Educational Development Digest: April 2026

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By Elizabeth Harsma, Program Director for Technology Integrated Learning, Minnesota State

As a reflection on the Minnesota State Open Education Conference held in March, this Pedagogy in Practice article shares a practical strategy for incorporating open pedagogy across many disciplines: the non-disposable (renewable) assignment. 

Open Pedagogy 

Open pedagogy / open educational practices are rooted in social constructivist, connectivist, and critical approaches to teaching.  

They emphasize learning as a shared process, where knowledge is created through interaction and reflection. Instructors model curiosity and uncertainty, and students engage with open questions, contribute ideas, and help build new knowledge. 

Common strategies include: 

• Students and instructors working together to create, write, and share a course textbook 
• Students and instructors contributing to shared knowledge spaces or public repositories 
• Students and instructors collaborating on course design, including the syllabus or assignments 
• Creating open spaces for learners to reflect, create, and share their work (University of Colorado, n.d.) 

Non-Disposable or Renewable Assignment 

A renewable or non-disposable assignment is the opposite of a disposable assignment. A disposable assignment is a task that is for classroom purposes only and whose sole audience is the teacher. In contrast, a renewable assignment is an assignment that serves a purpose beyond the classroom and students are invited to share their work publicly.  

Renewable Assignment Design 

Katz and Van Allen (2020) propose a five-step process for renewable assignment design: 

• Step 1: Analyze and Classify Current Assignment 
• Step 2: Consider Meaningful Open Educational Resource Contributions 
• Step 3: Select Tools and Repositories 
• Step 4: Design Intentional Negotiations for Openness 
• Step 5: Finalize and Reclassify Assignment 

Step 1: Analyze and Classify Current Assignment 

Use Wiley and Hilton’s (2018) four questions to identify the type of assignment you are starting with: disposable, authentic, constructive, or renewable. 

You can classify an assignment based on how many questions you can answer “Yes” to: 

• Disposable: You can answer “Yes” to only the first question. 
• Authentic: You can answer “Yes” to the first two questions. 
• Constructive: You can answer “Yes” to the first three questions. 
• Renewable (nondisposable): You can answer “Yes” to all four questions. 

The four questions are: 

1. Are students asked to create new work (such as essays, poems, videos, or songs) or to revise or remix existing open educational resources (OER)? 
2. Does the work have value beyond supporting the learning of the student who created it? 
3. Are students invited to share their work publicly? 
4. Are students invited to openly license their work or revised/remixed OER? (Wiley & Hilton, 2018) 

Classifying an assignment also requires looking closely at the assignment itself. Consider your course goals, why you chose this assignment, and which learning objectives the assignment is designed to assess. 

Step 2: Consider Meaningful OER Contributions 

In this step, think about how the assignment contributes to knowledge in your discipline. Ask yourself: How can students meaningfully add to what is already known or used in the field? Students may contribute to disciplinary knowledge in many ways, including: 

• Contributing to a glossary, test bank, or assignment bank 
• Creating an anthology, with introductions or front matter written by students 
• Creating or improving a Wikipedia page 
• Interviewing community members about course topics 
• Conducting original survey research 
• Writing chapters for an open textbook 

Step 3: Select Tools and Repositories 

Explore and identify the technology tools and platforms that you and your students can use to complete the assignment. Focus on options that are licensed, lowcost or free, easy to use, and accessible. 

Campus librarians and academic technology staff can be excellent resources for identifying and using these tools. 

At Minnesota State, all faculty and students have free access to the following accessible open educational resource (OER) technologies: 

• H5P 
• Opendora 
• Pressbooks 

Step 4: Design Intentional Negotiations for Openness 

In this step, it is essential to offer students choices and to invite—not require—them to share their work publicly. Student choice is essential for several reasons: 

• Choice helps build trust. Some students may worry that sharing their work openly means providing free labor. Address these concerns directly. Talk with students about how open pedagogy supports learning and how their work will (and will not) be used. 

• Choice helps prevent harm and appropriation. Open work can raise concerns about the historical and ongoing appropriation of Black, brown, and Indigenous knowledge and culture. It is also important to examine assumptions about whose knowledge is valued globally. Are Western and Eurocentric perspectives overrepresented? Engage students in conversations about how open educational resources (OER) can empower them to draw on their own linguistic and cultural knowledge—if they choose to do so. 

• Choice supports student safety. Sharing highly personal or socialjusticefocused work publicly can expose students to harassment or physical harm (Hare, 2020). 

Offer students clear options, such as: 

• Sharing their work only with the instructor 
• Publishing their work using a fake name 
• Choosing their preferred Creative Commons license 

Note: There are several types of Creative Commons licenses. Provide guidance so students understand what each license allows before they make a selection. 

Step 5: Finalize and Reclassify Assignment 

Finalize the assignment. Write clear instructions and create any supporting materials, such as checklists, rubrics, or examples. 

Ask a trusted colleague—such as a librarian, instructional designer, or staff member from your teaching and learning center—to review the assignment. Ask them to focus on clarity and alignment with your learning objectives. 

Finally, revisit Wiley and Hilton’s (2018) four questions. You should be able to answer “Yes” to all four to confirm that you have designed a renewable assignment. 

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By Fran Kennedy, Instructional Designer, Minnesota State

Creating high-quality open educational resources (OER) is a challenging endeavor. Writers must consider a range of factors, including accessibility, multimodality, and the diverse needs of learners. Often, the task falls upon a single individual or a small team, making the process even more demanding. This academic technology tip examines practical ways to leverage Microsoft Copilot to make the development of OER more efficient and manageable.

Tip 1: Writing Effective Alt Text

Accessible learning materials are essential for all students, especially those who use screen readers. Including descriptive alt text with images ensures that these learners understand not only what the image depicts but also its educational relevance. When using Microsoft Copilot to generate alt text for images, it is important to clearly communicate the learning purpose behind the image.

The process begins by inserting the image into Microsoft Copilot. Prompts that help generate purposeful alt text include:

• “Write alt text (max 160 characters) focusing on the learning purpose of this image.” After using this prompt, it’s helpful to describe both the context in which the image is used and its intended educational role.
• “You are an accessibility specialist. Write concise alt text (max 160 characters) for this photo: [describe image]. State only what is visible and relevant to learning purpose: [insert purpose].”

Writers should ensure that alt text is:

• Brief
• Concise and free of redundancy (for example, avoid starting with image of . . .)
• Accurate and specifically tailored to the learning purpose

Tip 2: Generating Concept-Safe Images

Microsoft Copilot is also valuable for creating images to include in OER materials. It is important, however, to avoid using Copilot to generate complex visual content such as factual diagrams or charts, as these can sometimes be inaccurate. Instead, focus on producing concept-safe images—those that are abstract, decorative, or conceptual in nature. Such images can enhance the appearance and atmosphere of OER without misrepresenting factual content.

Effective prompts for generating concept-safe images include:

• “Create an abstract illustration symbolizing collaboration among diverse learners; flat style; high contrast; no text; inclusive.”
• “Generate a decorative banner evoking open sharing and community; soft palette; geometric shapes; no data.”

Tip 3: Creating Knowledge-Based Questions

Another useful application of Microsoft Copilot in OER development is the creation of knowledge-based questions. This approach can help guide and reinforce student learning. It is crucial, however, that the underlying content for these questions is written by humans; this prevents the generation of questions and answers that are misaligned with the instructional material or factually incorrect. Writers should provide Copilot with relevant text sections to ensure the questions are accurate and contextually appropriate.

Helpful prompts for generating knowledge-based questions include:

• “Using the information provided, generate three knowledge-based questions: one true/false question, one multiple-choice question, and one fill-in-the-blank question. Be sure to include the answer to each question; each question should have only one answer.”
• “Using the following information, generate three multiple choice questions with one correct answer for each question and three plausible answers. Be sure to mark the correct answer.”

Key Takeaway

Microsoft Copilot can significantly streamline the creation of open educational resources by assisting with tasks such as generating alt text, creating appropriate images, and designing knowledge-based questions. However, human oversight and involvement remain essential to ensure the quality and accuracy of educational materials.

Note: The article was drafted by a human and Microsoft Copilot. Sample prompts were generated by Microsoft Copilot. All were edited by humans for accuracy, tone, and clarity of message.

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By Brock Behling, Program Director for Instructional Technology, Minnesota State

Being transparent with the accessibility status of content demonstrates a good‑faith effort, supports proactive communication, and reinforces that accessibility is a shared responsibility across our learning communities.

Sharing the current status does not replace the expectation to meet accessibility standards. Instead, it complements existing tools, training, and supports, by making accessibility an explicit expectation in our work.

Getting started by keeping it simple!

If you’re new to this practice, start small by adding a one‑sentence accessibility note to a syllabus, unit overview, or when sharing other teaching materials.

Some example statements may include:

• “This content meets WCAG 2.1 AA standards.”
• “All videos include captions, but some have audio descriptions for equitable access.”
• “This OER has been designed with accessibility in mind.”

Why this matters:

Sharing the accessibility status can benefit everyone:

• Students gain clarity and trust. Learners with disabilities can make informed decisions and request support earlier, reducing the potential of encountering barriers last-minute.
• Faculty set realistic expectations. Accessibility becomes part of course design conversations rather than an invisible compliance task.
• Content becomes more reusable. For OER and renewable assignments, accessibility notes help future adopters understand what is ready to use and what may need improvement.
• Accessibility is framed as ongoing work. This aligns with the continuous improvement mindset.

Accessibility is everyone’s work! Including the accessibility status is one way to support equity in learning, reduce barriers, and strengthen the long‑term value of our digital materials.

View more digital accessibility tips.

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By Megan Babel, Communications Coordinator, Minnesota State

The first Minnesota State Open Education Conference was held virtually on March 25-26, 2026. This conference highlighted the depth and breadth of open education efforts in Minnesota State.

The conference had over 175 registrants, representation from 26 Minnesota State colleges and universities, and over 50 presenters who gave 31 presentations.

Recordings now available

If you couldn’t make it to the conference, or if you had to make the hard choice between concurrent sessions, you can catch up now! View the presentation recordings on the Minnesota State Open Education Conference playlist in Kaltura MediaSpace. Only a few have yet to be added!

Topic areas include:​

• History of open education at Minnesota State
• Z-degrees and other initiatives
• Course markings   ​
• Library resources   ​
• Discipline specific presentations/panels   ​
• Copyright   ​
• Open Pedagogy   

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