Open Pedagogy Toolkit: Module 3

Renewable Assignments in Open Pedagogy

Definition and Purpose

Renewable assignments are a form of OP in which students create work that is not only a measure of student learning but is specifically designed to enable students to share, reuse, or build upon the work of others (Wiley & Hilton, 2018). Traditional “disposable” assignments are usually only seen by the instructor at a single point in time and are not engaged with by either the instructor or the student once grading has occurred. Students put effort into creating an assignment, but leave it behind once they have finished the course. Instructors may reuse the assignment prompt but move on from the work prior students completed to focus on the next cohort of students. 

Renewable assignments are designed from the outset to have a lasting impact on student creators and others (e.g., future learners, members of the public, and particular communities) (Wiley et al., 2017). Renewable assignments have several key features: they are typically public-facing (meaning student work is not kept between the student and the instructor), contribute to the knowledge commons (by freely sharing ideas and content with everyone), and empower students as co-creators of knowledge.

Examples include:

• Editing Wikipedia articles
• Creating instructional videos or podcasts that are viewable by others
• Developing open textbooks or ancillary materials
• Co-creating syllabi or policy documents

Renewable assignments are not just about the act of creating. Rather, they provide an authentic experience for students to grapple with more foundational questions about information creation, access, and what ongoing access to information enables. These assignments can be made even more powerful when they serve the dual purpose of involving students in creation AND uncovering fundamental aspects of access and openness.