2026 Colorado OER Conference

How do we move beyond lecturing about motivation to actually fostering it? This session explores the journey of the Calvin Project, an initiative designed to transform educational psychology through the marriage of Project-Based Learning (PBL) and Open Educational Resources (OER).

We will trace the project’s evolution from a pilot experiment into a sustainable, student-directed experience. Attendees will see how shifting from traditional textbooks and lectures to OER and PBL empowered students to build their own understanding of motivation by engaging in an authentic problem space that requires translating abstract theories into actional strategies, while publishing their work in accessible, interactive formats. By analyzing the Calvin Project’s framework, we will illustrate how to build a PBL structure that provides intentional scaffolding while preserving student ownership and discovery As we share our experience with the Calvin Project, we’ll demonstrate how OER and PBL work hand in hand to meet the changing needs of our students.

Whether you are looking to refresh a single unit or overhaul a full course, this session provides a roadmap for creating learning experiences that draw students in and transform the way they see the world around them.