This study bridges academia, industry, and public sectors through OER development for municipal drinking water workforces. We created learning modules for continuing education, co-developed with industry professionals. These modules are built by and with users, closely considering their end use throughout the creation process. We show that while OERs advance accessibility for learners, digital commoning through boundary organizations also ensures that users can contribute to or create content that reflects their community’s concerns, historical knowledge, and specific skills.
The presentation reports on use of Gala, an open educational tool, to collaboratively design learning modules on water flushing and disinfectant by-products for water utility professionals. These modules were conceived in university partnerships with civic utilities, developed and beta-tested in partnership with boundary organization The Water Tower via a networkshop and in-person piloting in Spring 2026.
Attendees of this session will be able to:- Understand the importance of bridging academic and technical pedagogical pathways, particularly for the public sector.
- Ideate a method of collaborating with intersectoral partners to develop learning tools intended for workforce development and on-the-job training.
- Understand the co-creation process for building OERs, from research and early development, to alpha and beta testing, to piloting and launching.
- Participate in educational digital commons through Gala as a platform for hosting collaborative and living case studies.
