OpenPraxis Forum - tasneem.mewa@gmail.com

[tmewa]

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At a glance

• Submission Name: Name of your project or challenge
• Contact Lead: What's the best way for folks to get in touch with you? Leave your twitter handle, Github profile or email here - whatever way is best to get in touch with you for this project!
• External Site Link (optional - primarily for projects): For project leads, if your project already has a site where folks can learn more about your project, leave a URL here.
• Region: What region is your project or challenge based out of, if any?
• Issue Area: What area of Open Research or Open Education does your project or challenge fall under?
• Issue Type: Are you submitting a challenge or project?
• Types of Support Needed: _{ For project leads only } What types of support are you looking for on the do-a-thon day? These categories will be emailed to you.

Description

What are we working on during the do-a-thon? What kinds of support do we need?

How can others contribute?

This post is part of the OpenCon Do-A-Thon. Not sure what's going on? Head here.

[tmewa]

This project is being spearheaded by students at the University of Toronto; however, I hope that this forum will be accessible to early career researchers (specifically undergrads or young voices outside of post-secondary institutions) from all over the world. The forum will host multiple mediums of knowledge expression that center around development and social justice. The contributions will hopefully redefine academia and assign value to knowledge that exists outside of theses and academic papers. Within the existing streams of openness, the forum relates to open education - specifically in knowledge creation, collaboration, and dissemination. At the moment, the most well known open ideas see knowledge as a noun - something you can give or take. By creating this online space which challenges the norms of academia through its values and physical infrastructure, we also hope to push the boundaries of openness to guide how we practice openness: how do we implement it into our professional relationships? How will it drive our methodologies? How will it change the way we value knowledge (not simply as something we consume, but something that comes from daily practices)?
This project needs support from the talented open advocates and practitioners at the conference. Calling on all web designers and coders, we especially need support in the technicalities of creating a platform that is inclusive and accessible - an online space that is safe. Additionally, we need support in outreach. How do build on the existing undergraduate community to promote ideas of openness? Among other issues which will be flagged during the do-a-thon, one of the major points of discussion we need help negotiating is how do we recognize and value the intellectual and emotional labour that goes into the different kinds of contributions undergrads make? What should the editorial process look like? How do we acknowledge the precarity and vulnerability which researchers might feel in a daunting academic world? What does practicing openness look like in the first place?
This project comes with a lot of critical questions. Hopefully, the do-a-thon will give us a start into how we may begin to tackle these questions and create a productive, safe, diverse and equitable forum.

[tmewa]

https://docs.google.com/document/d/19zx2xjHm6D4qWlfy7BTfwU-R-TFwyhtMYM5zvdH_E9U/edit - run down of project!

[ghost]

I like this idea. It resonates with the challenges in my part of the world -Africa, young people feel research is just for a few and it's almost not compatible with the present day realities. It's just some harsh task they force you to do at the end of your undergrad years. I am interested in challenging this thought pattern, and I think this do-a-thon will help me in that

[tmewa]

Thank you so much for your interest! Your input would be valuable. I would love to learn from what you have to say and implement it. Please free to add to the google doc and GitHub page. We’ll post an update on where we are in the collaboratory once we reach.

…

On Sun, Nov 4, 2018 at 10:41 Tooochi111 ***@***.***> wrote: I like this idea. It resonates with the challenges in my part of the world -Africa, young people feel research is just for a few and it's almost not compatible with the present day realities. It's just some harsh task they force you to do at the end of your undergrad years. I am interested in challenging this thought pattern, and I think this do-a-thon will help me in that — You are receiving this because you authored the thread. Reply to this email directly, view it on GitHub <#86 (comment)>, or mute the thread <https://github.com/notifications/unsubscribe-auth/AqRk9v1ClKmFPwxt-ebhkSRf45M68iJNks5urwqQgaJpZM4YMjft> .

[ghost]

Thanks @tmewa , I will look up the google doc now. BTW, I am following events online, so I will just comment online.

[tmewa]

We are in the process of mapping our theory of change. Thinking about where the project is now, the short and medium terms goals (inputs and outputs), and our long terms goals for how we envision the culture of academia changing.

[tmewa]

Check out the bottom of the google doc for pictures on our brainstorming session! Gone over the kind of culture change we want to see, what the website will look like and the challenges we have. Would love everyone’s feedback! Stay tuned for a link to the forum. Would love feedback on the kind of templates we could use to create the website.

[tmewa]

http://epress.utsc.utoronto.ca/openpraxis/2018/11/04/hello-world/#comments
Website is born! Lots of design work yet to be done. Leave your suggestions.

[tmewa]

OpenPraxis Forum Updates - Nov. 20th 2018.docx
OPF Action Items - Nov. 20th. 2018.docx

Check out these documents for the latest updates on the OpenPraxis Forum!

[Chelagatfei]

Such a brilliant idea. Looking forward to adding input.

[tmewa]

Such a brilliant idea. Looking forward to adding input.

Looking forward to receiving your input!

[tmewa]

Meeting with Karen - Nov. 23, 2018.docx

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1qil7rr3Fw6tlnE_bqhkfiZEWGDLNyWefD0GLbjaYLrQ/edit?usp=sharing

Latest updates - see docs above. One is conversation with Karen Young, the other is yesterday's meeting notes. Our next steps include figuring out the five Ws (five short bullet points of what exactly this project is), and registering/ establishing a space for this forum in the institution via the student union.