BLOSSOMS Initiative

In one of the last sessions of the conference Elizabeth Murray presented on the MIT LINC BLOSSOMS initiative.  BLOSSOMS stands for Blended Learning Open Source Science Or Math Studies.  The objective of BLOSSOMS is to develop an open source repository of blended learning video modules for high school math and science teachers.    Murray talked about design features open educational resources (OERs) must incorporate, BLOSSOMS pedagogy, and reviewed BLOSSOMS' development plan.

 

In the discussion about design features, Murray went over some of the major barriers to OER usage and production in developing countries.  Inadequate infrastructure means few computers in the classroom and a central role for teachers.  Thus, BLOSSOMS creates low-tech videos for classroom use.  Language and culture also create content transfer barriers which can be overcome by incorporating co-creative and co-usage partners.  The module creators are teachers at MIT, and in partner institutions in Jordan and Pakistan.

 

BLOSSOMS pedagogy focuses the central role of the classroom teacher and uses a blended learning model.  In blended learning, the teacher shows brief video segments interspersed with classroom lecture, discussion, and activities.  Low-tech delivery methods and co-creation means these modules will be equally accessible in the U.S. and the developing world.  Thus, OER is demand-driven.  The modules are created by the people who need them and will use them.

 

MIT researchers have a three-year development plan in which they hope to create, evaluate, and share the modules.  In the first year, each partner country will create 15 modules.  This phase will include training for the video producer as well as module localizers.  In year #2, teachers will use and evaluate the modules and be trained in further classroom applications.  In year #3, video database will be made accessible to more schools and partners, with the most popular modules being shared and built upon.