Gino Fransman's presentation of his #PhD research at the 6th GO-GN Seminar in Cape Town, March 5th-6th, 2017.

1. Negotiating Digital Academic Writing Development Using an Open
Educational Resource (OER)
Gino Fransman
PhD Research
Department Of Applied Languages
Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University
(NMMU)
South Africa
Negotiating Digital Writing and Literacy Development Using an Open Educational Resource (OER)
by Gino Fransman is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.

2. 1. Introduction
Background (the context is uniquely SA)
2. The PhD
2.1 Illustrating (part) of the problem
2.2 Research Question/ Gap/ Aims
2.3 Method
3. Pilot Research 2016
3.1 Emerging challenges
4. Current Research Stage
5. Activities in Open 2016

3. At the heart: http://bit.ly/1ymeRZQ

4. Consider a strategy where:
“With active learning as the primary mode of
instruction, not as a supplement to the lecture,
such learning will lead to permanent high-level
cognitive development.”
Mouton, N., Louw, G. P., and Strydom, G. L. Present-Day Dilemmas And Challenges
Of The South African Tertiary System. International Business & Economics
Research Journal – March 2013, Volume 12, Number 3. The Clute Institute.

5. Why even try?

6. Research Question & Sub-questions
▪ How can engaging with a language-based Open Educational Resource support
developing digital academic writing literacy amongst a cohort of undergraduate
students in the Architecture Department at NMMU?
▪ What are the experiences of students and educators who used the OER?
▪ Does using the OER contribute to developing academic literacies, and if so,
how?
▪ How can the OER be developed to better support developing digital academic
writing literacy in the South African higher education context?

7. Perceived ‘gap’ in the NMMU/ SA context:

8. Opening Up at NMMU
A writing OER: an open tool via OERcommons/ Library of Congress

9. Often facilitated with no devices,
Mitigated this by distributing copies of excerpt/ text to engage
with on hardcopy
Hand written, supported writing artefacts
For immediate review, for group-work and peer review, for
developing in association with academic support units

10. student reflections
…using the Writing OER
▪ …the steps are essential and handy in writing a
good piece…
▪ …when answering the questions, I realised that I
was not specific, my statements were vague…
▪ …It got me to reflect on a question and critically
think about what I am writing…

11. Lecturer reflections
▪ About yesterday’s presentation, a welcome eye-opener to all of us; it also puts
the Writing Centre in a more “modern” light. OER: thumbs up!*
▪ Motivational, interesting, you caught and kept our attention, eye-opener and a
nice exercise in class; the Rhodes topic interesting and stimulating
▪ I definitely see potential for using the OER Writing Tool in my T&L. To make it
more meaningful and practical, I would like us to spend more time on the actual
OER searching part in class, this could then be enforced and followed up by
means of an assignment
*Response after Intro to Open & OER, instigating further interactions, several emails, and ongoing and future engagements
between August 2015 July 2016.

12. What?
1. Document Analysis:
Establishing Instructional Terms currently and previously used in four
distinct curricular offerings, analysing five varying NMMU modules,
academic expectations, and direct T&L support as provided
DEFINE, DESCRIBE, DISCUSS (Possible Instructional Terms to be selected, based on
document analysis of lecturer materials, assignments and assessments)
2. Engaging with the Writing Tool (in-class support using an Academic
Literacies approach; where educators are included in the writing
support process)
3. Applying and infusing use of the tool within a formal assessment task
3. Evaluating Student and Educator Experiences of Using the Writing
Tool

13. ...literacy & negotiation...
...language of deficits – cultural backgrounds, embarrassing gaps in
knowledge, measured failure to achieve (and teachers to impart) some
aspect of their functional, essayistic or cultural literacy
...literate actions emerge out of a constructive cognitive process that
transforms knowledge in purposeful ways...
... literate act may be a process of negotiation, in which individual
readers and writers must juggle conflicting demands and chart a path
amongst alternate goals, constraints and possibilities
Flower, L. (1994) The Construction of Negotiated Meaning: A Social Cognitive Theory of Writing

14. Bandura (1988) Social Cognitive Theory
Cognitive
Behavioural
Environmental

15. Research Sample 1. Department of Architecture
▪ Bachelor Architecture: 3 year levels of Undergrads
▪ Masters Architecture Postgrads (2 years)
▪ Subjects where writing is prioritized and more
intentionally supported
1. Introducing the OER
2. Using the OER
3. Evaluating the OER
4. Adapting the OER
Group 1
B Arch I
Group 2
B Arch II
Group 3
B Arch III
Group 4 & 5
M Arch

16. 1. Make it Easy
Harness the power of defaults.
Motivating lecturing staff to make utilising the
writing OER as part of the formal assignment process
Reduce the ‘hassle factor’ of taking up a service. Providing in-
class support workshops introducing and illustrating how to use
the OER.
Simplify messages. Breaking the task of academic writing into
smaller, stand-alone or staggered chunks. From planning
writing, drafting iterations, to attribution
EAST Behavioural Framework sets out 4 principles for setting up
the 2016 pilot research process looking to facilitate use of a writing
OER at NMMU (1)

17. 2. Make it Attractive
Attract attention.
Regular communications to lecturing staff to
maintain awareness
Design rewards and sanctions for maximum effect.
In light of #feesmustfall, the potential of Open Textbooks
Textbooks to decrease cost of learning materials
Research collaboration and integrating new materials into
curriculum

18. 3. Make it Social
Show that most people perform the desired behaviour. While not
‘most’, included case studies of impact OER is having elsewhere.
Maricopa Millions, MIT Open, OER Africa, Siyavula.
Use the power of networks. Have groups form social media
based networks, sign up for newsletters, etc.
Encourage people to make a commitment to others.
Infuse advocacy and OERs social value, e.g. OER Africa’s
Teacher Education training materials

19. 4. Make it Timely
Prompt people when they are likely to be most receptive. New lecturer induction, bi-
annual event. Academic development Days (per campus x 4)
During curriculum design phase, NMMU institutional re-curriculation in process. Truth
is, it is still all too often necessitated by an educator having experienced very poor
writing competences amongst students in an assignment or text being assessed.
Behaviour is generally easier to change when habits are already disrupted, such as
around major life events.
Consider the immediate costs and benefits. #feesmustfall protests illustrated the need to
engage in more online activities in the teaching and learning project.
Help people plan their response to events. Looking at the research project’s intentions,
the lecturers’ expectations, and student expectations per group. Planning alternate
methods to assess student writing in order to generate more frequent activities.

20. The Writing OER research - four main stages
1. Defining the outcome
Identify exactly what behaviour is to be influenced. Consider how this can be measured reliably
and efficiently. Establish how large a change would make the project worthwhile, and over what
time period.
2. Understanding the context
Visit the situations and people involved in the behaviour, and understand the context from their
perspective. Use this opportunity to develop new insights and design a sensitive and feasible
intervention.
3. Building the intervention
Use the EAST framework to generate behavioural insights. An iterative process that returns to
the two steps above.
4. Testing, learning, adapting - CREATING
Put intervention into practice so its effects can be reliably measured.

21. http://constitutionallyspeaking.co.za/feesmustfall-on-the-right-to-mass-protest-and-the-use-of-force-by-police/
And then…

22. My challenge
Deep insecurity about repeating the process with a similar research sample after 2016
Exploring a new iteration of the concept, but this needs to be less able to be
manipulated by similar disruptions in HE SA.
A possible relocation to another institution suggests a resetting of the research project
and process
Input into this evolution would be appreciated

23. Activities in Open 2016
Open Government Partnership
Invited by the Minister of Public Services and Administration
Asked Dr Glenda Cox from GO_GN and UCT to join in the presentation
Africa representative addressing governments from the African continent on the
Sustainable Development Goals, and specifically Open Education’s potential

26. ...a comment on literacy...
“We ought to be much less interested in creating a ‘new
science’ than in creating a new society,” (Gee, 2008:89)
Gee, J. P. J. (2008) Social Linguistics and Literacies. Ideology in
Discourse. Third Edition, Routledge, London and NY.

27. Opportunities
to follow up in
2017

28. References
De Vos, P. (2015). #FEESMUSTFALL: ON THE RIGHT TO MASS PROTEST AND THE
USE OF FORCE BY POLICE. Retrieved February2, 2017, from
http://constitutionallyspeaking.co.za/feesmustfall-on-the-right-to-mass-protest-and-
the-use-of-force-by-police/
Gee, J. P. J. (2008) Social Linguistics and Literacies. Ideology in Discourse. Third
Edition, Routledge, London and NY.
Gourlay, L. (2014). Creating Time: students, technologies and temporal practices in
higher education. E-Learning and Digital Media, 11(2), 141-153.
Mouton, N., Louw, G. P., and Strydom, G. L. Present-Day Dilemmas And Challenges
Of The South African Tertiary System. International Business & Economics Research
Journal – March 2013, Volume 12, Number 3. The Clute Institute.
WEF. (2015). New Vision for Education Unlocking the Potential of Technology. In New
Vision for Education: Unlocking the Potential of Technology (pp. 1–32).

29. Thank You
gino.fransman@nmmu.ac.za
ginofransman@gmail.com
Twitter: @ginofransman
Negotiating Digital Academic Writing Literacy Development Using an Open Educational Resource (OER)
by Gino Fransman is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License
All Images Property Of G. Fransman Unless Otherwise Attributed