Funding Student Success: Grant Funding for Open Educational Resources - Ashley Mowreader, Inside Higher Ed

Amajority of faculty members say textbook affordability is a top priority for their university, but two in five educators say they need help understanding affordable course material options, the National Association of College Stores’ 2024 Faculty Watch Report found. Since 2021–22, Tennessee Tech University has utilized grant funding to incentivize faculty members to identify and choose Open Educational Resources (OER) to reduce costs for students. Over the past few years, the program has saved students collectively around $1.4 million dollars and ongoing university funding keeps the program rolling.

https://www.insidehighered.com/news/student-success/academic-life/2024/03/20/tenn-tech-cuts-course-material-costs-students

Drake University Expands eCampus.com Partnership to Launch New "Course Ready" Program for the Fall of 2024 - Yahoo! Finance

Drake University, a premier private university in Des Moines, Iowa, announces a student-focused advancement with its expanded partnership with eCampus.com, a leader in online bookstore and collegiate retail solutions. Beginning Fall 2024, Drake University will implement the innovative Course Ready program for undergraduate students. Students enrolled in the program automatically receive all required course materials prior to the first day of class. The Course Ready program underscores Drake University's continued commitment to student success and educational equity.

https://finance.yahoo.com/news/drake-university-expands-ecampus-com-140000157.html

OER Academic Freedom: A Vehicle for Diversity and Inclusivity -Marci Wicker, Information Today

For the past 20 years, the open educational resource (OER) movement has been building. “A long-term goal is for OERs to be openly licensed ... as well as technologically accessible and editable using generally available tools, and designed with diverse learners in mind,” according to T.J. Bliss and M. Smith in “A Brief History of Open Educational Resources” from 2017. The resounding thump in the hearts of all of those who believe in OERs are those 5 Rs that are relied on to help us reach a more equitable and generous future: Retain, Reuse, Revise, Remix, and Redistribute.

https://newsbreaks.infotoday.com/NewsBreaks/EDI-Perspectives-Part-4-162863.asp

Inside Higher Ed podcast: UC Clermont professor speaks on increasing affordability in course materials - Patty Goedl, University of Cincinnati

University of Cincinnati accounting Professor Patty Goedl shared on Inside Higher Ed’s podcast “The Key” how she wrote and published an open education resource textbook, saving students thousands of dollars each semester. According to Inside Higher Ed, a 2023 survey of Pennsylvania college students found 71% of students are worried about meeting their course material costs for the term, and 16% have failed a class because they could not afford the course materials. Despite nearly two-thirds of faculty members viewing textbook affordability as a top priority, a spring 2023 Student Voice survey from Inside Higher Ed and College Pulse found 26% of students believe their professors do not take affordability into account when choosing course materials.

https://www.uc.edu/news/articles/2024/03/inside-higher-ed-podcast--uc-clermont-professor-speaks-on-increasing-affordability-in-course-materials.html

Faculty Publications Available at No Cost Through University Libraries - University of Arkansas

The Global Campus and University Libraries have collaborated with U of A faculty since 2017 to create open access textbooks for their courses. These are available not only to their students, but to all online users at no cost. Earlier publications are housed in the university's institutional repository, while more recent texts can be viewed on the U of A's Pressbooks website.  

https://news.uark.edu/articles/69814/faculty-publications-available-at-no-cost-through-university-libraries

Western Oregon University highlights recent publications and resources - Brittany Kima, Western Oregon University

In addition to traditional publications, faculty have been actively involved in creating materials through the Open Educational Resources (OER) program. OER are freely available teaching, learning, and research resources that reside in the public domain or have been released under an intellectual property license permitting their free use and re-purposing by others. Under an open license, OER materials permit everyone to engage in the 5Rs: Retain, Reuse, Revise, Remix, and Redistribute. This allows educators and learners to adapt and customize the materials to suit their needs, fostering a collaborative and inclusive learning environment. 

https://wou.edu/2024/03/14/western-oregon-university-highlights-recent-publications-and-resources/

MTU to host conference on open education research and policy

The 15th annual Association of Learning Technology conference for Open Education Research, Practice and Policy takes place in MTU's Bishopstown Campus on March 27th and 28th. MTU is hosting the conference in partnership with the Association of Learning Technology. More than 200 delegates from North America, the UK and other parts of the EU are set to arrive in Cork for the conference.

https://www.c103.ie/news/c103-news-and-sport/over-200-delegates-due-in-cork-for-conference-on-open-education-research-and-policy/

Voices of Student Success: Improving Textbook Affordability - Ashley Mowreader, Inside Higher Ed

In this episode, Patty Goedl from the University of Cincinnati at Clermont discusses her OER e-textbook, which she wrote and developed to make her managerial accounting course more accessible to learners. Hosted by Inside Higher Ed Student Success Reporter Ashley Mowreader. 

https://www.insidehighered.com/podcasts/key-podcast/2024/03/05/voices-student-success-improving-textbook-affordability

Three ways libraries are championing the open access movement - Karen Glover, Times Higher Education

The open access movement has progressed very slowly over the past few decades. Recent changes to US federal guidelines for grant funding have rejuvenated the conversation around a sustainable open access publishing model. Although the perfect publishing model has yet to present itself, libraries have worked diligently to support this initiative over the years and have a vested interest in free access to information. One of the core missions of libraries is to provide equitable access to information in perpetuity. The open access movement fits nicely with that mission, so it makes sense that libraries would support and advocate for open access.

https://www.timeshighereducation.com/campus/three-ways-libraries-are-championing-open-access-movement

Making self-created learning material available to everyone - Observant Online

A presentation on aggression against nursing staff, an animation video in which the concept of interdisciplinarity is explained, an image of nerves in the pelvic area. These are all examples of Open Educational Resources: self-created public learning materials that lecturers have shared on platforms intended for that purpose. This week, during Open Education Week, there will be extra attention for this.

https://www.observantonline.nl/english/Home/Articles/id/61452/making-self-created-learning-material-available-to-everyone

MCC Celebrates Open Education Week by Highlighting the Value of OER - Middlesex Community College

Equitable and flexible education – combined with hands-on learning – is what Middlesex Community College is all about. For many classes, Middlesex uses Open Educational Resources (OER) that are in the public domain. Faculty and students can learn, edit and cite the free sources of information to enhance the learning experience. “OER can make excellent educational resources more accessible to a larger group of students, including those who might not have access to traditional textbooks,” said Siya Bhagat, MCC’s OER Student Ambassador for the 2023-2024 academic year. “It may also present chances for cooperation with institutions and instructors who share similar goals, exchanging resources and best practices.”

https://patch.com/massachusetts/bedford-ma/mcc-celebrates-open-education-week-highlighting-value-oer

MONDAY, MARCH 4, 2024 Updates on the 2023-24 Staebler Insurance OER Fellows Grant Projects - University of Waterloo

As part of the Library’s mission to make learning materials freely accessible and available, the Staebler Insurance OER Fellows Grant supports the creation of open education resources (OER) at Waterloo. The Library, with the generous support of Staebler Insurance, provides Waterloo instructors with competitive grants of up to $5,000 each to help create or adapt OER for use in a Waterloo course.  As we prepare to announce a new round of grant recipients during Open Education Week, we’re reflecting on the progress the 2023-24 fellows have made on their projects. 

https://uwaterloo.ca/library/news/archive/2024-03

Tennessee Tech program has saved students $1.4 million in textbook costs - Herald-Citizen

A program at Tennessee Tech University has saved students $1.4 million in textbook costs in less than three years, and a pioneering group of English and business instructors have now been recognized for their efforts as part of the initiative. The Open Educational Resources program began at Tech in the 2021-22 academic year and incentivizes university instructors to develop their classes with zero-cost course materials. It all started when Mike Gotcher, dean of the College of Interdisciplinary Studies, teamed up with Sharon Holderman, library coordinator of public services, and Amy Miller, assistant director of study abroad, to apply for and receive a $30,000 Tennessee Board of Regents grant.

https://www.herald-citizen.com/news/education/tennessee-tech-program-has-saved-students-1-4-million-in-textbook-costs/article_53b906d2-0e73-566c-ac4d-04d6b2743f73.html

UCT study shows empowering nature of ChatGPT in resource creation - CapeTown, ETC.

A recently published study by Associate Professor Glenda Cox, Michelle Willmers, Robyn Brown and Professor Michael Held explores the use of ChatGPT as a writing tool by undergraduate medical students engaged in the co-creation of chapters for an orthopaedics textbook in collaboration with medical professionals. The paper highlights affordances provided to not only enhance students’ AI digital literacy skills but also instill a sense of ownership and contribution towards their educational journey through acting as partners in the creation of OER.

https://www.capetownetc.com/news/uct-study-shows-empowering-nature-of-chatgpt-in-resource-creation/

Introduction to OER Adoption Virtual Workshop - UW MIlwaukee

This virtual workshop on Wednesday, March 27 from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. will introduce faculty to open textbooks — a type of open educational resource (OER) — and the benefits these textbooks offer: affordability, pedagogical practice, student learning, and engagement. Faculty are then invited to engage with open textbooks by writing a brief review of a book in the Open Textbook Library. Several UWM courses use Open Textbooks, removing textbook cost as a barrier to student success. For more information about UWM’s Open Textbook and OER initiative, see the guide to Open Educational Resources.

https://uwm.edu/libraries/event/oer-adoption-workshop-2/

Creative Commons Certificate 2024: Expanding Global Reach in Open Education - BNN

As the digital landscape continues to evolve, the Creative Commons (CC) Certificate program announces a significant update to its course content for 2024, aiming to further empower global sharing of open knowledge and culture. Since its inception in 2018, the initiative has seen over 1700 graduates from 65 countries, reflecting its widespread impact and importance in fostering open educational resources (OER) and practices.

https://bnnbreaking.com/breaking-news/education/creative-commons-certificate-2024-expanding-global-reach-in-open-education

At the Forefront of Open Education - Heather Montague, TU Delft

TU Delft has been actively involved in the dynamic and evolving open education movement for many years, making significant contributions to the field. As Open Education Coordinator for the TU Delft Library, Michiel de Jong has been instrumental in putting the university at the forefront, facilitating the creation, curation, and use of open educational resources. Preparing to leave the university for a new challenge, he reflects on the journey, what has been accomplished, and what is yet to come.

https://www.tudelft.nl/en/open-science/articles-tu-delft/at-the-forefront-of-open-education

Open Education Resources grant open for submissions - University of North Dakota

Are you interested in supporting student success by reducing the cost of textbooks? Would you like to tweak course materials to be more relevant to your students? Do you wish to make information openly available? With the generous support of the Office of the Provost, the University Senate OER Committee announces that the 2024 UND OER Grant application is open for submissions. The committee will be awarding up to six grants this year. Awardees typically receive $3,000. The deadline for application submissions is Monday, March 11, but if you need additional time, a later deadline can be arranged.

https://blogs.und.edu/uletter/2024/02/open-education-resources-grant-open-for-submissions/

UTSA's OER Initiative Revolutionizes Textbook Accessibility, Saving Students Millions - Muhammad Jawad, UTSA

UTSA Libraries' Open Educational Resources (OER) initiative, spearheaded by Open Education Coordinator DeeAnn Ivie, is transforming the academic landscape by significantly reducing the financial burden of educational materials for students. Leveraging open licensing, the initiative offers an expansive array of educational content, including textbooks, videos, and assignments, at minimal to no cost. With a strategic goal to increase OER usage in core curriculum classes to nearly 100% in the next five to seven years, the initiative recently received a substantial boost with a $10,000 grant from Driving Open Educational Resources Sustainability for Student Success (DOERS3).

https://bnnbreaking.com/world/us/utsas-oer-initiative-revolutionizes-textbook-accessibility-saving-students-millions

OER is revolutionizing textbook use at UTSA - Faith Kouadio, the Paisano

UTSA Libraries’ Open Educational Resources (OER) are changing the landscape of expensive educational materials on campus. Through open licensing, digital and print textbooks, videos, class assignments, exercises and more can be utilized in class curriculums at no or low cost. Open Education Coordinator DeeAnn Ivie and the UTSA Libraries team are looking to increase the use of these materials in core curriculum classes — classes that are eligible for transfer credit to other Texas institutions — to as close as 100% within the next five to seven years. 

https://paisano-online.com/38717/news/oer-is-revolutionizing-textbook-use-at-utsa/

Open Educational Resources cut student costs and increase engagement - Sandra Messick, UC Santa Cruz

Many students face a financial challenge when it comes to covering the cost of course materials each quarter. This can sometimes prevent them from taking a class or be the reason behind their decision to withdraw from one. To help reduce this financial burden, a growing number of instructors at UC Santa Cruz are using Open Educational Resources (OER). It’s an equity issue,” said Sarah Hare, UC Santa Cruz’s new open educational resources librarian. “Students cannot engage in class if they can’t access the text or the homework.” 

https://news.ucsc.edu/2024/02/open-educational-resources-program.html

Impact of Open Education Resources By Denis Shannon & Kathryn Senn, University of Wyoming

As college tuition and associated fees continue to rise, so too have the prices of textbooks. Between February 2020 and January 2023, the overall cost of textbooks to students has risen 7.2%, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistic’s 2023 report. A 2022 report conducted by the National Association of College Stores found that students are spending less on course materials than in previous years and around one in four students opted out of purchasing at least one course material.  This is further corroborated by a survey conducted by the Florida Virtual Campus in 2022 where 53.5% of survey respondents said they did not buy a required textbook because of its cost.

https://www.uwyo.edu/libraries/about/blog/2024/impact-of-oer.html

The University of Illinois Chicago (UIC) Recognizes 3 Faculty Members for OER: Announcement of Applications - UIC

Nominate faculty for USG Open Educational Resources Leadership Award

February 19, 2024

Dear faculty, staff and students,

The Undergraduate Student Government, in collaboration with the University Library and the Office of the Provost and Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs, is excited to commence the USG Faculty OER Leadership Award Program.

The award recognizes faculty members who demonstrate exemplary usage of open educational resources in their classrooms and are leaders in using and advocating for open course material. Examples of such use include, but are not limited to, using open textbooks, using/incorporating free educational resources/materials in courses and creating open educational materials. Three faculty members will be selected to receive a $500 award and recognition at award ceremonies.

https://today.uic.edu/nominate-faculty-for-usg-open-educational-resources-leadership-award/

Training the STEM Teachers

A total of 156 STEM teachers are currently participating in a two-day training across four locations, aimed at enhancing their content knowledge, technology utilisation, and inclusive pedagogies in their profession. The focus is on promoting higher-order thinking with a commitment to inclusion and equity through subject-specific modules and additional workshops. Further, this training is also in line with His Majesty’s vision of enhancing the quality of STEM education by optimally integrating ICT to enable effective and world-class education. Hosted in four locations: Thimphu, Phuentsholing, Gelephu, and Trashigang, the workshop is organised by Samtse College of Education in partnership with the Ministry of Education and Skill Development. The teachers could utilise open Open Educational Resources (OER) in delivering their lessons to the students at a superior level and channel students’ interest and learning towards the subjects.

https://kuenselonline.com/training-the-stem-teachers/

Unlocking Research Potential: Canada's Webinar Series on Open Educational Resources - Digital Research Alliance of Canada

Join the Digital Research Alliance of Canada National Training Expert Group for an enlightening webinar series on Canadian Open Educational Resources (OERs) and their impact on research data management. Gain insights from renowned experts like Robyn Stobbs and uncover new horizons in research collaboration and innovation. The Digital Research Alliance of Canada National Training Expert Group is spearheading an innovative webinar series to shed light on Canadian Open Educational Resources (OERs) with an emphasis on research data management. This initiative marks a pivotal moment in the realm of academic research, fostering a deeper understanding and utilization of OERs. Among the notable panelists, Robyn Stobbs, an esteemed Research Data Management (RDM) Librarian from Athabasca University (AU), is slated to share invaluable insights, highlighting the series' significance in the current academic landscape.

https://bnnbreaking.com/breaking-news/education/unlocking-research-potential-canadas-webinar-series-on-open-educational-resources

UIC Open Educational Resources Faculty Incentive Program – University of Illinois Chicago

UIC is pleased to announce the continuation of the Open Educational Resources Faculty Incentive Program. The funding for this program encourages faculty to use open educational textbooks and other open educational resources as alternatives to traditional textbooks for undergraduate courses. This incentive program is part of UIC’s student success initiatives and was developed in response to student concerns about the high cost of course materials. This cycle, up to $40,000 will be available to UIC faculty who teach undergraduates. To qualify to participate in the program, faculty must adopt or adapt existing open educational resources or create new openly licensed material. 

https://today.uic.edu/open-educational-resources-faculty-incentive-program-applications-due-april-5/

OER Champions - UBC, Canada

Is your prof saving you money by using Open Educational Resources (OERs) in their class? If they are, nominate them to be an OER Champion! OERs are free, online learning materials that remove the barriers the high-cost of textbooks can represent. These resources have helped thousands of students engage with their courses without financial pressures. While different OERs have different looks and implementations, they all share on thing in common – they’re free to use. Profs who make use of OERs deserve to be celebrated.

https://www.ams.ubc.ca/what-we-stand-for/campaigns/oer-champions/

Brock to celebrate Open Education Week - Colleen Patterson, Brock University

Brock University will join institutions in almost 100 countries in raising awareness of Open Education (OE) Week from Monday, March 4 to Friday, March 8. The University’s Centre for Pedagogical Innovation (CPI) in partnership with the Brock Library are celebrating the innovation taking place to make education more accessible, affordable, inclusive and collaborative by participating in global events, as well as offering a full day of information sessions on Wednesday, March 6. “OE is a movement within education that aims to remove barriers and open up education through the use of open education practices and open educational resources (OER),” says Brock Teaching and Learning Librarian Kymberly Ash.

https://brocku.ca/brock-news/2024/03/brock-to-celebrate-open-education-week/

Textbooks or Online Educational Materials? Share - GEORGE LEEF, National Review

College textbooks have become increasingly expensive over the years. Authors and publishers milk students all they can, regularly putting out “new” editions that have only minor, unnecessary changes. Some schools have tried to counter this burden by moving to online materials. That’s not a bad development, but in today’s Martin Center article, Duke student Sherman Criner wonders if this could go too far.

https://www.natio , nalreview.com/corner/textbooks-or-online-educational-materials/

Open educational resources News Archive - University of Manitoba

Celebrating Open Education Week with special UM event

February 20, 2024 — 

This Open Education Week, March 4-8, 2024, the University of Manitoba will be hosting an event featuring keynote speaker Kayla Lar-Son, Acting Head of the Xwi7xwa at the University of British Columbia.

Wednesday, March 6, 2024, 12 noon to 2:30 p.m.

Room 108, St John’s College, University of Manitoba

Details and registration

Pizza and coffee will be provided for registrants.

Check the event registration page for information on attending the event virtually.

Kayla, joining us via Zoom, will share Reflections of amiskwaciy: Indigenous protocols in open education, followed by an in-person panel of open educational resource (OER) users from the University of Manitoba who will discuss their experiences with OER.  Kayla Lar-Son is a member of the Metis Nation of Alberta, with Ukrainian heritage, and is originally from Tofield Alberta. She holds a BA in Native Studies from the University of Alberta and an MLIS from the University of Alberta. She is the current Acting Head of the Xwi7xwa at the University of British Columbia. 

https://news.umanitoba.ca/reflections-of-amiskwaciy-indigenous-protocols-in-open-education/

OER Dynamic Coalition Webinar celebrating Open Education Week - UNESCO

UNESCO is organising a webinar to specifically assess the impact of emerging technologies on education, with a focus on the rising prevalence of generative Artificial Intelligence (AI). The exploration will extend to the role of open knowledge in effectively managing challenges and capitalizing on opportunities arising from AI-generated educational content. Furthermore, the discourse will address the intriguing possibility of integrating blockchain technology into education. This exploration will assess how blockchain can contribute to enhancing transparency, security, and the verification of educational credentials.

O

ER DC Webinar celebrating Open Education Week

7 March 2024 - 4:00 pm - 7 March 2024 - 5:00 pm

Location

UNESCO Headquarters, Paris, France

Rooms :

Room VIII

Type :

Cat VII – Seminar and training

Arrangement type :

Virtual

Language(s) :

French

English

https://www.unesco.org/en/articles/oer-dynamic-coalition-webinar-celebrating-open-education-week