OER Digest – April 27, 2023
Aishah Abdullah (SPARC) | Volume 170 | April 27, 2023
THE OER DIGEST
Your monthly newsletter for open education updates, opportunities, and reminders
STATE LEGISLATION UPDATE: A number of OER-related bills are moving in state legislatures across the country. This week, the Washington State Legislature sent a bill to the governor’s desk that provides $300,000 for the development of “open access climate science educational curriculum” to be used in teacher prep programs. In New Mexico, Governor Michelle Grisham approved $100,000 in appropriations from the state legislature to establish an OER pilot program. Another bill under consideration in Minnesota would provide funding for Z-degree programs. OER advocates in Wisconsin are also seeking to pass funding to create OER for the public and technical colleges in the state, modeled off the successful OpenRN project at Chippewa Valley Technical College. OER-related bills are also under consideration in Oregon and Ohio. To see the full list of OER-related bills this legislative session and enacted bills from previous years, visit SPARC’s OER State Policy Tracker.
Federal Open Textbooks Pilot Program: The Open Textbooks Pilot program is a U.S. federal grant program that supports projects at institutions of higher education that create or expand the use of open textbooks to achieve savings for students. The 2023 Notice Inviting Applications in the Federal Register has detailed information on the program and how to apply. Applications are due May 16, 2023.
OPEN CONNECTIONS
Conferences, jobs, and other OER-related opportunities
OPENED23 COMMUNITY MEETING: The OpenEd23 Board of Directors will hold the second community meeting of the year on Wednesday, May 10, 2023. During this meeting, community members will hear updates about the 2023 conference and about planning a hybrid event for the 2024 conference. There will be two opportunities to attend the meeting — 9AM ET and 5PM ET.
JOB OPPORTUNITY: The Virginia Commonwealth University Libraries invites applications and nominations for the position of Open Educational Resources Librarian. The Open Educational Resources Librarian will collaborate with colleagues in the VCU Libraries and across the university to increase student success by advancing the adoption of open and affordable course content. Review of applications will begin May 7, 2023.
JOB OPPORTUNITY: Northern Kentucky University’s W. Frank Steely Library is currently inviting applications for the Head of Digital Scholarship & Communication Services. The person in this role will help to plan, implement, and manage a research services program that supports a student-focused campus environment. Learn more and apply here.
REGISTER NOW: The Florida OER Summit is being held virtually May 24-25, 2023. This free event explores the positive impact of OER on students, faculty, and institutions. The summit will cover topics such as open pedagogy, OER quality, accessibility, and student success. Register now and view the agenda.
APPLY NOW: If you're teaching a course this summer, consider running a Wikipedia Assignment. Help your students engage in work that's authentic and satisfying. You can attend an upcoming workshop to learn more.
APPLY NOW: The American Association of Colleges and Universities (AAC&U) has added additional resources to support OER in higher education. As a result, additional slots are now available in the forthcoming 2023-2024 Institute on Open Educational Resources. The deadline for applications has been extended to May 1st.
STORIES FROM THE FIELD
Quick snapshots of those making change on the ground level, and those impacted
FROM MICHIGAN: Oakland Community College (OCC) in Michigan has implemented a new initiative to increase the use of open educational resources in its courses, with the goal of saving students money on textbook costs and improving access to course materials. This accomplishment has already benefited over 10,000 students and helped lower the withdrawal rate. OCC English faculty member and OER facilitator Tara Broeckel shared “We know it is working when it comes to completion as well as cost savings. Financially, we are doing a wonderful thing and also helping retention.” This initiative is part of a larger movement within higher education to promote the use of OER and reduce the financial burden on students, and OCC's efforts may serve as a model for other institutions looking to implement similar programs. Read More >>
FROM FLORIDA: Polk State College in Florida has saved students over $2.5 million in textbook costs since 2017 due to faculty’s commitment to implement OER in their classrooms. Twenty-three faculty members have implemented OER into 53 courses to date. Students can easily check if their courses utilize OER materials when they register for classes. Katie Ragsdale, Instructional Designer with Polk State’s Learning Technology Department, states “We are double where we wanted to be by this time. Our goal is to offer a fully OER Associate in Arts degree program and we are only five courses short from achieving that goal.” Read More >>
FROM ONTARIO: Western Libraries recently completed the inaugural year of its OER Grant and Support program, which provides funding to instructors for the creation or development of open educational resources. The program, which offers up to $25,000 annually and a maximum of $7,500 per instructor, awarded grants to five recipients in the 2022-23 academic year. One recipient, Western University nursing instructor Alexis Smith, used OER to replace a costly commercial textbook in a third-year nursing class, saving an estimated $46,000 for her approximately 300 students. University Students’ Council vice-president university affairs Lauren Jarman shared “I think that you're not only helping yourself as an individual student, but you're also gonna be helping your peers who also need that same equitable access to educational resources.” Read More >>
HOT OFF THE PRESS
Each edition, we highlight an interesting, new, openly-licensed resource
The University of West Florida recently announced their newest nursing textbook titled Leading Change in Health Systems: Strategies for RN - BSN Students. This book is designed for practicing nurses pursuing a Bachelor of Science in Nursing. It is focused on building upon previous knowledge, skills and attitudes of Registered Nurses (RNs) related to leadership in healthcare systems
WEIGH IN
Great reads to repost or share and interesting discussions to consider
Great to Share >>
Knowledge is Meant to be Shared: The Case for Open Educational Resources | EducationWeek
M State to offer business, psychology programs with zero textbook costs for students | Detroit Lakes Online
COC awarded $3 million Title V grant to support Hispanic students | The Signal (Santa Clarita Valley)
Interesting to Consider >>
Faculty Senate debates open educational resources funding and implementation | The Battalion
Open educational resources seen as path to better DEI outcomes | Higher Ed Dive
Ethical considerations for the integration of Indigenous knowledge into open education resources | University Affairs
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.