OER Digest – September 28, 2023
Aishah Abdullah (SPARC) | Volume 174 | September 28, 2023
THE OER DIGEST
Your monthly newsletter for open education updates, opportunities, and reminders
OER ON THE RISE: Bay View Analytics released two new reports on open educational resources in U.S. K-12 and higher education. The higher education report revealed that OER usage and awareness has hit at an all-time high with nearly two-thirds of faculty aware of OER and almost a third requiring OER use in their classrooms. Similarly, the K-12 report showed an increase in OER awareness among teachers compared to last year.
MAKING THE CASE: The American Association of Colleges and Universities (AAC&U) published a new resource, Making the Case for Open Educational Resources, which is designed to assist OER advocates in their work to craft persuasive presentations, publications, and arguments as they promote OER. The graphics can be freely downloaded and shared for use in presentations and advocacy.
YOUTUBE CHANNEL: A new YouTube channel called Knowledge is Meant to Be Shared has launched as a space for educators, teachers, librarians, faculty, administrators, advocates, and others to share and access videos that show how OER and practices can be used to engage students and strengthen teaching and learning. This channel is supported by The William and Flora Hewlett Foundation.
OPEN CONNECTIONS
Conferences, jobs, and other OER-related opportunities
REGISTER NOW: The 2023 Open Education Conference "Innovation and Praxis: Building on 20 Years of Community" will be held as a virtual event on November 7-9, 2023. The discounted early bird registration rate ($75 USD) ends on October 1st. Don't miss out on the latest research, projects, and innovations from across the field including OER, open pedagogy, and open education initiatives.
REGISTER NOW: Registration is now open for the 3rd annual Wisconsin Open Education Symposium on Friday, October 27. This year, a “Workshop Day” will be held for any faculty or other stakeholders interested in learning about the basics of OER with support to find resources for courses and network with colleagues in similar disciplines.
SHARE YOUR STORY: The Open Education Conference is inviting community members to share a brief video or written message in honor of the 20th annual gathering of the conference community. Whether you are a first-time attendee, a long-time attendee, or anywhere in between, contribute your OpenEd story.
JOB OPPORTUNITY: Texas Tech University Libraries is currently accepting and reviewing applications for the Open Educational Resources Lead Administrator role.
JOB OPPORTUNITY: UMass Amherst Libraries is hiring a new Education Librarian. They are seeking a candidate with experience in open education and instructional design. Learn more and apply here.
JOB OPPORTUNITY: The Ball State University Libraries is looking for a talented collaborator and an experienced advocate for affordable education to join their team as the Open Content and Affordable Learning Librarian.
STORIES FROM THE FIELD
Quick snapshots of those making change on the ground level, and those impacted
FROM COLORADO: Aims Community College has a Free-to-Student (F2S) initiative that has saved students over $1.5 million. This initiative aims to have classes use resources that are freely available to educators and students. Through this program, students are able to more easily access resources without having to spend money. Although the initiative isn’t exclusively for implementing OER, through the program, there are approximately 60 courses that use OER. Jim Hutchinson, a Learning Experience Designer, works with faculty throughout the college to redevelop courses. He shares how, “When we become more purposeful about the materials we use, it's a much more aligned and engaging course.” F2S is continuing to grow and students are reaping the benefits. Read More >>
FROM VIETNAM: Internationally, open educational resources are making headway. In Vietnam, Prime Minister Tran Hong Ha approved a program to develop open educational resources for higher education. Under this program, from 2023-2026 a portal of OER will be built and put into operation, providing learning, teaching, and research materials. The goal is to have over 40% of higher education institutions in the country participating in developing OER and 20% of higher education majors have materials posted on the portal by 2026. This portal will help institutions more easily access resources as well as share their own nationwide. Read More >>
FROM ILLINOIS: At the start of each quarter, Northwestern University students face the financial strain of purchasing textbooks and access codes. To address this, Northwestern University, in collaboration with librarians from Penn State and the University of Minnesota, has started a new initiative. NU Open Education Librarian Lauren McKeen McDonald leads this initiative and emphasizes the goal of providing low- or no-cost course materials to enhance equity in learning. The team secured funding for a two-year grant to establish a shared learning infrastructure. Furthermore, NU incentivizes professors with a $5,000 OER faculty grant, encouraging the development, use, and publication of OER for courses. McDonald envisions increased awareness of OER to foster a more equitable learning environment at NU, a sentiment echoed by students like Miriam Mae who appreciate affordable resources, particularly for those from diverse backgrounds. Read More >>
HOT OFF THE PRESS
Each edition, we highlight an interesting, new, openly-licensed resource
Rebus launched a new open publication titled Beyond the Horizon: Broadening Our Understanding of OER Efficacy. This resource is designed for administrators, librarians, coordinators, and educators of open education and initiatives interested in OER efficacy research and reporting. Beyond the Horizon explores the expanded potential and influence of OER by painting a picture of current OER research, including frameworks, themes, and trends.
WEIGH IN
Great reads to repost or share and interesting discussions to consider
Great to Share >>
Lehigh Valley Mathematics Professor Helps Create OER | Penn State University
Open Source Textbook Aids College Student Learning | Inside HigherEd
More Faculty Are Aware and Using Open Educational Resources | Inside HigherEd
Interesting to Consider >>
Openstax Welcomes Largest Group Schools Institutional Partner Program Date | Rice University
Gateway to 21st Century Education | Greater Kashmir
Open Educational Resources | The Voice of Higher Education
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.