Educational Resources Impact Fund at Maycomb Capital closes flexible, mission-aligned loans to increase access to high-quality instructional materials - Yahoo!

This week at the Mission Investors Exchange National Conference, Maycomb Capital announced the first loans out of a new, flexible, mission-aligned debt vehicle called the Educational Resources Impact Fund (ERIF). ERIF is one of Maycomb Capital's Custom Strategies and supports nonprofit developers and providers of high-quality instructional materials and aligned supports, particularly those offered as open educational resources. The first two loans were made to Illustrative Mathematics and CenterPoint Education Solutions.

https://www.yahoo.com/now/educational-resources-impact-fund-maycomb-170000756.html

Oregon Tech faculty turn to open source materials to save students more than $1.2 million in textbook costs - Herald and News

Oregon Tech faculty are partnering with Oregon Tech Library’s Open Educational Resources (OER) program to reduce student costs associated with textbook materials, and throughout the past three years have saved Oregon Tech students $1,216,866 in textbook costs.  According to University Librarian John Schoppert, OER are freely accessible, high-quality coursework materials made accessible to students to alleviate the high costs of mainstream publisher textbooks. OER describes openly licensed materials and resources for any user to use, remix, reuse, repurpose and redistribute.  "Fifty-five percent of Oregon Tech students are unable to meet college expenses, so addressing textbook affordability is critical to student success and retention,” Schoppert said.

https://www.heraldandnews.com/news/oregon-tech-faculty-turn-to-open-source-materials-to-save-students-more-than-1-2/article_53dda524-766d-11ed-8c15-f369dcca9c87.html

Accessibility can’t be an afterthought in college programs - Laura Ascione, eCampus News

A new collection of online teaching resources for faculty will help prepare aspiring developers and designers to create more inclusive and accessible technology experiences. A new Open Education Resources (OER) initiative from the nonprofit Teach Access aims to expand awareness of digital accessibility in higher education. Teach Access works with education, industry, and disability advocacy organizations to enhance students’ understanding of digital accessibility as they learn to design, develop, and build new technologies.

https://www.ecampusnews.com/2022/11/30/accessibility-oer-college-programs/

New design grants awarded to UTSA faculty members for development of open educational resources - Gauri Raje, the Paisano

As part of its Adopt a Free Textbook Initiative, UTSA libraries awarded 13 grants to faculty members for the 2022-2023 academic cycle to incorporate Open Educational Resources (OERs) into their curriculum. Four of the 13 grants were awarded to faculty members to develop their OERs. An OER is any openly licensed educational resource that is available free of cost in the public domain, including free textbooks. The Adopt a Free Textbook Initiative, launched in 2016, aims to encourage faculty members to use OERs to defer textbook costs for students. 

https://paisano-online.com/32395/news/new-design-grants-awarded-to-faculty-members-for-development-of-open-educational-resources/

This VCU Libraries initiative has saved VCU students more than $7M in textbook costs - VCU

More than three in four college students in Virginia worry about the cost of textbooks and course materials. More than a third say the costs have led them to take fewer classes, opt not to register for certain courses or to receive a poor grade. Students with disabilities, those who receive financial aid, and those who are first generation or come from an underrepresented population are particularly affected, according to the statewide Virginia Course Materials Survey published this fall. At Virginia Commonwealth University, a VCU Libraries program is working to alleviate that burden. The Open and Affordable Course Content Initiative provides support to faculty to help them identify, customize or create free alternatives to expensive course materials. 

https://news.vcu.edu/article/2022/12/this-vcu-libraries-initiative-has-saved-vcu-students-more-than-7m-in-textbook-costs

Faculty implement first round of open educational resources grants - Penn State University

In the fall 2022 semester, 434 students across eight Penn State campuses collectively saved tens of thousands of dollars as a result of faculty replacing commercial textbooks with a combination of open educational resources (OER) and resources licensed by Penn State University Libraries.  With support from the University Libraries Open and Affordable Educational Resources Leads Grant Program, 34 faculty from the Penn State Abington, Beaver, Brandywine, Fayette, Greater Allegheny, Lehigh Valley, Shenango and University Park campuses collaborated with librarians at their campuses to identify open and library-licensed course materials that would meet their course outcomes and their students’ learning needs, while also making the course materials free for students. 

https://www.psu.edu/news/university-libraries/story/faculty-implement-first-round-open-educational-resources-grants/

WHY YOU SHOULDN’T BE ASHAMED OF FREE TEXTBOOKS - Alexandra Ciardella, the Quill

College is expensive. . Most of us don’t have full-time jobs and by the time we leave for the real world, we might be in debt from student loans. Especially in the economic climate today, most of our futures are uncertain. As students, we try to make and save as much money as we can. That is why I try to get all my course textbooks for free.  Most students think there’s a stigma surrounding the idea of free textbooks, so let me clear the air. I think a lot of students are wary because when you say ‘free textbook’ the first thing to come to mind is ‘free online textbook’. There are dangers in downloading text for free on the internet:– viruses, spyware, and malicious data to harm your computer. While I am aware that students should be cautious, I think if you’re careful enough, and the source you’re using is trustworthy, using free online textbooks can work in your favor. 

https://suquill.com/2022/11/08/why-you-shouldnt-be-ashamed-of-free-textbooks/

Recipients of the 2022 UCT Open Textbook Award - University of Cape Town

The UCT Open Textbook Award aims to recognise outstanding open textbooks written by the University of Cape Town staff and students which advance the university’s transformation and social justice agenda. An initiative of the Deputy Vice-Chancellor for Teaching and Learning and the Centre for Innovation in Learning and Teaching (CILT), the award is currently in its third year. I am very pleased to announce that, given the strength of nominations received, the 2022 UCT Open Textbook Award will be shared by two groundbreaking works: Paeds In a Pinch: A Practical Guide, for Students, by Students, with Specialist Review (edited by Carol Hlela, Lehlohonolo Ntlatlapo, Rannakoe Lehloenya and Christine Ile) and Migration in Southern Africa: IMISCOE Regional Reader (edited by Pragna Rugunanan and Nomkhosi Xulu-Gama).

https://www.news.uct.ac.za/article/-2022-12-05-recipients-of-the-2022-uct-open-textbook-award

Shifting Out of Neutral into OER - KATHERINE PRADT, GC Library Commons

Participating in the Open Knowledge fellowship allowed me to acquire an expansive repertoire of OER and open access recourses. Searching for articles on open educational repositories such as the OpenLibrary Pressbooks, New York Public Library, and the Open Textbook Library, I was able to find texts that were accessible and that centered on the traditions in psychology that have historically been cast to the margins: intersectionality studies, the lived experiences of oppression and power, and research methods that embrace non-neutrality and social justice. Students in my class have engaged with these materials with interest and curiosity. 

https://gclibrary.commons.gc.cuny.edu/2022/11/30/shifting-out-of-neutral-into-oer/

Accessibility can’t be an afterthought in college programs - Laura Ascione, eCampus News

A new Open Education Resources (OER) initiative from the nonprofit Teach Access aims to expand awareness of digital accessibility in higher education. Teach Access works with education, industry, and disability advocacy organizations to enhance students’ understanding of digital accessibility as they learn to design, develop, and build new technologies–has launched. Built in collaboration with instructional design firm iDesign, the organization has launched Teach Access Curriculum Repository, which brings together more than 250 teaching resources to support teaching accessibility across a wide range of computer science, technology, and design programs.

https://www.ecampusnews.com/2022/11/30/accessibility-oer-college-programs/

Credentialing Learning in the European OER Ecosystem: Possibilities and Challenges - ENCORE

The Encore+ project recently published a report on “Credentialing learning in the European OER Ecosystem”. This was based on interviews with experts from around Europe, and we are delighted that seven of the interviewees are able to join us for a panel to discuss the issues raised by the report. The discussion will be moderated by Dai Griffiths, the lead author of the report, and senior researcher at the Research Institute UNIR iTED. Universidad Internacional de La Rioja (UNIR) Together we will consider the degree to which emerging educational practices and technologies can enable new approaches to the credentialling of learning that is obtained through the use of OERs.

https://encoreproject.eu/event/credentialing-learning-in-the-european-oer-ecosystem-possibilities-and-challenges/

Pirated e-book site Z-Library vanishes—sending college students into a panic - Jude Cramer, Fast Company

Many a desperate college student has turned to Z-Library, a site for pirated e-books, as an alternative to expensive textbooks. But on Friday, the site suddenly went dark, sending students who relied on the site scrambling—with some even raising comparisons to a modern-day burning of the Library of Alexandria. One of the internet’s largest pirated e-book databases, which are also called “shadow libraries,” Z-Library offered more than 10 million e-books and 86 million articles at its peak, with a limited number of monthly downloads accessible to millions of users free of charge, and more available for a small fee.

https://www.fastcompany.com/90806657/z-library-ebook-piracy-shut-down-alternatives

A Year-long Institute and New Grant Grow Digital Offerings - Kristine Yahna Todaro, Muhlenberg

With an emphasis on student co-creators, Muhlenberg’s Open Educational Resources program receives recognition and new opportunities. Muhlenberg was one of 66 institutions selected for the program. Working in collaboration with an AAC&U mentor, the team was able to advance its efforts to support the creation and adoption of free and affordable instructional materials for more students at the College. The 12-month program concluded with a capstone event in July. Muhlenberg is particularly focused on engaging students as OER co-creators. They research, write, revise and then peer-review each other's chapters, which are then collected and published in a digital textbook. Their coauthored OER then becomes the text for students in future semesters of the course. 

https://www.muhlenberg.edu/news/2022/growingdigitalofferings.html

Boise State French instructors team with K-12 teachers on an open educational resource - Boise State News

This August, a team of three Boise State instructors (Mariah Devereux Herbeck and Amber Hoye, Project Co-Directors, and Brittney Gehrig, French lecturer) and three Idaho K-12 instructors (Emily Blackburn, Madelynn Ruther and Sharon Westbrook) published the first of four French open educational resource textbooks, titled “FI: An Interactive Workbook for French 101.” Available as a complete curriculum, the team not only revised and remixed an existing open educational resource text, but also created significant ancillary materials including assessments, task-based activities, cultural reflections, slide decks and embedded authentic materials.

https://www.boisestate.edu/news/2022/11/08/boise-state-french-instructors-team-with-k-12-teachers-on-an-open-educational-resource/

OEG Voices 044: The Arizona Community College Landscape of OER - Open Education Global

From alpine mountains to Sonoran desert the “Grand” state of Arizona has magnificent and diverse landscapes. Listen to this episode as we learn about the equally described landscape of open education at three community college systems plus how Arizona is working to collaborate on OER at a statewide level. This is another in a series of episodes bringing you the voices of CCCOER members and a new category of shows that will highlight similar regional cooperation. You will hear about open education initiatives at the Maricopa County Community College District, Yavapai College, and Pima Community College as well as the Arizona Regional OER Conference (OERizona) and the Open Text Books for Rural Arizona project.

https://podcast.oeglobal.org/2022/11/28/voices-44/

Morton Family Foundation donates $30,000 for education of Afghan women and girls - Brendan Burke, Peterborough Examiner

“This year their $30,000 donation goes to support online learning through the Darakht-e Danesh Library, which can be accessed free by everyone including students in hiding or living as refugees in neighbouring countries.” Afghanistan is currently the only country on the planet to officially deny girls the human right to education on the basis of their gender, according to CW4WAfghan, which calls the policy “gender apartheid.” The online library offers free and open educational resources for teachers, students, and anyone with a curious mind who wants to learn more on a particular subject, says the group’s website.

https://www.thepeterboroughexaminer.com/news/peterborough-region/2022/11/26/morton-family-foundation-donates-30000-for-education-of-afghan-women-and-girls.html 

Textbook equity mini-grant program to save UNI students $64,000 a year - the Courier

To reinforce its commitment to keeping the cost of a quality education affordable, the University of Northern Iowa has continued to grow its textbook equity initiative. Most recently, UNI announced the winners of its mini-grant program, which will create five free, openly-licensed textbooks that will be used in one or more courses and are expected to save students more than $64,000 a year. This is on top of the $400,000 a year the initiative has already saved students due to open textbook adoptions.

https://wcfcourier.com/news/local/education/textbook-equity-mini-grant-program-to-save-uni-students-64-000-a-year/article_96cd7563-5f16-581c-9159-bcd0c7457945.html

Considering non-disposable assignments for your teaching - LOLEEN BERDAHL, University Affairs

Dr. Wiley and John Levy Hilton argue that assignments fall into four categories, three of which are non-disposable:

• Disposable: the student creates an artifact.
• Authentic: the student creates an artifact that has value beyond the student’s learning.
• Constructionist: the student creates an artifact that has value beyond the student’s learning and is made public.
• Renewable: the student creates an artifact that has value beyond the student’s learning, is made public, and is openly licensed.

https://www.universityaffairs.ca/career-advice/the-skills-agenda/considering-non-disposable-assignments-for-your-teaching/

A guide to promoting equity in HE for refugees and asylum seekers - Yeşim Deveci , Claire Mock-Muñoz de Luna , Jess Oddy; Times Higher Education

Since 2017, the Open Learning Initiative (OLIve) at the University of East London has been supporting forcibly displaced people to access higher education through a programme of in-person and online university preparatory courses, pastoral and financial support, and one-to-one mentoring. OLIve helps students to find out what skills and knowledge are needed to apply for and succeed in UK higher education. A growing number of OLIve UP Scholarships are offered to asylum-seeking students who have no access to public funds, to undertake Level 3 foundation courses, which offer entry into degree programmes or can be used as Ucas credits. 

https://www.timeshighereducation.com/campus/guide-promoting-equity-he-refugees-and-asylum-seekers

Massive Open Online Course (MOOC): Learning Without Boundaries Faculties & Schools, General - Jamilah Ahmad, UTM Malasia

EnVision UTM 2025 contains a forward-looking statement regarding the strategic efforts of Universiti Teknologi Malaysia (UTM) for the next five years. There are five strategic cores stated in the UTM Vision 2025. One of the five strategic cores is Strategic Core 1 which aims for UTM citizen to become world-class holistic to expand the boundaries of education and research. We need to focus on globalization in education to ensure a bright future. The MOOC learning approach gives students around the world the opportunity to take courses at UTM, without borders and at any time. 

https://news.utm.my/2022/11/massive-open-online-course-mooc-learning-without-boundaries/

A whole new world of learning via MIT OpenCourseWare videos - Duyen Nguyen, MIT Open Learning

OCW launched its YouTube channel in 2008, and this August passed 4 million subscribers. While introductory computer science, math, and physics are the most-visited courses on the OCW website, the most popular YouTube videos reflect a more diverse range of interests, including a lecture about piloting a fighter jet aircraft, an introduction to the human brain, and an introduction to financial terms and concepts.

https://news.mit.edu/2022/new-world-learning-mit-ocw-emmanuel-kasigazi-1107