DScribe Job descriptions

dScribe job descriptions

dScribe  – work together toward an Open University

dScribes are students, staff, faculty, and other interested individuals who work together to gather, review, clear, and edit educational content for publication as OER. Student dScribes generally collaborate with faculty and other students over the course of a semester to review and publish course materials; however, student dScribes also work to publish other content, raise awareness of open pedagogy, and advocate for a more transparent and open university. All dScribes attend a dScribe training / information workshop where they develop and understanding of the dScribe methodology and begin to apply it to the content they review or individuals they work with. While Open.Michigan team members provide guidance, training documents, and other tools to assist dScribes, dScribe work is largely self-directed among the collaborators. If participating as a dScribe for credit, students have various requirements to meet, including meeting with faculty members and assigned dScribe IIs as well as demonstrating the ability to successfully clear, edit, and upload material by using the web-based content and decision management system we have developed for the process called, OERca.

dScribe II (replaced with Open Education Specialist) – use your advanced knowledge to mentor dScribes

Open Education Specialists mentor and assist dScribes in the process of reviewing, clearing, and editing course materials slated for publication as Open Educational Resources. They have an advanced understanding of the history of the Open Educational Resources movement, understand Creative Commons and other open licensing arrangements, and are familiar with the goals and policies of Open.Michigan and the U-M Open Educational Resources initiative. In addition to mentoring dScribes, they play a pivotal role as faculty and student liaisons, assist and create resources to enhance the dSCribe process, and play a significant role in effectively communicating Open.Michigan and the U-M OER initiative to a broader spectrum of faculty, staff, students, and other interested individuals.

At the beginning of their service, Open Education Specialists receive advanced training given by members of the U-M OER team. In this session, they develop an extensive knowledge of the dScribe publishing process and clearing workflow, gain an understanding of relevant aspects of copyright and open licensing, become adept in navigating and assisting dScribes in the use of OERca, our OER content management software tool. Furthermore, they record issues and provide insight about the dScribe process with the U-M OER team, evaluate the usability of the OERca software and share with U-M OER software developers, and review and record issues contained in content with members of the U-M OER Legal and Policy team.