Create | Teach | Research
www.openpress.trubox.ca
Dear Colleagues…
Reflecting on my experience as the Publishing Manager for the TRU Open Press, I’m proud of the milestones we’ve achieved and the collaborative spirit that has driven our progress. In Spring 2023, I enthusiastically supported Marie Bartlett and Brenna Gray as they spearheaded the submission of their proposal for the TRU Open Press, which was later approved, marking the beginning of an exciting journey to shape the landscape of Open Education.
Transitioning from my previous role as Supervisor of Editing and Copyright in Open Learning, I witnessed the formation of our talented production team, Jessica and Kaitlyn, in October. This marked a crucial step towards realizing our vision of becoming a hub for “open” support. With the addition of co-op student Ananya in January and two more joining in May, our team’s dedication to learning and collaboration has been remarkable.
Assuming the role of Publishing Manager in December 2023, I embraced the opportunity to contribute to the TRU Open Press’s narrative. Guided by the proactive efforts of Marie and Brenna, we’ve expanded our reach and showcased the diverse capabilities of the Press. Regardless of the learning curve, our team’s dedication and support from colleagues have propelled us forward.
As the fiscal year concludes, the impact of our efforts is evident, with multiple projects nearing completion and increased faculty engagement in Open Educational Resources and Open Pedagogy. Looking ahead, I am optimistic about the continued growth and impact of the TRU Open Press, driven by our shared commitment to accessibility and excellence in education.
Dani Collins
Publishing Manager, TRU Open Press
About Us…
Background
In a moment where academic presses struggle to remain relevant to a changing market, TRU Open Press is digital-first and committed to unique and compelling knowledge mobilization strategies, with expertise in the development of interactive media.
No one else in Canada – or beyond – has the in-house expertise of TRU in all of these areas. It’s time to reframe and invest in our assets, especially as TRU looks to a research-focused future.
TRU’s Open Press strives to be the university’s premier choice for creating open educational and scholarly materials. Utilizing TRU’s open platforms and expertise in learning design, we offer comprehensive support for developing open educational resources, scholarly work, and pedagogical projects. Our goal is to enhance the existing infrastructure in preparation for TRU’s transition to a research-focused institution, while upholding the community spirit of open teaching and learning
Our Team
The very talented Brenna Gray and Marie Bartlett are responsible for envisioning the Open Press project, and we continue to garner insight and inspiration from the two of them daily. Currently, we have one person dedicated to production and one to copy editing and copyright review: the amazing duo, Jessica Obando Almache and Kaitlyn Meyers, respectively. We’ve been lucky enough to hire three co-op students until end of August, 2024: Riley Phillips and Greg Vilac are dedicated to Production and Ananya Kamboj is interviewing faculty and students and creating our project impact evaluation and success stories. Finally, there is myself as Open Publication Manager.
Projects
TRU Open Press has embarked on more than thirty projects thus far, offering comprehensive support across various domains. This includes initial consultations, domain customization using WordPress and Pressbooks, copyediting, title page design, .gif and image creation, video production and editing, voiceover and audio services, content transcription, copyright review, guidance, and training sessions for both faculty and students. These services address diverse publishing and multimedia needs, leveraging the expertise of the Open Press team. Committed to three core aspects of Open Publishing—Create, Teach, and Research—TRU Open Press aims to provide robust support across the academic spectrum.
Create
Cut material
learning costs
Make content co-
creation easier!
Be high quality
Add a little bit of body text – to be determined at op sprint.
See Create projects supported on the TRU Open Press website.
Teach
Student
Involvement
Cultural adaptations
Local community
engagement
Multi-modal learning
materials
Add a little bit of body text – to be determined at op sprint.
See Teach projects supported by Open Press on the TRU Open Press website.
Research
Planning for open
publishing
Copyediting
Digital,
open publication
TRU-OP supports faculty and students in developing and executing open research plans and robust knowledge mobilization strategies that are aligned with Tri-Council agency goals.
See Research projects supported by Open Press on the TRU Open Press website.
The TRU Open Press took on 30+ projects during the first year. These projects were predominantly carried over from previous unfinished project initiatives, however, 12 new projects were initiated and some deferred to next fiscal year.
Project Representation in Schools & Faculties
Faculty Contracts
Projects were contracted hourly faculty work. The rest were previously funded by other grants or course release work.
Project Budgets
In addition to faculty hourly contracts, project budgets included funding for research assistant (RA) students, funding for a writing spring, the Open Education Week event for faculty and students, and PSA contracts for professional services. Funding for next year’s projects are capped at $7,500.
Presentations
- Upcoming: OTESSA Conference, Montreal, June 14, 2024, Session 11.3: Unleashing Potential: Exploring Open Education Initiatives with TRU Open Press
- Open Education Week at TRU, March 4-8, 2024
- March 4: Student Street – promotion of Open Ed streaming event on March 6, as well as opportunity for discussion about Open Education publishing and TRU Open Press
- March 6: Live Streaming Open Education Talks via University of Calgary, hosted by OP at the Campus Activity Centre, Mountain Room
- March 13: Course Design and Open Learning Design presentation by Brenna, Marie, and Jessica
- Teaching practices Colloquium, February 20, 2024 – Brenna and Marie gave a talk (Introducing the TRU Open Press *NEEDS LINK*) which included a call for submissions for next year.
Students are Integral to Our Success!
Tru Open Press funded two research assistant (RA) students to work on four projects:
- Introduction to Ethics – Jenna Woodrow
- PASSchem 1500 – Sharon Brewer and Lindsay Blackstock
- Principles of Multimedia in OER – Verena Roberts
- Ethical Educational Leadership
Project Impact and Assessment Success Stories
Our part-time co-op student, Ananya Kambol, was guided by the expertise of Verena Roberts, Open Learning Instructional Designer and Project Developer at Open Press. Together, they reviewed the impact evaluation criteria and created a plan to interview Faculty project developers who have completed their projects. Determining the OP Project alignment with TRU’s strategic priorities and objectives, as outlined in the Open Press proposal evaluation plan.
Experiential Learning Opportunities
The Open Press provides opportunities for students to develop their skills in a professional context. Research assistant students have been working with the faculty developers to create annotated bibliographies and with the help and guidance of the Open Press, importing and publishing their content onto Pressbooks or WordPress platforms (project domains).
Co-op students are essential to our work. In addition to Ananya, we are hiring two more co-op students this May to help with project productions!
We hope to offer more opportunities for next year’s projects as per faculty developers and in the new ISP Honours College Program.
What’s next?
We eagerly anticipate introducing and showcasing the Open Press and commemorating the triumphant conclusion of our 2023-2024 projects at this year’s OTESSA Conference!
Furthermore, we’re thrilled to receive 16 project proposals ahead of the may 1`st submission deadline and continuing our work on two or three projects from last fiscal, which are continuous until Fall 2025, including the Plumbing Apprentice Levels 1 and 2 project and the Enviro Collab project! We hope to explore other opportunities to work with the TRADES faculty to convert other costly resources to free, multimedia-rich, open education resources.
Looking ahead, we’re enthusiastic about exploring the Honours program and other ISP initiatives that align with our unwavering commitment to supporting open. Possible projects include supporting the Arts Cohort and developing a research hub and repository for faculty and students.
Dear Colleagues…
Reflecting on the journey of the TRU Open Press initiative from my vantage point as the Publishing Manager, I am proud to recount the milestones achieved and the collaborative spirit that propelled our progress.
In Spring 2023, I was eager to support and champion, as a member of the Open Education Working Group, Marie Bartlett and Brenna Gray in spearheading the submission of their ambitious proposal for the TRU Open Press. This marked the beginning of an exhilarating endeavor that would shape the landscape of Open Education at our institution. The subsequent approval of their proposal in Spring 2023 was an exciting validation of TRU’s open vision and dedication by our Provost, Gillian Balfour.
Transitioning into my role from Supervisor of Editing and Copyright in Open Learning to Publishing Manager at the Open Press, I witnessed the gradual formation of our production team, comprising the skilled expertise of Jessica (production) and Kaitlyn (copy editing), in October 2023. This pivotal moment signaled the convergence of talents and the foundation upon which our projects would flourish. One of the earliest goals was to hire skilled professionals that were eager to learn and grow the Open Press into a centralized hub of support for all things “open” so that the Open Press could be a publisher of choice for TRU faculty and the open community at large. Jessica and Kaitlyn meet these requirements in spades, and we’ve included a brilliant co-op student, Ananya, who is helping us with our impact assessment and success stories. Two more co-op students will be joining us in May. I am equal parts amazed and proud of our team, especially their willingness to learn, experiment, collaborate and share their skills with each other and the brilliant faculty members that are working with us.
Assuming the mantle of Publishing Manager in December 2023, I embraced the opportunity to contribute to the unfolding narrative of the TRU Open Press. During this period of transition, I was inspired by the proactive efforts of Marie and Brenna within the Open Education Working Group, forging partnerships and amplifying our reach. Their outreach initiatives illuminated the diverse array of resources and capabilities offered by the Press, from copy editing to website development and beyond. Guided by their vision and bolstered by the unwavering support of our colleagues across various departments, our production team embarked on a trajectory of productivity and innovation, while I learned my new role and the various tasks I would now be performing with Finance, People and Culture to seek approvals and create web requisitions and PSAs as well as become familiar with various funding models.
As the fiscal year drew to a close, the fruits of our labor are becoming increasingly evident, with multiple projects nearing completion and a surge in faculty engagement. The resonance of our efforts is palpable, as evidenced by the growing recognition of Open Educational Resources and Open Pedagogy among our academic community.
Looking ahead, I am filled with optimism and enthusiasm for the continued growth and impact of the TRU Open Press. Our journey thus far has been characterized by resilience, collaboration, and a shared commitment to advancing accessibility and excellence in education. Together, we stand poised to embrace the opportunities that lie ahead, driven by our collective passion for transformative change!Dani Collins, Publishing Manager, TRU Open Press
Projects
During our 1st year of establishment, the Open Press helped faculty to develop over thirty projects, 10 of which will be completed by the end of April; three projects have been deferred to the 2024-2025 fiscal year. Most of the support that the Open Press provided was on the open publication focus but we do have a few projects that are explorations of both Open Pedagogy and Open Education Resource (OER) publishing by students. For a full description of our projects, please see the project lists on the Create and Teach pages. The support offered by the Open Press varied and for most new projects, the Open Press offered a consultation and guidance about how to start the project, assisted with setting up the domain (either in Pressbooks or WordPress) and in some cases a consultation about how and where to start. Once content was developed, Our Open Press Production team, Jessica and Kaitlyn, were able to copyedit and work with faculty developers to fine tune the content in the selected platforms.
Year at a Glance Presentation
(adapted from OEWG presentation, April 10, 2024)
Strategic Priorities
TRU Open Press, in alignment with TRU’s Vision Statement focusses on the following priorities, as outlined on TRU’s Integrated Strategic Planning webpage. See the ISP Initiatives on this website for more details about our commitment to the ISP objectives.
Guiding Principles
Our TRU Open Press Guiding Principles prioritize OER development to enhance access and outcomes, while offering student researcher jobs and potentially serving as a platform for undergraduate and graduate publishing. Through transparent reports and a focus on the student experience, we integrate localization, Indigenization, and Internationalization into our work, and measuring success by student learning outcomes and cost savings. By providing valuable job opportunities and experiential learning, we empower students to contribute to academic programming and research dissemination while transforming education through innovation and collaboration.
- OER development as centrepiece, looking at improving access and outcomes
- Student researcher jobs
- Potential platform for undergraduate/graduate publishing
- Reports (to be quarterly): projects in process; resources in use; student involvement; adoption of existing OER and estimate of cost savings; outreach activities
- Metrics: uptake of OER; projects in process; faculty connections
- Student Experience Lens:
- OER Development student involvement at all levels, focus on localization, Indigenization, Internationalization
- OER success measured by uptake/ cost savings/ learning outcomes for students
- Jobs – OP will employ students as content RAs and project developers (developing skills in research, editing, knowledge mobilization
- Experiential learning – students apply their learning and knowledge in supported professional contexts, specifically students in public relations and the proposed major in Communication Design (digital content production, layout, graphic design, etc.);
- Opportunities for course-based projects related to design and publication elements (to be explored)
- Academic Programming (Communications)
- Disseminating Research