CUNY Announces New Zero Textbook Degree To Save Money For Sociology Students - CUNY

 As part of the Zero Textbook Cost (ZTC) initiative, the CUNY School of Professional Studies (CUNY SPS) introduced the Sociology BA as its newest "Z Degree" program beginning this Fall Semester. As a Z Degree, all required sociology courses and many of its electives are now using free texts. "We are so pleased to offer the Sociology Z Degree—eliminating the cost of course textbooks from start to finish of the degree," said Dr. Bonnie Oglensky, academic director of the sociology and human relations programs. 

https://patch.com/new-york/chelsea-ny/cuny-announces-new-zero-textbook-degree-save-money-sociology-students

Columbia State awarded digital engagement grants - Mike Christen, The Daily Herald

 Columbia State Community College has been awarded approximately $60,000 in funding for two Tennessee Board of Regents Digital Engagement Initiative Open Educational Resources grants. The local community college communicates the new grant program will increase access to quality, low or no cost, inclusive educational materials through innovative programs focused on providing open education resources.

https://www.columbiadailyherald.com/story/news/2020/12/14/columbia-state-awarded-open-educational-resources-grant-funding/6514246002/

OAsis: the Commonwealth of Learning - OER

 OAsis is the Commonwealth of Learning’s online institutional repository for learning resources and publications. The publications found here are licensed under Creative Commons BY-SA 4.0 and can be freely downloaded for reuse and adaptation with attribution to COL (exceptions are noted). COL is an intergovernmental organisation that promotes the development and sharing of open learning and helps Commonwealth Member States and institutions harness the potential of distance learning and technologies for expanding access to education and training.

http://oasis.col.org/handle/11599/27/discover

PolyU Library of Hong Kong - OER in Business

This collection of OER is shared from the PolyU Library of Hong Kong.  Also at this site is a search function for all OER holdings at PolyU. 

https://oer.lib.polyu.edu.hk/featurepage?discipline=Business

Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board (THECB) Open Education Resource (OER) Development and Implementation Grants

 Interested in applying for a grant to offer no-cost textbook options in your classroom or department but not sure where to begin? Watch this informative virtual meeting to learn about Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board (THECB) Open Education Resource (OER) development and implementation grants. We will discuss this grant opportunity, OER support resources, and in-kind contributions available from TWU. Learn how TWU can help you with this OER grant.

https://twu-ir.tdl.org/handle/11274/12525

Educational Administrator Resources - Creative Commons

These resources are the result of a collaboration of educational leaders and the Oregon Department of Education to promote inclusive education. They are created by and for education leaders - including instructional approaches, and other useful links to support K-12 education. The Oregon Open Learning Hub will continue to evolve as a resource sharing platform

https://www.oercommons.org/groups/administrators-2/4955/

ASMSU approves climate, sustainability and OER bills among 14 going to GA - Jacob May, MIchigan State

Bill 57-52 works to add a Creative Commons attribution to previously passed Bill 57-31. Bill 57-31 advocates for an expansion of OER at MSU. OER are free and open educational and teaching materials that are in the public domain or licensed for free use and repurposing. By adding this attribution, the bill is made available for anyone to distribute and adapt, as long as credit is given to the creator. The intent of adding this attribution was to, according to the bill, allow that “other institutions can use Bill 57-31 as a resource to advocate for OER at their respective institutions.”

https://statenews.com/article/2020/12/asmsu-committees-dec-3

Winner of Best Open Education Research Paper: Amy Nusbaum

“Despite some marked progress, higher education is still a predominantly white, male, and upper-class place. This is true even in areas that are progressive in other ways, such as open education. This article describes a project where students and discipline-specific professionals contributed to the diversification of an open education textbook. I found that this diversified textbook led first-generation students to feel a higher sense of belongingness on campus compared to when they read a typical textbook.”

http://go-gn.net/featured/fred-mulder-awards-2020-the-winners/

Raising awareness about access to affordable textbooks - Rayne Vieger, Around the O

 I am an e-learning and open educational resource (OER) librarian, which consists of two main roles. For the e-learning side of my job, I serve as an instructional designer within the library. I advance the library’s presence in online learning and design online learning supports for students. I also raise awareness about textbook affordability and the need for open educational resources, or OERs. OERs are free and openly licensed course materials or textbooks that can help ensure that all students have access to course materials on the first day of class regardless of their financial situation.

https://around.uoregon.edu/content/raising-awareness-about-access-affordable-textbooks

Information Technology for Open Science: Innovation for Research - Randolph Hall, EDUCAUSE Review

The alternative, today, is "open science." Through open science, data are contributed to shared repositories as they are produced and collected, methods and designs are revealed at the onset of a study, and papers are shared widely in their draft form. As a consequence, the slow and sequential process of traditional research (see figure 1) is transformed into a system of parallel research that occurs more rapidly and collaboratively (see figure 2). When the underlying data, materials, equipment, and detailed experimental design are shared, research from one laboratory can be more readily validated by another.

https://er.educause.edu/articles/2020/12/information-technology-for-open-science-innovation-for-research

Apply for Spring 2021 Open Educational Resources Mini Awards for faculty & instructors - Tisch Library, Tufts

Open Educational Resources (OER) are “teaching, learning and research materials in any medium – digital or otherwise – that reside in the public domain or have been released under an open license that permits no-cost access, use, adaptation and redistribution by others with no or limited restrictions.” (UNESCO)  Tisch Library is offering new OER Mini Awards for the Spring 2021 semester. This program provides financial support for faculty & instructors in the Schools of Arts, Sciences & Engineering who are interested in adopting or creating OER for their spring courses. https://tischlibrary.tufts.edu/about-us/news/2020-11-19-10008 

Six Faculty Selected for Paid Course Conversion Program and Workshop - University of Arkansas

 Six University of Arkansas faculty have been selected to participate in programs designed by the University Libraries and Global Campus to reduce student costs and allow for enhanced innovation in teaching. Selected applicants include Micaela Baranello, Patrick Hagerman, Stephanie Hubert, Linda Jones, Jacquelyn Mosley and Manuel Rossetti. 

https://news.uark.edu/articles/55419/six-faculty-selected-for-paid-course-conversion-program-and-workshop

Lifelong Learning: Leveraging Open Educational Resources (OER) and Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs) to Continuously Learn With Minimal Financial Investment - Kristin Olson Palmer, Osaka Conference on Education

This presentation will be an overview of resources for how to continuously learn with online

resources for minimal cost. Open Educational Resources (OER) such as free online classes,

digital textbooks, and YouTube channels will be reviewed. Massive Open Online Courses

(MOOCs), Class Central and initiatives around COVID-19 and free classes will be reviewed.

Subscription services like LinkedIn Learning, Udacity, Future Learn, and Udemy will be

reviewed. Large businesses with free training resources such as Google, IBM, and Salesforce

will be reviewed. Career pathways such as IT helpdesk, cloud administrator, and digital

marketing manager will be discussed with how to take online courses for minimal cost to get

official certificates to prepare you for future job opportunities. 

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1PNIg_sORaTCl2fJQgFswKPjNM4MU1YFd/view

Fairmont State professor awarded research grant - Times West Virginian

 A health care education guidebook used in U.S. college classrooms will be getting an update by an associate professor at Fairmont State University. Janie Leary, associate professor of community health, has been awarded an undisclosed grant by the West Virginia Higher Education Policy Commission and the Community and Technical College System to allow her to research and write an update for the guidebook "Making Health Communication Programs Work."https://www.timeswv.com/news/saturday_news/fairmont-state-professor-awarded-research-grant/article_6c411faa-316a-11eb-b74e-9fc86582cbe9.html

Wallace State’s Adrian Scott earns grant to implement open education resources - Cullman Times

 Wallace State Community College’s Adrian Scott, director of the college’s Graphic Art and Design program, is the recipient of a grant from the Alabama Commission on Higher Education (ACHE) and the Alabama Community College System (ACCS) that has the potential to save students money on textbooks.

https://www.cullmantimes.com/news/wallace-state-s-adrian-scott-earns-grant-to-implement-open-education-resources/article_2c409946-30f0-11eb-b66d-6b741fcb06c7.html

International perspectives on using OER for online learning - Dabae Lee & Eunbae Lee, Educational Technology Research and Development

 International perspectives on using OER for online learning

Dabae Lee & Eunbae Lee 

Educational Technology Research and Development (2020)Cite this article

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Abstract

This article examines the work by Hilton (Educ Technol Res Dev 64: 573–590. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11423-016-9434-9, 2016) entitled, “Open educational resources and college textbook choices: A review of research on efficacy and perceptions” from international perspectives. Hilton (Educ Technol Res Dev 64: 573–590. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11423-016-9434-9, 2016) synthesized findings of 16 studies that investigated the academic outcomes of open educational resources (OER) and perceptions of college students and instructors. The academic outcomes were comparable to using traditional textbooks, and perceptions were positive. His work highlights effectiveness of OER in online courses resulting from their technological affordances. The COVID-19 pandemic pushed many institutions around the globe to abruptly shift their instructions digital and make learning more flexible and affordable for those who face medical, financial, and daily life challenges. Hilton’s findings (Educ Technol Res Dev 64: 573–590. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11423-016-9434-9, 2016) provide collective evidence to support the adoption of OER and shed light on how it can be used and what future work is needed internationally. This article examines the international value, implications, and limitations of his work and suggests future directions.

https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s11423-020-09871-5

Fairmont State professor awarded a grant to enhance outdated educational tools - Emily McNamara, WBOY

The West Virginia Higher Education Policy Commission and the Community and Technical College System have provided a grant to support faculty seeking to create, or adopt open education resources to use in college courses. The WVHEPC presented the opportunity to combat economic hardships placed on college students as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. Associate Professor of Community Health, Dr. Janie Leary, has been awarded the OER grant to enhance learning in the Communication Techniques for Health Promotion course.

https://www.wboy.com/news/marion/a-fairmont-state-professor-awarded-grant-to-enhance-outdated-educational-tools/

Open Educational Resources - University of Arkansas

 Open Educational Resources (OER) are "free AND openly licensed educational materials that can be used for teaching, learning, research and other purposes." (Creative Commons Wiki 2018). When used in the classroom they can be accessed by students for free or at minimal cost. By collaborating to create high-quality shared texts, the academic community can dramatically lower the cost of textbooks and class materials for the students they teach. Learn more at the SPARC website or on our Research Guide.

https://libraries.uark.edu/oer/

The OER World Map

 The OER World Map is the place on the web where anyone involved in Open Education can share information, experiences and ideas related to their work. Anyone can contribute to the information on the World Map and anyone can access the information on the World Map.

https://oerworldmap.org/

Open Educational Resources - Lehman College

 Results indicate that OER adoption does much more than simply save students money. OER improve end-of-course grades and decrease DFW (D, F, and Withdrawal letter grades) rates for all students. They also improve course grades and decrease DFW rates at greater rates for Pell recipient students, part-time students, and populations historically underserved by higher education. OER address affordability, completion, attainment gap concerns, and learning. These findings contribute to a broadening perception of the value of OERs and their relevance to the great challenges facing higher education today.

https://libguides.lehman.edu/oer

Open Educational Resources (OER): What are OER? - University of Illinois

This guide provides instructor a basic understanding of Open Educational Resources (OER), including how to find, evaluate, use, and adapt OER materials for their own curriculum. OER are teaching, learning, and research resources that reside in the public domain or have been released under an intellectual property license that permits their free use and re-purposing by others. 

https://guides.library.illinois.edu/oer

Student guide to Open Educational Resources (OER) - Takoma Community College

 OER stands for "Open Educational Resources" and is linked to an educational movement that began about 20 years ago and has become a global educational movement. Faculty who use OER in their courses are using freely available, high-quality educational resources in order to bring textbook costs down for students. OER, in essence, then are freely available, openly licensed resources -- textbooks, media, videos, articles, and more -- that are useful for teaching, learning, and assessing as well as for research purposes.

https://tacomacc.libguides.com/oerstudentguide

Open Educational Resources (OER) EDUCAUSE

Explore this resource site—a collection of all EDUCAUSE resources related to open educational resources (OER) in higher education.

https://library.educause.edu/topics/teaching-and-learning/open-educational-resources-oer

Browse OER Commons

 Explore. Create. Collaborate. OER Commons is a public digital library of open educational resources. Explore, create, and collaborate with educators around the world to improve curriculum. Fine tune your search with our advanced search. We’re here to support your remote teaching and learning needs

https://www.oercommons.org/oer

Open Educational Resources (OER) - UNESCO

 Open Educational Resources (OER) are teaching, learning and research materials in any medium – digital or otherwise – that reside in the public domain or have been released under an open license that permits no-cost access, use, adaptation and redistribution by others with no or limited restrictions.  OER form part of ‘Open Solutions’, alongside Free and Open Source software (FOSS), Open Access (OA), Open Data (OD) and crowdsourcing platforms.

https://en.unesco.org/themes/building-knowledge-societies/oer#:~:text=Open%20Educational%20Resources%20(OER)%20are,with%20no%20or%20limited%20restrictions.

FHSU’s Nickerson Selected As A SPARC Open Education Leadership Fellow - Ft. Hays State University

 “The SPARC fellowship is a significant and well-deserved honor reflective of Ms. Nickerson’s professional knowledge and expertise,” said Deborah Ludwig, library dean. The leadership program spans two semesters, beginning with an intensive online course in the fall to build open education subject matter mastery. In the spring, Nickerson will work with a mentor to implement a capstone project that will help advance open education at Fort Hays State and contribute to the broader open education field.

https://www.fhsu.edu/news/2020/11/fhsus-nickerson-selected-as-a-sparc-open-education-leadership-fellow

Planning for academic continuity through online learning - Carlos Morales, University World News

 Training in areas such as instructional technology, teaching with technology and open educational resources (OER) are essential for faculty. Prior experience of using instructional technology in face-to-face environments is advantageous. In many cases, these are the same tools used to deliver instruction in remote or online learning instances. For academic continuity, these activities should be planned and done on an incremental basis. This will allow faculty to absorb the information and provide them with an opportunity to test and conduct activities long before the emergency takes place.

https://www.universityworldnews.com/post.php?story=20201023091819161

OPEN EDUCATION AND ARTIFICIAL SCARCITY IN HARD TIMES - Rory Mir, EFF Deeplinks Blog, Link

The sudden move to remote education by universities this year has forced the inevitable: the move to an online education. While most universities won’t be fully remote, having course materials online was already becoming the norm before the COVID-19 pandemic, and this year it has become mandatory for millions of educators and students. As academia recovers from this crisis, and hopefully prepares for the next one, the choices we make will send us down one of two paths. We can move towards a future of online education which replicates the artificial scarcity of traditional publishing, or take a path which fosters an abundance of free materials by embracing the principles of open access and open education.

http://infojustice.org/archives/42740

More Minnesota community colleges ditch pricey textbooks in favor of free online readings - Ryan Faircloth, Star Tribune

 The shift within the Minnesota State college system coincides with a growing national movement away from costly textbooks, which can add hundreds of dollars per semester to the tabs of students who are already deep in debt. “It’s an example of an innovation that can save students thousands of dollars over the course of their education,” said Kim Lynch, Minnesota State’s senior system director of educational innovations.

https://www.startribune.com/more-minnesota-community-colleges-ditch-pricey-textbooks-in-favor-of-free-online-readings/572902871/

Local academic library organization getting creative to save students big bucks - Anthony Schoettle, IBJ

Amid the economic downturn and an uncertain near-term future, colleges and students everywhere are looking for ways to keep the price of a post-secondary education down. The Private Academic Library Network of Indiana Inc. thinks it has several digitally driven initiatives that will help do that. To combat the financial pressures on college students and their families, PALNI has created its affordable learning program—PALSave—with the goal of saving students more than $1 million in five years. Due to the early growth of their initiatives, PALNI officials are confident they’ll beat that goal, saving students $1.25 million by mid-2024.

https://www.ibj.com/articles/local-academic-library-organization-getting-creative-to-save-students-big-bucks

Want to Make College More Affordable for Your Students? - UNLV

A couple of stats that may startle some faculty members: seven out of 10 students do not purchase a required textbook at some point during their academic career because of cost. And 60% of students have delayed purchasing textbooks until they’ve received their financial aid, putting them behind in that class from the start.

https://www.unlv.edu/news/article/want-make-college-more-affordable-your-students