnesota.^[2]

“OERinfo”, image from Wikimedia Commons, licensed CC0

• The Learning Circle Process is rooted in learning theory practices and the voices of novice practitioners and indigenous tribal community practices and ideologies.
• The Learning Circle Model and Process was created to allow participants to be met where they are in the learning process. They may know nothing yet about OER, or they may have extensive knowledge and experience with OER.  The process allows faculty the autonomy to create an individual plan for success that acknowledges and accommodates work,  family, and personal priorities, while providing facilitator support and the opportunity to engage in collaborative communication and self-exploration in an empathic and supportive environment .

In January of 2014 David Ernst from the University of Minnesota, the creator and manager of the Open Textbook Library,^[3] Todd Digby, the OER representative from the Minnesota State system office, and Gary Hunter, the system legal advisor, were invited to give a presentation to the Central Lakes faculty on OER. Ultimately the interest in OER that was generated by this presentation led to the creation of a OER committee at Central Lakes, and the participation of several faculty in the system-offered Open

Educational Network textbook^[4] reviews. Some faculty adopted OER after being exposed to the Open Text Library reviews.  A unexpected “Pearl”^[5] or find was the realization that many faculty were already using free or self-created materials in their courses. As our OER Committee met and discussed these findings, we decided that  Central Lakes College was going to move ahead as an institution in formalizing a OER adoption initiative.

At that point, we came to the conclusion that what was needed was money to pay and support the faculty through a process of choosing or creating OER materials. The college decided to apply for one of the $25,000 grants that Minnesota State was offering to colleges that were interested in promoting OER adoption. A large part of the application proposal centered around how to provide support for faculty as they investigated and began to use OER.  I (Karen Pikula) had an idea based on the research that I was doing for my dissertation, on my personal experience in finding and adopting OER, and on my experience teaching at a local tribal college. My idea was for a faculty and librarian facilitated OER Learning Circle process and model that would support faculty wherever they were in the OER awareness and adoption process.^[6]

The college was awarded the grant, and in the Spring of 2016 held its first OER Learning Circles at Central Lakes College.^[7] The OER Learning circle model was used to lead the initial ten week session and all of the subsequent sessions of Learning Circles facilitated at Central Lakes College.

OER Campus Committee

As this work progressed the college also started a campus OER Committee. The creation of this committee evolved from the recognition that all of campus stakeholders and their perspectives were needed in conversations about the OER movement that was beginning to take root and grow, both at the local college and at various other Minnesota State colleges. The original committee consisted of a few interested  faculty, the librarian, and the bookstore manager with key support from the Vice President of Academic and Student Affairs. As time progressed the committee grew to include a much more diversified and engaged group of stakeholders. The Central Lakes OER committee members included our librarian, faculty, bookstore and IT representatives, administration, and student representatives.

Rationale behind the OER initiative
The rationale driving this OER initiative was three-fold.

”Rationale” Image created by Giovanni Antunez, Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0

First were the economic reasons:

1. 1. Save students money–no expensive textbooks to buy!
   2. Save the college money–these adoptions saved the college an enormous amount of money in college provided textbooks for our PSEO (Postsecondary Enrollment Options) students.
   3. Save the College in the Schools partners (high school students taking college courses) money on textbooks.

Two additional reasons:

1. 1. Increase student success by promoting more diverse learning materials
   2. Nurture the academic freedom of faculty

Research and experience has shown some barriers to new teacher success:

1. They do not have enough time to learn or to do their work.
2. They do not enough time to apply what they were learning at the time they were learning it.
3. They do not have time to collaborate with other learners, mentors, or experts in their fields.
4. They do not have needed support services: from administration, from peers, or help with organization, pedagogy and time saving measures.^[8]
   

   Research by Nick Youngson CC BY-SA 3.0 Alpha Stock Images

The same things apply to faculty who are looking at the OER options, deciding whether to adopt and adapt, or to write their own materials.  Learning Circles allow these issues to be addressed, faculty to be supported, and the time and talent of the faculty to be compensated.