OER Digest - November 4th, 2016
From Katie Steen (USPIRG) and Brady Yano (SPARC) | Volume 18 | November 4th, 2016
With help from Dr. David Wiley, Lindsey Tepe, Layla Bonnot, Nicole Finkbeiner, Sarah Cohen, and Nick Shockey
THE OER DIGEST
Your bi-weekly newsletter for open education updates, opportunities, and reminders
UPDATES FROM #OPENED16: Our special edition OER Digest video is available here.
OPEN CONNECTIONS
Conferences, jobs, and other OER-related opportunities
EVENT: RSVP now to attend OpenCon Live, the live webcast of OpenCon 2016 this November 12-14. http://www.opencon2016.org/opencon_2016_live
JOB: The University of Nebraska at Kearney is looking for a Coordinator for Virtual Library Services. http://unk.peopleadmin.com/postings/1409
JOB: The University of Nebraska at Kearney is looking for an Electronic Resources/Web Services Librarian. http://unk.peopleadmin.com/postings/1410
STORIES FROM THE FIELD
A brief snapshot of those making change on the ground level, and those most impacted
FROM ARKANSAS: The ASG Joint Resolution calls for faculty and staff to look into the implementation and creation of open educational resources at the UofA. Open educational resources, or OERs, are free online textbooks, learning and research materials that substitute having to purchase or rent physical textbooks for class. “It’s going to make going to school cheaper,” Bone said. “It’s going to benefit all of us.” The online aspect makes learning more social and interactive, Bone said. Professors who teach subjects where OER textbooks are available have the ability to assign them, but most still require textbooks that need to be bought or rented. Read more>
FROM ALBERTA: Representatives from five schools across Alberta launched the #textbookbrokeAB campaign this fall to showcase the amount of money students are spending on books. Instead, they want schools to look more seriously at open source textbooks, or books that have been published and licensed to be used by anyone. It’s an idea gaining momentum in other places, including B.C. Katelyn Garlough, VP academic of MacEwan’s student association, said the final bill for regular textbooks can often be more than $1,000 a semester. “Some students are sacrificing how much food they put on their table that month, they’re sacrificing certain bills,” she said. Read More>
TWEET OF THE WEEK
@tjbliss @RegLeichty gotta catch em all #twittergo #opened16snark #thereifixedit
SYLLABUS
Interesting Reads on Education and Open
3 Ways to Prove the ROI in Open Educational Resources | The Eyeopener
https://theeyeopener.com/2016/10/digital-textbooks-are-killing-the-used-textbook-market/
Delaware commits to using open education resources in classrooms | Delaware Public Media
http://delawarepublic.org/post/delaware-commits-using-open-education-resources-classrooms
See how a school district will save hundreds of thousands on textbooks | M Live http://www.mlive.com/news/muskegon/index.ssf/2016/10/see_how_a_school_district_will.html
Faculty advocating for cheaper textbooks | The Roundup News http://theroundupnews.com/2016/10/25/faculty-advocating-cheaper-textbooks/
A Broader View of OER: In Response to McShane’s Article on Open Education | Education Next
http://educationnext.org/in-response-to-mcshanes-article-on-open-education/
Open Mindset | Memorial University Gazette
https://gazette.mun.ca/teaching-and-learning/open-mindset/
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