Der und mehr

We developed and implemented our four-course OER in a phased approach: GRMN 1001 (Fall 2019), GRMN 1002 (Spring 2020), GRMN 2001 (Fall 2020). The OER focuses on the vocabulary most frequently used by native speakers. It works ideally in tandem with the no-cost online platform der|die|das, developed by Dr. Jamie Rankin at Princeton University, but can also function as a stand-alone resource for classroom instruction.

The COVID-19 pandemic created new challenges and time constraints, as weshifted to more time-consuming online teaching. GRMN 2002 was originally scheduled to adopt the OER in Fall 2020, but the course was cancelled due to lower overall enrollment during the pandemic thus delaying the classroom adoption until Spring 2021. Materials for all four courses were nonetheless developed on schedule.

Over the grant period, we collectively created 192 learning activities divided into 16 chapters, with 4 units per chapter. Each unit contains three scaffolded activities on a common theme organized to help students meet the proficiency standards of the American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages (ACTFL) in all three communicative modes: interpretive, presentational, and interpersonal.

Appropriately scaffolded, these activities advance from reading/listening comprehension and passive vocabulary use to scripted, active production of target language (German) vocabulary and structures followed by a culminating conversation or role-play to build students’ abilities to communicate in more spontaneous, open-ended situations.

The learning materials leverage authentic cultural materials developed for native- speakers, thus giving students the tools to succeed in real-life situations that are relevant to their future studies abroad and professional work experiences, including grant-funded internships and full-time employment in German-speaking settings, including at German companies in the metro Atlanta area.

Because links to authentic, web-based materials such as videos, podcasts, blogs, websites, and newspapers can disappear without warning, we consistently provided far more links than necessary for each activity, as well as additional ideas in a “Digging Deeper” section at the end of each unit. This variety of material also allowsinstructors maximum flexibility to expand and contract each unit to meet student needs in varied institutional contexts.

The materials are also multi-medial in nature, combining audio-visual materials with written texts. By using authentic materials for a range of interpretive tasks, learners are initiated, from the first lesson forward, into tolerating ambivalences and information gaps. They also learn to develop strategies for understanding and communicating based on contextual clues and core vocabulary. These materials, therefore, help students advance to proficiency while facilitating the acquisition of intercultural competence and information, technology, and media literacies in alignment with the ACTFL “21st Century Skills Map.”

Ensuring equitable access to high-quality learning materials from day 1 so that no student must choose between a textbook (or course) and their daily necessities, especially amidst pandemic-related job loss, health issues, and stress.

To date, the OER project has affected 371 enrolled students. Since a portion of these students have taken more than one course with these materials, we conservatively estimate 200 unique students for an annual savings of of $47,998 - $60,940 (depending on where and what type of textbook students would have purchased with our former publisher).

These cost savings have come at an especially crucial time: most KSU students work at least part-time to support themselves during their students, with the majority in low-wage jobs that were impacted by the pandemic. Anecdotally, the vast majority of students in our programs lost their jobs in spring 2020, with many only recently regaining employment and often at reduced hours. Individual savings of at least $120 per student (for one semester of online access with our former textbook) were crucial, particularly since students must pay the full cost for a textbook ($240+) upfront if they intend to take more than one course in the sequence.

In end-of-course evaluations, students expressed satisfaction with: the range of materials (“Content within the course catered to all learning styles (visual, auditory, sensory),” the degree of rigor (“It wasn't easy, it wasn't unattainable, it was challenging. 10/10 class.”), comprehensibility (“really easy to understand”; “I have learned the required content for the course with ease”), scope and focus (“The course content was thorough and included lots of vital vocabulary and grammar rules for speaking, writing, and understanding German.”), and learning gains and motivation to continue (“I can say I learned much about the culture and language to a point where I want to continue learning and even visit the country.”)