OER Digest – January 30, 2025
Aishah Abdullah (SPARC) | Volume 187 | January 30, 2025
THE OER DIGEST
Your monthly newsletter for open education updates, opportunities, and reminders
OPEN CONNECTIONS
Conferences, jobs, and other OER-related opportunities
APPLY NOW: The Textbook Success Program applications are open. This program is a professional development package that equips faculty, librarians, administrators, and managers with the tools they need to make great open textbooks.
CALL FOR PROPOSALS: The Florida OER Summit Planning Committee invites proposal submissions for the 2025 Summit. The Planning Committee strives to host an inclusive and accessible conference and encourages proposals that reflect a wide range of lived experiences and perspectives. The deadline for proposals is Friday, February 28, 2025.
REGISTER NOW: The Open Language Resource Center at the University of Kansas will virtually host the fifth annual Language OER Conference. The conference provides a venue to showcase large-scale language OER and to exchange information on topics related to OER production and adoption.
REGISTER NOW: Open Ed Live 2025, a free online event hosted by the University of Central Florida, will take place from February 25–27. This year’s theme, Open Education: Forming Bridges for Lifelong Learning, will explore innovative practices in OER, including accessibility and strategies for fostering lifelong learning.
WEBINAR: Join the webinar Resilience and Open Education: Supporting Ukrainian Librarians During Wartime for a thought-provoking session featuring Dr. Tetiana Kolesnykova, Director of the Scientific Library with the Ukrainian State University of Science and Technologies. Occurring on February 13th at 9:00 AM Eastern Time, discover how librarians in Ukraine are using open education as a tool to stay connected with the world and support their communities during the ongoing war.
WEBINAR: The Opt-In Models for Automatic Textbook Billing webinar, will take place on February 6, 2025, at 11:00 AM Pacific time. This session will provide an update on federal rulemaking and showcase case studies of institutions successfully implementing opt-in models for textbook billing, allowing students to make informed purchasing decisions.
JOB POSTING: SPARC has an opening for an Open Education Community Manager. This position will work across SPARC’s open education portfolio to conduct outreach, build relationships, and support effective open education work through resources, programming, and coordination.
STORIES FROM THE FIELD
Quick snapshots of those making change on the ground level, and those impacted
FROM UTAH: Weber State University (WSU) is expanding its efforts to provide free textbooks to students, aiming to make higher education more accessible and affordable. The university’s OER initiative, introduced by the Stewart Library in 2019, has already saved students an estimated $3 million by replacing expensive textbooks with freely available course materials. "Ultimately, when we offer free materials, we’re giving students a better educational experience," said Jim Hutchins, a professor in the Department of Health Sciences. The initiative has led to increased retention and success, with 98% of students in health sciences courses indicating that free materials are important when choosing future classes. Read More >>
FROM FLORIDA: The Textbook Affordability Project (TAP) at USF St. Petersburg has saved students over $2.4 million in the past eight years by reducing the cost of course materials and improving accessibility. The project offers a growing collection of resources, including reserved textbooks, e-books, and open educational materials, to make education more affordable. “Providing a top-notch education at limited costs is a vital part of our academic mission. I am thrilled that our library is doing its part to save our student body millions while ensuring access to critical resources,” said USF St. Petersburg Regional Chancellor Christian Hardigree. The project has significantly expanded textbook access, from just 20 titles in the library’s reserve collection to over 200, and continues to partner with faculty to explore affordable alternatives to traditional textbooks. Read More >>
FROM WISCONSIN: Marquette University School of Dentistry has received a $1.37 million grant to support the creation of the Open Dental Education Consortium (ODEC). This consortium will be formed with Chippewa Valley Technical College, Milwaukee Area Technical College, and Brigham Young University. “A major gap exists in open education such that open educational resources as a philosophy or practice have not been incorporated at scale into dental education,” said Dr. Elisabeta Karl, associate dean of academic affairs. This initiative is expected to save at least 530 students $1,000 each. Read More >>
HOT OFF THE PRESS
Each edition, we highlight an interesting, new, openly-licensed resource
University of Saskatchewan’s Women’s and Gender Studies Department released a new open resource, Queering in the Classroom. The resource includes multiple tools for gender, sexuality, and social justice. It is an open pedagogy tool that students will continue to contribute to.
WEIGH IN
Great reads to repost or share and interesting discussions to consider
Ithaka S+R Publishes New Report on Open Educational Resources Case Studies | InfoDocket
World’s Largest Publisher of Textbooks Sees OER as Key to Cost Savings | University World News
Exploring OER: A Look at Its Impact and Challenges | Iowa State Digital Press
Brock Students Should Look Beyond the Campus Store to Save Money on Textbooks | Brock Press
Diablo Valley College Honored with Statewide Exemplary Program Award | Patch
A Call to Action — Engage with Textbook Affordability | Daily Lobo
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The OER Digest is a public newsletter distributed to a broad group of stakeholders across the higher education community. Subscribe here.