Collaborative Pathways in Sports Management: A Journey Through Partnership Pedagogy in an Open Access Textbook

Overview

This chapter explores the application of partnership pedagogy to develop an open-access textbook tailored for sports management students at Western Sydney University. It underscores the benefits of partnership-driven teaching methods and traces its evolution through the collaborative creation of an open-access textbook in conjunction with industry stakeholders. In the realm of sports management, where North American and British literature often holds sway, creating an open-access textbook paved the way for students to gain a more comprehensive understanding of the Australian sports industry.

By closely collaborating with sports codes and organisations, academics have actively co-created and co-designed curricula, captured local insights, and dismantled geographical barriers to sharing knowledge about the flourishing Australian sports market—an aspect typically overlooked in conventional sports management textbooks. The collaborative efforts with sports organisations have not only provided a platform for representing typically marginalised sectors, such as women’s sports, but also for exploring niche activities, such as surfing and skateboarding. This inclusive approach, facilitated by the open-access platform, elevates and delves into these previously underexplored areas within the course content.

Key stakeholders

The key stakeholders involved in the creation of this open access textbook were sport management academic staff, the library staff, the university legal staff and industry leaders working in the sports sector. The case studies included in the open textbook reflect those sourced from local sporting organisations in the region and range from grassroots sports examples to national sporting teams.

Background information

The creation of an open-access textbook for a sports marketing unit stemmed from two primary challenges encountered by the subject coordinator during the initial design of the subject.

Firstly, she observed that conventional sports marketing textbooks often inadequately address the unique characteristics of Australian sports culture, given that most of these books focus on North American and British contexts (Chen & Mason, 2018). This created challenges for students who had difficulty relating to and understanding the core concepts of the course content. As one student reflected in a focus group after the semester had finished.

“I think I liked the fact that the reading was sometimes based on our local teams here. It made it easier to understand the case study, and when we were asked about the, like, tribal aspect of fandom, I could really contribute as it’s my team. I found it a lot easier to understand the theory this way, usually I am pretty confused because I don’t know anything about American football and like the fans there”.

Secondly, it became clear that mainstream sports management textbooks largely emphasise male-dominated sports and professional leagues, overlooking the growth of the Australian professional women’s sports industry (Hardin et al., 2006). Furthermore, emerging professional sports such as e-sports, surfing, and skateboarding were notably underrepresented in the existing sports marketing curriculum.

With the guidance of the Western Open Books Library team this initiative offered a cost-effective solution for students to access all course content in a single location via a website link. (Western Sydney University Library, 2024) This ensured that students had free access to all required materials for the course and allowed those experiencing enrolment or access issues could stay engaged with the course content without falling behind in their studies.

It has always been seen as problematic and detrimental to student well-being to charge for resources and textbooks on top of expensive tuition fees. In a cost-of-living crisis, open-access textbooks are a way for academics to provide some equity for students and society. As noted by Stagg & Partridge (2019) ‘The affordances of open texts provide an alternative to commercially published and often exclusionary access practices; and empower educators and students in co-creation and open sharing of information and knowledge.’

Project description

The project was centred around the sport management staff’s commitment to promoting partnership pedagogy (see Barrie & Pizzica, 2019) across all subjects within their revised major. Partnership pedagogy refers to an environment where academics, students, library staff and external industry partners collaborate on meaningful projects, effectively bridging the gap between academic theory and real-world practice.

As part of this process, the subject coordinator undertook an industry internship at a national sports organisation to gain a deeper understanding of the needs and requirements of working in marketing within this specialist field. From her observations and interviews with this and other sport businesses in the region, she developed case studies that reflect real industry challenges faced by the sports sector. This process of content co-creation enabled the development of authentic learning experiences, which were embedded into the open textbook.

As academics transition into new teaching and learning approaches brought on by the evolution of technology, university curriculum must be dynamic and responsive to change. Textbooks and resources supporting course learning objectives and outcomes also must be agile, offering innovative ways to engage students flexibly.

Open textbooks, particularly the Pressbooks platform used by Western Open Books service at Western Sydney University, provide interactive elements and enable academic authors to adapt and develop learning materials for a localised curriculum, whilst also connecting students with the global industry of sport. Additionally, the platform’s inbuilt quizzes, fill-in- the-blank and other interactive ‘knowledge checks’ allow students to test their understanding asynchronously, without the pressure of formal assessment, thus enhancing their learning experience.

Key outcomes

The key outcomes for students and teaching staff using an open textbook on sports management are both educationally enriching and practical.

For students, the main benefit is easy access to high-quality, current learning materials without the cost of traditional textbooks. This ensures that all students can succeed in the course regardless of their financial situation. The format also means students can access the content from anywhere, on any device (including mobile phones, tablets and laptops), at any time, supporting different learning styles and needs. Including real-world case studies and interactive elements, such as quizzes and videos, makes learning more engaging and relevant. Students connect what they learn in theory with real-world examples, helping them prepare for the challenges they may face throughout their careers in sports.

For teaching staff, Western Open Books offers flexibility in course design. Authors of the open textbook can easily update the material each semester by swapping in different case studies or embedding YouTube videos and social media content directly into the textbook. The ability to also include contributions from academics in different countries adds valuable global perspectives to the course content, enriching sports management education with diverse case studies. By incorporating case studies from various regions (including the UK and USA), the open textbook helps students understand how sports management operates worldwide.

Adopting an open education approach enhances learning both locally and internationally, and students at universities worldwide can easily access the Australian case studies it contains, thereby enhancing their educational experience. This global collaboration strengthens international teaching partnerships and creates a shared educational resource that benefits everyone involved.

Overall, the flexibility and adaptability of the open textbook allows our sports marketing course to stay aligned with current industry trends, ensuring that the content remains interesting, relatable, and relevant. The collaborative process of developing these resources also strengthens the connection between local and international academics and the sports industry, benefiting both educators and students. Furthermore, the open-access model encourages ongoing feedback and continuous improvements, fostering a dynamic and evolving learning environment.

Learnings and recommendations

It must be acknowledged that writing an open textbook is a substantial learning experience that demands a significant investment of time and effort. The process of sourcing materials and case studies, in addition to writing the open textbook, can be time-consuming, involving not only content creation but also becoming proficient with the platform. Designing the structure and embedding interactive activities with multimedia elements adds to the complexity of the task.

However, this is where collaboration between librarians and academics proves invaluable. Librarians can support academics by sourcing relevant materials and offering their expertise in effectively using the Pressbook platform. They also provide insights into innovative ways to enhance student learning through interactive activities and other online resources. This collaboration ensures that the content is both comprehensive and well-researched, while also being engaging and accessible, ultimately creating a more enriching educational experiences for students.

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References

Barrie, S. C., & Pizzica, J. (2019). Reimagining university curriculum for a disrupted future of work : partnership pedagogy. In J. Higgs, W. Letts, & G. Crisp (Eds.), Education for Employability (Volume 2): Learning for Future Possibilities (pp. 143-152). https://doi.org/10.1163/9789004418707_012

Chen, C., & Mason, D. S. (2018). A Postcolonial Reading of Representations of Non-Western Leadership in Sport Management Studies. Journal of Sport Management, 32(2), 150-169. https://doi.org/10.1123/jsm.2017-0160

Hardin, M., Dodd, J. E., & Lauffer, K. (2006). Passing It On: The Reinforcement of Male Hegemony in Sports Journalism Textbooks. Mass Communication and Society, 9(4), 429-446. https://doi.org/10.1207/s15327825mcs0904_3

Stagg, A., & Partridge, H. (2019). Facilitating Open Access to Information: A Community Approach to Open Education and Open Textbooks. Proceedings of the Association for Information Science and Technology, 56(1), 477-480. https://doi.org/10.1002/pra2.76

Western Sydney University Library. (2024). Western Open Books. https://library.westernsydney.edu.au/researchers/western_open_books