OER Digest

OER Digest – September 15, 2022

Aishah Abdullah (SPARC) | Volume 161 | September 15, 2022

THE OER DIGEST

Your bi-weekly newsletter for open education updates, opportunities, and reminders

OPEN CLIMATE CAMPAIGN: To make open sharing of research outputs the norm in climate science, Creative Commons, SPARC and EIFL are proud to launch a 4-year Open Climate Campaign with funding from Arcadia Fund, which builds on planning funds from the Open Society Foundations. Climate change, and the resulting harm to our global biodiversity, is one of the world’s most pressing challenges; however, knowledge and data about these global challenges and the possible solutions are too often not publicly accessible. One purpose of this campaign is to bring attention to the issue of access to knowledge on climate change and biodiversity. Another goal of this campaign is to work directly with national governments, funders, and environmental organizations to create open access policies and make it easier to share their climate change content.

OPEN CONNECTIONS

Conferences, jobs, and other OER-related opportunities

REGISTER NOW: Early bird registration for the 2022 Open Education Conference on October 17-20, 2022 is ending on September 16th. There is also a student rate of $25 USD and scholarships by application. Register here.

APPLY NOW: The Open Education Network is accepting applications for a cohort of librarians to be certified in OER Librarianship. The Certificate in OER Librarianship offers formal training, a community of peers, and expert mentors in order to build sustainable, collaborative, and effective open education programs on higher education campuses. Learn more and apply here.

REGISTER NOW: Join PIJIP and New America for the Creating Culturally Responsive Materials with Open Educational Resources: Beyond Commercial Publishing II webinar on October 6th at 6 pm ET. Learn more and register here.

REGISTER NOW: Join Wiki Education on Tuesday, October 11 at 9:00 AM PT to learn how to run a Wikipedia assignment. During this session, you’ll gain a better understanding of how the assignment is structured, what types of support you’ll receive from Wiki Education, and how the assignment may play out in your own class.

REGISTER NOW: LibreFest workshop will be held virtually over two days on October 10-11. Learn how to construct, edit, and remix content on the LibreTexts platform, and get an in-depth look at their open homework system, Adapt. Learn more and apply here.

REGISTER NOW: The Open Education Network (OEN) is hiring an open educational practices specialist to serve as the point of contact for members regarding the use of all OEN-supported online platforms and technologies to advance open educational practices. Learn more and apply here.

REGISTER NOW: The Pathways Project team is hosting free webinars this fall. Join their Digital Humanities and Authentic Resources discussion on October 12th. Their final webinar, titled Remixing and Redistributing, is occurring on November 10th.

STORIES FROM THE FIELD

Quick snapshots of those making change on the ground level, and those impacted

FROM ALBERTA: The Student Union (SU) at the University of Calgary is advocating for Alberta to fund open educational resources to help struggling students. The high cost of textbooks is paired with a rising cost of tuition, which has risen 25% at the University of Calgary since 2019. In 2021, the SU committed $500,000 to support the development of OERs, creating up to 50 new OERs over five years. Their work is not stopping there. This year the SU, along with other students, have been pushing for their University to address the textbook crisis. SU spokesperson Shaziah Jinnah Morsette shared, “Students aren’t just broke, they’re at a breaking point. Affordability is such an issue for students. It’s not just isolated to saying, ‘Can we afford to participate and receive a quality education?” Read More>>

FROM CONNECTICUT: University of New Haven’s Open Pedagogy Project began its new cohort. The University’s Open Pedagogy Project offers faculty and students exciting opportunities to collaborate to create meaningful educational experiences. The program and the grant-funded projects that several faculty and staff members are a part of also foster the creation of open educational resources, which provide important learning tools while reducing textbook costs. The co-director of the Open Pedagogy Project, Dr. Wranovix shared how they include students in the creation of their OER, “Involving students in the creation of course content makes the classroom feel like a more collaborative environment because students and faculty are creating something together.” Read More>>

HOT OFF THE PRESS

Each edition, we highlight an interesting, new, openly-licensed resource

The Open RN team is pleased to announce that the first edition text, Nursing: Mental Health and Community Concepts, has been released in Pressbooks with CC-BY 4.0 licensing. They will continue to collaborate with XanEdu to create affordable print versions of the Open RN textbooks and anticipate the print version of this book will be available in January 2023.

WEIGH IN

Great reads to repost or share and interesting discussions to consider

Great to Share >>

Inflation Impacting Education: The Rapidly Rising Cost of Textbooks | The Review

Interesting to Consider >>

For Open Education we Need Staff, Infrastructure, and Courage | Archynetys

Have suggestions for the next edition? Let us know at oerdigest@gmail.com, or tweet us @OERdigest.

The OER Digest is a public newsletter distributed to a broad group of stakeholders across the higher education community. Subscribe here.

Regular Edition

OER Digest – September 1, 2022

From Bilan Jama (CC USA) | Volume 160 | September 1, 2022

THE OER DIGEST

Your bi-weekly newsletter for open education updates, opportunities, and reminders

STUDENT LOAN FORGIVENESS PLAN: President Joe Biden announced last week historic new steps to address student loan debt, which includes forgiving up to $20,000 for millions of borrowers and extending the payment freeze one final time until the end of the year. Borrowers who hold loans with the Department of Education and make less than $125,000 a year are eligible for up to $20,000 in student loan forgiveness if they received Pell Grants, which are given to students from low- and middle-income families. Individuals who make less than $125,000 a year but did not receive Pell Grants are eligible for $10,000 in loan forgiveness. Read more here.

OPEN ACCESS TO RESEARCH: In a busy week in U.S. federal policy, the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP) issued new guidance that will make taxpayer-funded research available to the public, eliminating the current 12-month waiting period for access to research outputs, including articles and data. “When research is widely available to other researchers and the public, it can save lives, provide policymakers with the tools to make critical decisions, and drive more equitable outcomes across every sector of society,” said Dr. Alondra Nelson, head of OSTP. Public access to articles, data, and other research outputs expands the amount of resources openly available to the public.

OPEN CONNECTIONS

Conferences, jobs, and other OER-related opportunities

REGISTER NOW: Registration for the 2022 Open Education Conference on October 17-20, 2022 is open. The early bird rate of $75 USD ends on September 15th. There is also a student rate of $25 USD and scholarships by application. Register here.

APPLY NOW: UniSQ is seeking someone for a short-term contract (until December 16) to work with the Open Education Team. The Project Officer will focus on their HEPPP funded program of open textbook development, working directly with academic staff who already have texts in production. An Expression of Interest is required (one page) with the applicant’s CV by 5:00 pm Thursday September 1. All queries, and applications are forwarded to Adrian.stagg@usq.edu.au.

APPLY NOW: The Open Education Network (OEN) is hiring an open educational practices specialist to serve as the point of contact for members regarding the use of all OEN-supported online platforms and technologies to advance open educational practices. For more information, click here.

STORIES FROM THE FIELD

Quick snapshots of those making change on the ground level, and those impacted

FROM FLORIDA: The University of West Florida Libraries and Provost’s office are pleased to announce that nine faculty have received Faculty OER Awards for 2022. All will be adapting or creating textbooks using Pressbooks. Their work will deliver quality texts at no cost to students, saving them thousands of dollars each semester. Read More >>

FROM OHIO: The University of Cincinnati (UC) Board of Trustees recently approved a textbook auto adoption policy to make textbooks more affordable and accessible to students.With the ever-increasing price of college course materials, the Ohio General Assembly mandated through H.B. 110 that universities consider applying the auto adoption policy in June 2021. UC approved its version of the policy a year later, in June 2022. Faculty are encouraged through the UC policy to use Follett Discover to find affordable and non-traditional learning materials to use in their course. “Students benefit from no cost and access on ‘day one,”’ states the textbook auto adoption policy. “It is not uncommon for faculty to assign a blend of purchased materials with OER materials in a particular course syllabus.” Read More >>

HOT OFF THE PRESS

Each edition, we highlight an interesting, new, openly-licensed resource

Christopher Hammond, Professor of Mathematics at Connecticut College, published The Art of Analysis, an introductory textbook in real analysis. This resource is freely available for anyone to use, either individually or in a classroom setting. The primary innovation of this text is a new perspective on teaching the theory of integration.

WEIGH IN

Great reads to repost or share and interesting discussions to consider

Great to Share >>

The impact of open education | Medium

Interesting to Consider >>

Inflation impacting education: The rapidly rising cost of textbooks | The Review

Have suggestions for the next edition? Let us know at oerdigest@gmail.com, or tweet us @OERdigest.

The OER Digest is a public newsletter distributed to a broad group of stakeholders across the higher education community. Subscribe here.

Regular Edition

OER Digest – August 18, 2022

Michael Basmajian | Volume 159 | August 18, 2022

THE OER DIGEST

Your bi-weekly newsletter for open education updates, opportunities, and reminders

“ORGO” GOES OPEN: John McMurry’s Organic Chemistry is the most widely used textbook of its kind and has helped millions of students pass Organic Chemistry (or “orgo”) since it was first printed in 1984. For its 10th edition, McMurry has decided to part ways with his longtime publisher Cengage, and instead sell the rights to OpenStax. That means for the first time, the digital version of Organic Chemistry and its accompanying solutions manual — usually priced at almost $100 — will be available for students to download for free! Read more via InsideHigherEd.

OPEN CONNECTIONS

Conferences, jobs, and other OER-related opportunities

REGISTER NOW: Registration for the 2022 Open Education Conference on October 17-20, 2022 is open. The early bird rate of $75 USD expires on September 15th. There is also a student rate of $25 USD and scholarships by application. Register here.

REGISTER NOW: The Open Texas 2022 virtual conference coming up next month on September 21- 23, 2022. This year’s conference theme, “The Labor of Open Education,” invites participants to reflect on the work, creativity, art, and science of open education 20 years since UNESCO adopted the term “open educational resources” in 2002. The conference is fully online and free to attend. Learn more and register here!

REGISTER NOW: The Michigan OER Summit of 2022 is taking place online on September 29-30, 2022. The virtual summit’s theme is “Looking Back, Looking Forward,” focusing on how work in open education has been changed and transformed during the past two years and your plans for a re-imagined future. Learn more and register here!

CALL FOR PROPOSALS: The Forum for Open Research in MENA (F.O.R.M.) is a conference taking place in Cairo, Egypt this October, and is designed to support the spread of Open Science across the Middle East and North Africa. The Knowledge E Foundation is working with UNESCO the Egyptian Knowledge Bank on the event. Organizers are accepting proposals through the end of August. Learn more and submit a proposal here.

CALL FOR PROPOSALS: Kennesaw State University has a call out for presentation proposals for Open Access Week 2022 at KSU. The deadline for proposals is September 15th. Learn more and submit a proposal here.

STORIES FROM THE FIELD

Quick snapshots of those making change on the ground level, and those impacted

FROM CALIFORNIA: The San Diego Community College District plans to adapt 20 courses in high-demand areas to feature free textbooks for students, thanks to a new $975,000 federal grant. Officials say it will help up to 60,000 students attending San Diego City, Mesa and Miramar Colleges. “For many, a $200 to $300 textbook can be the difference between whether a student has enough to eat, can gas up their car, or even pay the rent. Multiply that by four, five or even six classes each semester, and those costs really compound.” said Edward Borek, who was the Associated Student Government president last school year at Miramar College. Read More >>.

FROM INDIANA: Indiana colleges including Earlham College in Richmond, are reducing textbook costs for students with the “PALSave”’ initiative, promoting the use of free open course materials and library e-books. Funded by Lilly Endowment, Inc. and supported by the Private Academic Library Network of Indiana (PALNI), this initiative has saved over $850,000 for an estimated 14,000 students. “We’re fortunate to have so many early adopters of this initiative who are actively listening to students’ needs and care about their success,” said Karla Fribley, Earlham’s instructional technologies director, seminaries librarian and faculty liaison for PALSave. Read More >>

FROM ONTARIO: Five faculty members from Western University in Ontario, Canada are embracing the use of open education resource course materials thanks to a pilot initiative spearheaded by Western Libraries. “We are responding directly to students through this program,” said research and scholarly communication librarian Emily Carlisle-Johnston, noting a 2016 University Student Council policy recommending Western facilitate an open educational resources pilot. “Cost is definitely one of the driving factors and is largely tied to equity and ensuring everyone has access to the material that will help them succeed in a course.” Read More >>

HOT OFF THE PRESS

Each edition, we highlight an interesting, new, openly-licensed resource

Touro University Libraries in New York are pleased to announce the publication of a new open textbook, Introduction to Financial Analysis, for undergraduate Business students. This peer-reviewed open textbook is a collaboration between Touro Libraries’ OER initiative and faculty author Kenneth S. Bigel. Students and readers will learn how to insightfully read a Financial Statement, utilize key financial ratios in order to derive forward-looking investment-related inferences from the accounting data, engage in elementary forecasting and modeling, master the theory of the Time Value of Money, and learn to price stocks and bonds in an environment in which interest rates constantly change.

WEIGH IN

Great reads to repost or share and interesting discussions to consider

Great to Share >>

Free online textbooks really work | GatesNotes

Rodríguez: Alternatives to paying for pricey textbooks | San Jose Spotlight

What a Homework Help Site’s Move to Host Open Educational Resources Could Mean | EdSurge

Interesting to Consider >>

The Old World (of Textbooks) Is Dying, and the New World (of Textbooks) Hasn’t Arrived | Voice of San Diego

Textbook publisher: NFTs will let us squeeze even more money out of students | The Verge

Have suggestions for the next edition? Let us know at oerdigest@gmail.com, or tweet us @OERdigest.

The OER Digest is a public newsletter distributed to a broad group of stakeholders across the higher education community. Subscribe here.

Regular Edition

OER Digest – July 28, 2022

Michael Basmajian (PIRG) | Volume 158 | July 28, 2022

THE OER DIGEST
Your bi-weekly newsletter for open education updates, opportunities, and reminders

OPEN CONNECTIONS
Conferences, jobs, and other OER-related opportunities

JOB: The Open Education Conference is seeking a conference manager to coordinate annual conference logistics and provide year-round support to the broader conference community. Learn more and apply here.

CALL FOR PROPOSALS: The Wisconsin Open Education Symposium is currently accepting proposals for the second annual, virtual event held October 28, 2022. The Committee is looking for engaging presentations on the theme “Open for Equity.” Learn more and submit a presentation proposal here.

REGISTER NOW: There is still space available for this year’s Cal OER conference, which is taking place virtually on August 3-5, 2022. The keynote panel on Thursday, Aug. 4th will focus on the often too neglected non-financial benefits of OER for the community. Learn more and register here.

REGISTER NOW: Clover Park Technical College is hosting their first OER Faculty Institute on Friday, August 5 and Saturday, August 6 for free over Zoom. There will be keynote presentations from internationally recognized professional/technical colleges as well as breakout sessions on finding OER, accessibility in OER, open licenses, as well as panels on prof/tech OER opportunities and challenges, and a panel on OER and librarians. Learn more and register here.

REGISTER NOW: BCcampus in British Columbia is holding a webinar on accessibility and Universal Design for Learning (UDL) in open educational resources on August 16, 2022. The session will build on what we know about technical accessibility to explore how we can go beyond minimum accessibility requirements. Learn more and register here.

REGISTER NOW: SPARC is hosting a Knowledge Equity Discussion Series to provide an introduction to broad concepts and considerations of epistemic injustice and knowledge equity in the areas of academic libraries and archives. Learn more and register here.

GRANT OPPORTUNITY: The U.S. Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS) is accepting applications for the National Leadership Grants for Libraries and Laura Bush 21st Century Librarian Programs. IMLS’s efforts in OER have been to promote the use of technology and an “open” environment to enhance the quality and reach of museum, library, and educational resources. Learn more here.

STORIES FROM THE FIELD
Quick snapshots of those making change on the ground level, and those impacted

FROM CALIFORNIA: The Michelson 20MM Foundation’s Open Educational Resources initiative recently awarded grants to three projects that will support the implementation of California’s Zero-Textbook-Cost program, provide education on licensing and copyright issues, and protect student privacy. These projects include: mentorship and training for five California community colleges in their zero-textbook-cost degree program; training 15 California Community College educators, librarians and course designers from across the Bay Area on copyright, open licensing and open practices in a week-long CC bootcamp; and conducting an analysis of how digital courseware and textbook publishers collect student data and create resources help the higher education community protect students’ data privacy. Read More >>

FROM TENNESSEE: A group of Middle Tennessee State University faculty and staff are using an OER grant to save students on textbooks costs. Since 2019, the group has used $100,000 in grant money to save 2,500-plus students more than $150,000. In total, more than 70 faculty members in 25 different courses used OER in the most recent academic year. Read More >>

HOT OFF THE PRESS
Each edition, we highlight an interesting, new, openly-licensed resource

Virginia Tech Carilion School of Medicine and Virginia Tech Publishing are pleased to announce publication of two new open textbooks by Andrew Binks, titled Pulmonary Physiology for Pre-Clinical Students and Pulmonary Pathophysiology for Pre-Clinical Students. These works are the fourth and fifth in a five-volume series of open textbooks for pre-clinical medical education by Renee LeClair and Andrew Binks.

WEIGH IN
Great reads to repost or share and interesting discussions to consider

Great to Share >>
Pandemic Boost for Digital Course Materials | Inside Higher Ed

5 websites to download free textbooks | Study International

Interesting to Consider >>
Newsom’s bid to make textbooks free delayed in community colleges central office | EdSource

Evolving Faculty Views on Teaching, Publishing and Technology | Inside Higher Ed

Does Inclusive Access Affect Academic Outcomes? Interview with Dr. Elizabeth Spica | InclusiveAccess.org

Have suggestions for the next edition? Let us know at oerdigest@gmail.com, or tweet us @OERdigest.

The OER Digest is a public newsletter distributed to a broad group of stakeholders across the higher education community. Subscribe here.

Regular Edition

OER DIGEST – July 14, 2022

From Bilan Jama (CC USA) | Volume 157 | June 14, 2022

THE OER DIGEST

Your bi-weekly newsletter for open education updates, opportunities, and reminders

PIRG OER GRANT PROGRAM SURVEY: In the last few years, many colleges and universities have established grant funding for Open Textbooks, but little research has been done on the collective impact of these programs. Student PIRGs is conducting a short survey of colleges and universities across the country to highlight the benefits of OER grant programs and help the community identify best practices. Student PIRGs are university-student-run advocacy organizations on college campuses across the United States working to achieve a vision of sustainability, equity, and democracy through their campaigns.The survey is about 20 questions and should take no more than 10-15 minutes. In collecting this data they hope to offer greater expertise to blossoming OER grant programs across the nation, all working to collectively achieve textbook affordability. They will compile the results and share them with the community before the next school year. Please complete this survey by July 22nd.

U.S. OPEN TEXTBOOK PILOT UPDATE: The 2022 application period for the Open Textbook Pilot program is open. The grant competition will award approximately $2.6 million in federal funds to higher education institutions to create new open textbooks and expand the use of open textbooks. Applications are due July 25, 2022. The Department is also calling for Peer Reviewers.

OPEN CONNECTIONS

Conferences, jobs, and other OER-related opportunities

REGISTER NOW: The Digital Higher Education Consortium of Texas invites you to their webinar, In Everything You Always Wanted to Know About Inclusive Access But Were Afraid to Ask, Trudi Radtke, Open Education Project Manager for SPARC, will address challenges, facts, and myths of Inclusive Access programs. The webinar will be held on July 20, 2022 @ 2:00 PM CDT. For more details and to register, see the event flyer here.

REGISTER NOW: Join the Southern Regional Education Board for their upcoming webinar series on Open Educational Resources. Can’t make the date? Register to receive a link to the recorded session. Learn more and register here.

NOMINATE NOW: The Open Education Awards for Excellence 2022 is open for nominations. Nominate from 16 categories your favorite Open Education leader or resources – or nominate your own project. Learn more about all of the OE Award categories, past winners, OE Award Committee members, and the 10+ year history of the awards on the OE Awards website.

APPLY NOW: The Virginia Commonwealth University Libraries, a member of the Association of Research Libraries, invites applications and nominations for the position of Head, Digital Libraries and Publishing. Review of applications will begin July 31, 2022 and will continue until the position is filled. The complete position description is available here.

STORIES FROM THE FIELD

Quick snapshots of those making change on the ground level, and those impacted

FROM SASKATCHEWAN: During the COVID-19 pandemic two University of Saskatchewan (USask) faculty members found a way to make the most of a worldwide pivot toward online learning. As most North Americans began “social distancing” and Zoom became a household name, Dr. Joe Rubin (DVM, PhD), an associate professor at the Western College of Veterinary Medicine, shifted his focus toward teaching a completely online classroom. USask associate librarian Carolyn Doi was preparing to teach her upcoming music research methods course fully online for the College of Arts and Science’s Department of Music. Doi and Rubin had sought help from Shannon Lucky, a information technology librarian at USask. Lucky realized that despite the differences in their disciplines, both were approaching their new teaching challenges in very similar ways. “Often creating OER is something that instructors would like to do, but it’s kind of a ‘nice to do,’ not a ‘have to do.’ We’re in this context with COVID where we had to move all of these things online and other instructors had to start generating all of this digital teaching material, and we thought it would be interesting to see this as an opportunity rather than a burden,” said Lucky. Read More >>

HOT OFF THE PRESS

Each edition, we highlight an interesting, new, openly-licensed resource

The University of Minnesota Libraries Publishing has released The Science of Plants written by Tom Michaels, Emily Hoover, and Laura Irish. The textbook is an approachable guide to the fundamentals of plant science. Created for horticulture students, gardeners, science teachers, and anyone interested in understanding plants and how they grow.

WEIGH IN

Great reads to repost or share and interesting discussions to consider

Great to Share >>

Supplemental Instructional Materials Market to Grow to $4.6 billion in 2024 | WV News

Interesting to Consider >>

Course Hero Quietly Took Over Hosting Lumen’s OER Content. They Say It’s No Big Deal | EdSurge

Have suggestions for the next edition? Let us know at oerdigest@gmail.com, or tweet us @OERdigest.

The OER Digest is a public newsletter distributed to a broad group of stakeholders across the higher education community. Subscribe here.

Regular Edition

OER DIGEST – June 30, 2022

Aishah Abdullah (SPARC) | Volume 156 | June 30, 2022

THE OER DIGEST

Your bi-weekly newsletter for open education updates, opportunities, and reminders

BAY VIEW ANALYTICS: Turning Point for Digital Curricula: Educational Resources in U.S. Higher Education, 2022 found that students are returning to the classroom, with 58% of faculty stating they taught at least one face-to-face course in the 2021-22 school year. While this is a large increase over the just 14% of faculty who did so in 2020-21, it is still far below the pre-pandemic level of 96% from 2018-19. In addition, over half of the faculty stated that they “agree” or “strongly agree” that they would like to teach their courses as a combination of in-person and online and also as fully online. The report also finds that awareness and usage of open educational resources (OER) has grown.

OPEN CONNECTIONS

Conferences, jobs, and other OER-related opportunities

NOMINATE NOW: Open Education Awards for Excellence 2022 is open for nominations. Nominate from 16 categories your favorite Open Education leader or resources.

REGISTER NOW: LibreFest registration is open and will be held virtually on July 18, 20, and 22, 2022. This workshop will provide three days of working sessions covering how to create OER, how to modify existing OER, as well as how to use the new ADAPT homework system.

REGISTER NOW: Join the Education & Behavioral Science (EBSS) Scholarly Communication Committee on July 27th to watch & discuss, “Boundary Spanners: Bridging Gaps Between Higher Education & PK12.” Register here.

APPLY NOW: The University Libraries at Virginia Tech Residency Program is offering up to six entry-level resident librarian positions to recent graduates of a master’s degree program or entry-level library, data, or information professionals. Learn more and apply here.

STORIES FROM THE FIELD

Quick snapshots of those making change on the ground level, and those impacted

FROM PENNSYLVANIA: Four Penn State campuses have awarded faculty members the Open and Affordable Educational Resources (OAER) award for the spring 2022 semester. The OAER award recognizes faculty who go above and beyond in promoting OER. The recipients of this award have contributed to the expansion of OER in different ways. While some switched their traditional course materials out for OER, others made their own open textbooks for their students. These four individuals have collectively saved students thousands of dollars. Read More >>

HOT OFF THE PRESS

Each edition, we highlight an interesting, new, openly-licensed resource

Jacob Moore, an engineering professor at Penn State Mont Alto, published a new open resource, Mechanics Map Digital Textbook. The Mechanics Map is an open textbook for engineering statics and dynamics containing written explanations, video lectures, worked examples, and homework problems.

WEIGH-IN

Great reads to repost or share and interesting discussions to consider

Great to Share >>

Embrace of Digital Course Materials Grew During Pandemic | Inside Higher Ed

Interesting to Consider >>

Nonprofit Provides Free High Quality Instructional Materials for Teacher Prep Programs | Philanthropy Roundtable

Have suggestions for the next edition? Let us know at oerdigest@gmail.com, or tweet us @OERdigest.

The OER Digest is a public newsletter distributed to a broad group of stakeholders across the higher education community. Subscribe here.

Regular Edition

OER DIGEST – June 16, 2022

Aishah Abdullah (SPARC) | Volume 155 | June 16, 2022

THE OER DIGEST

Your bi-weekly newsletter for open education updates, opportunities, and reminders

OPEN ACCESS WEEK THEME: The Open Access Week Advisory Committee announced that “Open for Climate Justice” is the theme for this year’s International Open Access Week, which will take place on October 24-30. This year’s focus on Climate Justice seeks to encourage connection and collaboration among the climate movement and the international open community. Tackling the climate crisis requires the rapid exchange of knowledge across geographic, economic, and disciplinary boundaries. The theme announcement was launched in sync with the new OA Week website where you can find all the information on the theme, dates, and more.

U.S. OPEN TEXTBOOK PILOT UPDATE: The 2022 application period for the Open Textbook Pilot program is open. The grant competition will award approximately $2.6 million in federal funds to higher education institutions to create new open textbooks and expand the use of open textbooks. Applications are due July 25, 2022, and the Department of Education will hold pre-application webinars on June 23 and 29th (see slides here). The Department is also calling for Peer Reviewers.

OPEN CONNECTIONS

Conferences, jobs, and other OER-related opportunities

APPLY NOW: Southern Illinois University Edwardsville is hiring an Open Educational Resources & Scholarly Communications Librarian who will work collaboratively across Library & Information Services (LIS). Apply by July 15, 2022

APPLY NOW: Open Oregon Educational Resources seeks an Open Education Instructional Technologist to work remotely to provide technical support services in developing openly licensed course materials. Please submit a cover letter, quote, and resume by July 30, 2022, to hofera@linnbenton.edu

APPLY NOW: Apply to run a Wikipedia assignment in Fall 2022, and ensure that the world has access to reliable and accurate information. Wiki Education’s support is fully funded, and there are no fees to run a Wikipedia assignment. The deadline to run the assignment in Fall 2022 is July 29. To get started click here.

STORIES FROM THE FIELD

Quick snapshots of those making change on the ground level, and those impacted

FROM NIGERIA: The National Universities Commission (NUC) recently shared that its Open Educational Resources repository currently has over two million resources. The resources are in a variety of forms such as courseware, lecture notes, textbooks, videos, maps, podcasts, conference presentations, and journals. Established in 2017, the facility which is maintained by the Commission is currently held by 153 Nigerian universities. According to the Commission, the OER repository was established as part of efforts to revitalize the academic content of the nation’s Universities as well as improve the quality of teaching and learning. Read More >>

FROM NORTH CAROLINA: The UNC Press is dedicated to combating the rising cost of textbooks. They made a commitment to open educational resources and recently released a new edition of a calculus textbook that is available for anyone, anywhere. The Press, which is celebrating its 100th anniversary this year, is located on the campus of UNC-Chapel Hill. In past years it has focused on its mission as a system-wide publication outlet, as well as its service to the 16 universities in the system, their faculties and students. Their goal is to expand access and resources to students across the state. Read More >>

HOT OFF THE PRESS

Each edition, we highlight an interesting, new, openly-licensed resource

Minnesota State Colleges and Universities Pressbooks published a new open resource, Critical Thinking in Academic Research. This publication will introduce students to the techniques and principles of critical thinking. This text provides guidance on developing research questions and finding resources to answer them.

WEIGH-IN

Great reads to repost or share and interesting discussions to consider

Great to Share >>

Pathways Project Publishes New Open Educational Resource | Boise State University

Interesting to Consider >>

Open Access | Wittenberg University

Have suggestions for the next edition? Let us know at oerdigest@gmail.com, or tweet us @OERdigest.

The OER Digest is a public newsletter distributed to a broad group of stakeholders across the higher education community. Subscribe here.

Regular Edition

OER DIGEST – June 2, 2022

From Bilan Jama (CC USA) | Volume 154 | June 2, 2022

THE OER DIGEST

Your bi-weekly newsletter for open education updates, opportunities, and reminders

U.S. OPEN TEXTBOOK PILOT: The 2022 application period for the Open Textbook Pilot program is now open. Published last week by the U.S. Department of Education, the grant competition will award approximately $2.6 million in federal funds to higher education institutions to create new open textbooks and expand the use of open textbooks in courses that are part of a degree-granting program, particularly those with high enrollments. The program is funded by Congress and administered by the U.S. Department of Education through the Fund for the Improvement of Postsecondary Education (FIPSE). While the total funding available is lower than in previous years (due to funds reserved for existing projects), the Department may fund additional applications submitted this round in future years. We strongly encourage anyone interested in the program to apply. More resources will be posted soon on SPARC’s policy page. Applications are due July 25, 2022.

OPEN CONNECTIONS

Conferences, jobs, and other OER-related opportunities

APPLY NOW: Utah State University (USU) Libraries seeks an Assistant to support the Open Educational Resources (OER) Program. Working in a collaborative team environment, the Library Assistant will contribute to OER initiatives to promote awareness, development, and integration of quality OER across all disciplines at USU. Learn more and apply here.

CALL FOR PROPOSALS: The call for proposals for Open Texas 2022 is open, and the deadline has been extended to June 17, 2022. Proposals must be submitted via Cvent. Open Texas 2022 is being held virtually on September 21-23, 2022. Learn more here.

REGISTER NOW: Register now for a free, one-day professional development opportunity as part of The Pathways Project at Boise State. This August 5th workshop will include practice locating and editing OER and is geared toward all world language teachers, so please share with instructors you know who may be interested. RSVP has been extended to June 20th, and professional development credit is available. Please complete this form to register: https://forms.gle/LWRMZRWaLNvJ6czHA.

STORIES FROM THE FIELD

Quick snapshots of those making change on the ground level, and those impacted

FROM MICHIGAN: A Delta College initiative to save students money and provide free access to course materials has reached a new milestone. Since 2016, Delta’s Open Educational Resources initiative has saved students a total of $1 million in textbook costs. Michele Pratt, manager of Library Programs and Services and OER Committee co-chair, said the effort began to help with student success. Students saved more than $142,000 during the winter 2022 semester alone. “We know that a lot of students are financially constrained and one of the things they cut is textbooks,” Pratt said. “They often don’t realize they need a textbook until it’s too late. With OER, everyone has a textbook from day one of class because it’s free and online.” Read More >>

FROM PENNSYLVANIA: During the past few years, many Penn State Lehigh Valley faculty members have made it a priority to incorporate open and affordable educational resources (OAER) into their classroom instruction. That commitment was on vivid display at the first-ever Penn State Lehigh Valley Open and Affordable Showcase, a half-day conference sponsored by the campus Library and Academic Affairs. There, attending faculty and staff had the chance to recognize and celebrate OAER-related work at the campus, and to advance the importance of the resources regarding student access, affordability, and retention. “This is a relatively new and fast-growing movement within academia,” said Reference and Instruction Librarian Elizabeth Nelson, who coordinated the event with Head Librarian Jennifer Jarson. “According to a lot of students, many of these free resources are often better quality than paid materials.” “Free does not mean low quality. These are high-quality resources,” added Professor of Marketing Denise Ogden. Read More >>

HOT OFF THE PRESS

Each edition, we highlight an interesting, new, openly-licensed resource

The Iowa State University Digital Press is happy to announce the final publication of a new open resource, written by Dr. Kelly L. Reddy-Best, Iowa State University, which has been undergoing final edits after an initial pilot phase: Dress, Appearance, and Diversity in U.S. Society. This textbook invites readers to explore how individuals and communities use dress as a way to communicate their various identities, with heightened attention to social justice, power, privilege, and oppression.

WEIGH IN

Great reads to repost or share and interesting discussions to consider

Great to Share >>

Open educational resources help students save money | The Connection

Interesting to Consider >>

Students’ Opinions of Professors Lean Positive | Inside Higher Ed

University faculty want more time to evaluate edtech, poll finds | EdScoop

Have suggestions for the next edition? Let us know at oerdigest@gmail.com, or tweet us @OERdigest.

The OER Digest is a public newsletter distributed to a broad group of stakeholders across the higher education community. Subscribe here.

Regular Edition

OER Digest – May 19, 2022

Michael Basmajian (PIRG) | Volume 153 | May 19, 2022

THE OER DIGEST

Your bi-weekly newsletter for open education updates, opportunities, and reminders

HAPPENING NOW: The OTESSA Conference is happening now online through Saturday May 20th, and the virtual platform will remain open until June 3, 2022, to watch any recorded or on-demand content. The conference is hosted by OTESSA, the Open/Technology in Education, Society, and Scholarship Association. Learn more and register here.

OEGlobal22: Not in Nantes for OEGlobal22? Join us to rewatch the keynote address that will be delivered by the amazing Dr. Sian Proctor. On May 24, 2022 at 3:00 PM EST, join us on Zoom to replay the keynote and have a discussion together. Register now to get your access!

OPEN CONNECTIONS

Conferences, jobs, and other OER-related opportunities

APPLY NOW: The Open Education Network is accepting applications for faculty and librarian partners to receive a certification for open educational practices (OEP). Applicants should be higher education faculty who have a lesson that they wish to transform with open educational practices and teach in the spring of 2023. For more information, please visit the Call for Applications or the website.

APPLY NOW: The application period for the Michelson 20MM Spark Grant cycle is now open. The foundation is accepting OER grant LOIs aligning with their focus areas from May 17 – June 1st. Learn more from their webinar or website.

APPLY NOW: The Open Education Group is seeking applications for the next cohort of OER Research Fellows! Learn more about the OER fellowship here. Submit your application here. The deadline to apply is June 22, 2022

APPLY NOW: MHz Foundation, whose mission is to bring global culture and perspective to the world via digital programming with Curationist.org, is hiring an Educational Programs Manager with a focus on open education. This is a remote position. Learn more and apply here.

STORIES FROM THE FIELD

Quick snapshots of those making change on the ground level, and those impacted

FROM MICHIGAN: The Western Michigan University Libraries awarded eight OER adoption grants and two creation grants to WMU instructors this month. The grants are anticipated to save students in 11 courses more than $91,000 in textbook costs in just one semester. “The savings for students continues to grow,” says Sara Volmering, marketing manager for University Libraries. “Every time an instructor repeats a course using an OER, a new group of students reaps the academic and financial benefits.” Read More >>

FROM NORTH DAKOTA: The University of North Dakota received a “Colleagues’ Choice Innovation Award” in April for their efforts to improve access and affordability of educational resources for students. The award was given by the Western Academic Leadership Forum at the Forum’s annual meeting in Portland, Oregon. The Forum is a membership organization for university administrators within the Western Interstate Commission for Higher Education (WICHE). UND has promoted the use of OER by its faculty, with more than 90 faculty members from every school and college having adapted, adopted, or created OER to replace expensive texts, saving students $11 million since 2015. Read More >>

HOT OFF THE PRESS

Each edition, we highlight an interesting, new, openly-licensed resource

The newest open textbook to be released in the University of Minnesota’s Open Textbook Library is Urban Literacy: Learning to Read the City Around You, an introduction to urban studies that explores different aspects of urban life, such as the environment, housing, and culture. The book was authored by Portland State University’s Leanne Serbulo.

WEIGH IN

Great reads to repost or share and interesting discussions to consider

Great to Share >>

Embracing OER Institutionwide | Inside HigherEd

Open-Source Law Textbooks: The Answer to the Book Buying Burden? | American Bar Association

Open to change? How higher ed can save millions, reach more students | University Business

The Cost of College | Santa Barbara Independent

Interesting to Consider >>

Decolonising Open Educational Resources (OER): Why the focus on ‘open’ and ‘access’ is not enough for the EdTech revolution | EdTech Hub

Have suggestions for the next edition? Let us know at oerdigest@gmail.com, or tweet us @OERdigest.

The OER Digest is a public newsletter distributed to a broad group of stakeholders across the higher education community. Subscribe here.

Regular Edition

OER DIGEST – May 5, 2022

Aishah Abdullah | Volume 152 | May 5, 2022

THE OER DIGEST

Your bi-weekly newsletter for open education updates, opportunities, and reminders

OER STARTER KIT: A new resource has been published for faculty and staff interested in starting or leading OER efforts at their institutions: The OER Starter Kit for Program Managers. This resource was created to share the work involved in building and managing an OER program. It includes learning about open educational practices and asking team members to collect and report data on your program’s outcomes. Attend the launch party on May 10, 12:00-1:00 PM EST to learn more about the book, ask questions, and engage in discussions about program management for OER.

CLIMATE EDUCATION HUB: ISKME launched the Climate Education Hub on OER Commons on Earth Day. This hub is a work in progress as the developers seek out partners in the climate curriculum development community, the professional learning community, and those who are experts in teaching about climate change. The goal of this hub is to develop, over time, robust interdisciplinary collections of OER that integrate a discussion of climate change. If you know of any OER/climate-related work happening in your setting or have suggestions, email mindy@iskme.org.

OPEN CONNECTIONS

Conferences, jobs, and other OER-related opportunities

CALL FOR PROPOSALS: The call for proposals for the 2022 Open Education Conference is now open. Details on submission requirements, session types, and how to submit a proposal are outlined in the call for proposals. The deadline to submit is May 27, 2022.

CALL FOR PROPOSALS: The Digital Higher Education Consortium of Texas (DigiTex), Texas Digital Library (TDL), and Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board (THECB) are now accepting proposals for the second annual, virtual Open Texas conference, to be held September 21-23, 2022.

LAST CHANCE: Applications for the SPARC Open Education Leadership Program 2022-2023 cohort close Friday, May 6th at 11:59pm EDT.

APPLY NOW: Temple University is accepting applicants for Assistant Director of Open Publishing Initiatives and Scholarly Communications. It is a hybrid position and you can learn more and apply here.

STORIES FROM THE FIELD

Quick snapshots of those making change on the ground level, and those impacted

FROM KANSAS: Fort Hays State University recognized faculty and staff that made significant contributions to open educational resources on campus at their inaugural Engaged Scholars reception. Three campus academic departments were honored for their success in providing openly available and other zero-cost materials alternatives for students. The Department of Leadership Studies was recognized for expanding its use of OER in its courses. The Department of Advanced Education Programs earned recognition in the “Innovation” category. The Department of Nursing was honored as the team that had the highest impact with its OER improvements. Read More >>

FROM WASHINGTON D.C: George Washington Libraries awarded grants to faculty who will replace required traditional course materials with free, open resources. This is part of a university-wide effort to lower the cost of textbook prices. This grant, titled Adapting Course Materials for Equity Faculty, was launched earlier this semester and grant awards range from $250 to $1000. Eight professors received the grant who plan to switch to open materials between fall 2022 and fall 2023. Geneva Henry, dean of libraries and academic innovation, said,“We recognize that it’s also a barrier to access to information which is what we’re all about in Libraries. So we have been promoting for a very long time, the adoption of open education resources to increase affordability for our students.” Read More >>

FROM COLORADO: University of Colorado’s (CU) The Office of Academic Affairs and the Open CU Steering Team celebrated the 2022 Open Educational Resources Champion Award. The award celebrates educators across the four CU campuses who contribute to the open education movement. This four-year award program has allowed OER to save CU students $1 million. CU President Todd Saliman congratulated the educators who were awarded and shared, “Your efforts to support OER on your campuses and your dedication to growing this important program at CU are critical. Your work breaks down barriers to a world-class education so that all of our students can thrive and succeed.” Read More >>

HOT OFF THE PRESS

Each edition, we highlight an interesting, new, openly-licensed resource

The UMass Amherst Libraries are pleased to announce the publication of a new open textbook, Radical Social Theory: An Appraisal, a Critique, and an Overcoming. The book was written thanks to support from the University Libraries Open Education Initiative, which is intended to help faculty transition to open educational resources (OER).

WEIGH IN

Great reads to repost or share and interesting discussions to consider

Great to Share >>

How Open Education Centers Student Voices | Open Campus

Answering the Call for OER | Community College Daily

Interesting to Consider >>

6 Principles for Measuring the Cost Savings of OER | Campus Technology

Lumen Learning Grant Challenges Applicants to Improve OER | Campus Technology

Textbook Price Transparency Bill Passes Major Legislative Hurdle | Business Wire

Have suggestions for the next edition? Let us know at oerdigest@gmail.com, or tweet us @OERdigest.

The OER Digest is a public newsletter distributed to a broad group of stakeholders across the higher education community. Subscribe here.

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