OER Digest - October 14, 2021
From Bilan Jama (CC USA) | Volume 139 | October 14, 2021
THE OER DIGEST
Your bi-weekly newsletter for open education updates, opportunities, and reminders
INCLUSIVEACCESS.ORG: Last week marked the launch of InclusiveAccess.org, a community-driven initiative to raise awareness of the facts about automatic textbook billing. InclusiveAccess.org is a one-stop-shop for information, tools, and other resources to help administrators, faculty, students, and policymakers make informed decisions about the Inclusive Access sales model and its implications for the campus community—including how it differs from OER. The initiative was developed by SPARC with generous support from the Michelson 20MM Foundation. Partners include AAC&U, Academic Senate for California Community Colleges, CCCOER Creative Commons, DigiTex, ISKME, Student PIRGs, Open Education Global, and OpenStax. The initiative was covered in the Chronicle of Higher Education.ALMOST HERE: The Open Education Conference (#OpenEd21) will be held virtually October 18-22nd. That’s next week! Check out these tips for getting the most out of this (and any) virtual conference, and note that registration is still available.
OPEN CONNECTIONS
Conferences, jobs, and other OER-related opportunities
APPLY NOW: The Rebus Foundation is hiring a Project Evaluation Consultant to join their team. Deadline for applications is October 22nd. Learn more and apply here.REGISTER NOW: Kennesaw State University is having their Open Access Week October 25th - 28th. See the complete list of events and register here.APPLY NOW: Apply for the Certificate in OER Librarianship Program through the Open Education Network. Deadline for applications is November 28th, 11:59 pm CT. Learn more and apply here.REGISTER NOW: Iowa OER Virtual Summit’s registration is open. This conference is free of cost and takes place March 1-3, 2022. Learn more and register here.
STORIES FROM THE FIELD
Quick snapshots of those making change on the ground level, and those impacted
FROM ALABAMA: University Writing at Auburn University has launched a new OER that contains worksheets and handouts on numerous writing-focused topics, such as editing and proofreading, literature reviews and ePortfolios. Christopher Basgier, director of University Writing, expressed enthusiasm for the OER saying, “We have long been known locally and nationally for our high-quality ePortfolio resources. I am excited that our OER includes an expanded menu of materials, and that these materials are accessible for different users.” Read More >>FROM ALBERTA: Dr. John Scott, PhD, a German instructor in the School of Languages, Linguistics, Literatures and Cultures (SLLLC) at the University of Calgary, is aiming to inspire a solution to a foreign language teaching challenge by creating OER as part of his 2021 Teaching and Learning Grants project, Teaching German Adjective Endings through Metaphorical Narrative Videos. “Adjective endings are notoriously difficult for students of German across North America. Our memorable and engaging videos will help these endings finally make sense to students. German teaching professionals everywhere will be able to use our videos freely in their classes under Creative Commons licence,” says Scott. Read More >>FROM IDAHO: The Idaho Legislature and Governor Brad Little invested $1 million in Project Z-degree earlier this year as part of the governor’s “Building Idaho’s Future” initiative. The money will be used to help community college faculty who choose to participate in the effort transition their courses to zero-cost or very low-cost instructional materials such as OER. The goal is to launch Project Z-degree in time for the 2023 fall semester at all four of Idaho’s community colleges. “If you are a student, two years from now you will be able to earn either a liberal arts or a general studies associate’s degree without paying more than $30 for any textbook, and in most degree pathways, without paying anything for textbooks at all,” said TJ Bliss, the State Board of Education’s chief academic officer. Read More >>
HOT OFF THE PRESS
Each edition, we highlight an interesting, new, openly-licensed resource
Portland State University Library has released, Human Development by the Human Development Teaching and Learning Group. This open textbook is designed for Human Development, a core Psychology course. This course provides a bird’s eye view of major milestones and developmental tasks during each age period, starting at conception and ending with old age.
WEIGH IN
Great reads to repost or share and interesting discussions to consider
Great to Share >> Education leaders work to make college more affordable with online resources instead of textbooks | WBIRAdvocating for more OER-friendly copyright regulatory frameworks | Mirage News Interesting to Consider >> Do ‘Inclusive Access’ Textbook Programs Save Students Money? A New Site Urges Everyone to Read the Fine Print | The Chronicle of Higher EducationOpen Educational Resources Benefit Or Boon? | Moreover 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.