ID: 33860
Designed for Humans: Invitations and Boundaries for the Future of Open Courses explores strategies to move open education beyond static content delivery toward human-centered, equitable learning design that reinforces course integrity while navigating both the promise and pressure of generative AI. Framed through the lens of "invitations" and "boundaries," we highlight course design as an expansion of and integration with OER textbooks. Grounded in research on learner engagement, equity, and Universal Design for Learning, this model was developed and refined in a diverse community college setting with 13,000 students, but the model is adaptable. We invite attendees to bring their institutional contexts, student populations, and constraints to the conversation, and choose what to reuse, revise, remix, or set aside.Invitations and Boundaries Explained"Invitations" encourage students to actively participate, identify content relevance, and build confidence. "Boundaries" preserve course integrity, protect learning outcomes, and keep students on track. When thoughtfully designed, they make open education more usable, supportive, and equitable.The Course as OERBuilding on our “Designed for Humans” work with faculty and institutions, we share a course-as-OER model, treating the course as an intentionally-curated learning experience that includes:Curated, interactive engagement activities tied to OER contentRelevance to students' lived experiencesFocused videos and strategic OER textbook excerptsLocalized content that reflects and speaks to student populationsLow-stakes assessments to reinforce understandingAuthentic assessments that build resumes, college applications, and scholarship possibilitiesThese elements broaden access to knowledge while encouraging active participation rather than passive consumption or AI shortcuts.A Repeatable Module PatternEach module follows a consistent, scaffolded structure:Engagement activity - invites immediate connection, introduces concepts2-minute journal - includes a quick knowledge check with questions drawn from the activityCurated OER content - aligned to learning objectivesLightning lecture - 3-5 minutes, targeted and specificAnonymous poll - low-stakes engagement, formative feedbackCurated OER content - second touchpoint reinforcing the conceptLightning lecture - 3-5 minutesQuiz - question pools created from unique OER and video content Discussion board video post - students apply initial learning Following module - students revisit initial post and respond using newly-learned content and collaborative problem-solvingThis module pattern creates a rhythm that helps students get into the flow. As one student noted, “Once I got started, I didn’t want to stop. I just had to see the next module’s (engagement activity), and before I knew it, I was halfway done with the next module.”For Every Learner, EverywhereOER gives educators the instructional material; intentional course design integrates that material with purpose. Both matter deeply as institutions worldwide serve learners with differing levels of preparation, confidence, time, access, and technological fluency. Attendees will leave with a course framework, examples, and revision ideas they can apply, adapt, and share across disciplines, institutions, and borders. OER works best not as a textbook substitute, but as a foundation for a learning experience that meets students where they are. By reimagining what openness looks like in practice, this session offers a path toward open courses that are truly designed for humans.
Speakers 
Professional Faculty: Communication, Washtenaw Community College
Claire Sparklin is a Communication Faculty member at Washtenaw Community College in Michigan and a former instructional designer whose work centers on AI, instructional design, Open Educational Resources (OER), and authentic student engagement. In addition to her college teaching...
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Learning Experience Designer, Washtenaw Community College
Michelle Westerdale is a Learning Experience Designer at Washtenaw Community College in Michigan. She partners with faculty to create online courses focused on authentic student experience, current pedagogy, and sustainable course design. She brings together her background as a teacher...
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Thursday October 8, 2026 4:20pm - 4:50pm
EDT
6 DR4
MIT Samberg Conference Center, 50 Memorial Drive, Cambridge MA 02139 USA
