1. "Virtual Reality for Safer Medical Learning During a Pandemic" 2. "Enhancing Language Learning with Virtual Reality and 360-Degree Videos" 3. "Creating Quality OER: Recognition and Award for Textbook Authors" 4. "Backward Design: A Two-Way Approach to OER Creation" 5. "The Unique Needs of Spanish Heritage Speakers in Language Learning" 6. "The Impact of OER Textbooks on Student Learning and Affordability" 7. "Collaboration and Diversity in OER Textbook Creation" 8. "Unexpected Recognition for Work in Open Educational Resources" 9. "Challenges and Solutions for H five P Activities in Textbooks" 10. "Accessibility and Technology in OER and Language Learning"

Virtual reality, medical interpretation, COVID-19 pandemic, safer learning, confidence, competence, virtual environment, Google Cardboard, language immersion, culture shock, 360 videos, Spanish medical interpreting, assessments, Open Educational Resources (OER), quality textbooks, peer-review, education professionals, backward design, grammar topics, customized textbooks, community needs, heritage speakers, specialized courses, student satisfaction, affordability, language program, healthcare, education, contributors, unexpected award, student assessment, question banks, H five P, Higher Order Thinking Skills, Habits of Mind, Problem-Solving Strategies, accessibility.

Giovanni Zimotti is a program director and Spanish professor in Iowa who has become recognized for his work in open educational resources (OER). He stumbled into the world of OER through a failed project that involved creating question banks for student assessment and then dove deeper into the subject. He encountered a problem when a niche textbook for Spanish for professionals was no longer being published, so he and a colleague decided to write their own textbook using OER. This sparked his passion for the subject, and he has been devoted to promoting and creating OER ever since. Recently, he has received an award for his work in this field.

On this episode of OEG Voices, we explore the world of virtual reality and open educational resources. Our guest speaker talks about a VR project which allows medical students to practice medical interpretation in a virtual environment, providing them with a safer and more realistic learning experience. They also discuss their work on OER textbooks, explaining how it can be localized and customized to meet the needs of specific communities and student populations. The speaker highlights the benefits of using OER, such as accessibility and affordability, and also talks about their own experiences using OER in language programs. Lastly, we learn about the challenges and benefits of Higher Order Thinking Skills, Habits of Mind, and Problem-Solving Strategies activities. Join us as we dive into the world of VR and OER and explore its impact on education.

01:46 "Unexpected Award Recognizes Work in Open Education"

06:49 "Creating Spanish Textbooks and Building a Community: Two Projects in One Program"

08:19 "Unrestricted Opportunities with OER: Localize & Revise"

11:08 "Creating Textbooks with Stakeholders' Needs as Priority"

12:45 "Relying on HVP activities causes accessibility issues"

14:15 "Virtual Reality in Education: Reducing Cultural Shock"

16:57 "VR Medical Training: Bridging the COVID Gap"

19:23 "Teaching Spanish to heritage speakers: Understanding their needs"

21:32 "International Award Brings Recognition to OER Work"

24:39 Benefits of OER: Accessible Textbooks for All.

1. Virtual Reality (VR) project for medical interpretation training - Created in response to COVID-19 pandemic - Provides realistic training for medical interpretation - Safer than simulating in real life - Enhances confidence and competence
2. Virtual Reality and Open Educational Resources (OER) - Speaker's main field of research is virtual reality - Created a data app for Google Cardboard for language training - Promotes recognition of OER in academic world - Quality of OER is on par with traditional textbooks
3. Heritage speaker classes for Spanish language learners - Specific classes for professions like healthcare and education - Spanish heritage speakers need specialized courses - Speaker presents data to showcase the benefits of using OER textbooks
4. Open Educational Resources (OER) for Spanish language learners - OER textbooks provide access from day one of the course - Saves students who can't afford textbooks significant costs - Lack of support for homework is an issue
5. Higher Order Thinking Skills, Habits of Mind, and Problem-Solving Strategies (HVP) activities - Used as a self-assessment tool for students - Issues with double-checking answers and exporting to PDF - Accessibility issues for students with disabilities
6. Textbook creation process - Speaker used a two-way approach to creating textbook - Interviewed stakeholders, students, and used backward design approach - Textbooks can be localized to meet the needs of specific communities or student populations - The speaker is working on two projects to cover the whole language program
7. Awards and recognition - Speaker has won international awards for their work on OER - Received recognition as a program director and teacher, and for their work on textbook creation - Becoming more involved in OER after personal experience with it.

"Winning the OER Awards for Excellence in the Educator category felt fantastic."
Podcast Quote: Iowa City Educator on Receiving OER Award — Alan Levine 00:01:27 00:01:46

"The Roots of OER: Tell me about the place you grew up. I understand it's a small village in southern Italy." — Alan Levine 00:03:39 00:03:53

"The Importance of Interactivity in Learning: So maybe there was not enough interactivity, as it were. Yeah, maybe." — Alan Levine 00:04:35 00:04:50

"Design Strategies for Effective OER Textbooks: ...approaching it from the healthcare field, there's obviously specific needs for healthcare professionals to understand Spanish, but in terms of what works really well for learning or creating activities or lessons within these kind of textbooks." — Alan Levine 00:10:44 00:11:07

"Exploring the Limitations of HVIP: 'When you get a PDF to say, go online to see this, that really isn't a good substitute.'" — Alan Levine 00:13:50 00:14:15

"Tech FOMO: How do you pick and choose? How do you decide to invest some energy into a new direction?" - "And then I was thinking about just a couple of years, all the excitement about Google Glass and the fact that you had this immersed in the world and that kind of went down. You see these exciting technologies and after a while do you start to say, wow, I don't know if I really want to jump into that." — Alan Levine 00:16:37 00:16:56

"Teaching Spanish to Heritage Language Speakers: The Spanish that people like me are used to is like Spanish for tourists and people who didn't grow up speaking Spanish." — Alan Levine 00:19:08 00:19:23

"How to successfully transition faculty to OER: What's effective in working with faculty?" - "So in terms of working with faculty who are maybe new to adopting OER, how do you go about not just making a case for it, but getting them over? The possible hump of this looking like a lot of work." — Alan Levine 00:24:25 00:24:39

"Upcoming Conference Announcement: Plan a seed if you don't know, but our conference next year is going to be up in Edmonton, which is north of you, not quite overseas." — Alan Levine 00:27:18 00:27:34

"Spotlight: 'We're going to be featuring all the individual award winners like Giovanni...'" — Alan Levine 00:27:41 00:28:37

"Hey guys, it's [Name] and I just listened to this amazing podcast episode about virtual reality in medicine and open educational resources. The VR project was created in response to the pandemic, allowing students to safely practice medical interpretation in a virtual environment, gaining more confidence and competence for real-life situations. And let's talk about OER - it's just as good as traditional textbooks and can be customized for specific student populations. Plus, it's more affordable and accessible, especially for students who can't afford expensive textbooks. I also learned about the unique needs of Spanish heritage speakers and specialized language courses for professions like healthcare and education. Trust me, you don't want to miss this episode. Check it out now! #VRinMedicine #OER #OpenEducation #LanguageLearning #HeritageSpeakers"

In the latest episode of OEG Voices, we explored the fascinating world of Open Educational Resources with Dr. Kim Sanabria. Here are some key takeaways from our conversation: - VR technology is being used to simulate medical interpretation in a safe and controlled environment. - Dr. Sanabria believes that OER should be recognized for its quality, and the award she received is a step towards that recognition. - OER textbooks provide students with access from day one of the course, which can be critical for their learning and grades. Listen to the full episode to learn more about Dr. Sanabria's work in the field of language education and OER. #podcast #OER #languageeducation #VRtechnology

Dear Newsletter Subscriber, We hope this message finds you well. Today's podcast episode explores the use of virtual reality in medical interpretation as a response to the COVID-19 pandemic. The project provides students with a safe and realistic environment to practice interpretation, ensuring that they can gain confidence and competence before transitioning to real-life situations. The podcast also delves into the creation of Open Educational Resources (OER) by our featured speaker. OER textbooks, created with input from stakeholders and customized for specific communities or student populations, offer opportunities for customization and immediate error-fixing. The speaker also discusses the benefits of using OER textbooks, especially for students who cannot afford traditional textbooks. Students who use OER textbooks have access to the material from day one of the course, which is critical for their learning and grades. The speaker has received awards for their work, including one for their program directorship and teaching services over the last few years. They have also worked on H five P activities but had to reduce their use in new versions because of issues with accessibility. Overall, this episode provides valuable insights into the benefits of virtual reality and OER in education and highlights the need for customized and accessible resources. Thank you for tuning in, and we look forward to bringing you more exciting content in the future. Best regards, [Your Name]

📢 Calling all medical students! Check out this fascinating new podcast episode about a virtual reality project created in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. Learn how this VR project is helping medical students practice their interpretation skills in a safe and realistic environment. The speaker is an expert in virtual reality and created a data app for Google Cardboard to help students reduce culture shock when studying abroad. They are now applying their expertise to create 360 videos of medical encounters to teach Spanish medical interpreting. Did you know that Open Educational Resources (OER) can be on par with traditional textbooks in terms of quality? The speaker of this episode believes that OER should be recognized for its quality and has won an international award for their work in the last five years. They have even interviewed various stakeholders to create textbooks based on the needs of new teachers and students. In this podcast episode, the speaker also discusses the unique needs of Spanish heritage speakers and how OER textbooks can help meet those needs. Plus, learn about a fascinating HVP activities tool that helps students with self-assessment but may have accessibility issues. Tune in now to learn more about how OER textbooks are revolutionizing education! 🎧📚