2017 EDSIG Proceedings - Workshop Presentation
Expanding Access and Engagement in Your Courses with Open Educational Resources (OER)
Elizabeth Baker
University of North Carolina Wilmington
ObjectivesThe rising cost of course materials used in higher education courses is putting access to education out of reach of many students. Textbook and course material costs can account for 10-25% of the overall cost of a college program, leading many students to forego buying the texts at all (Zalaznick, 2016). Moving course materials from proprietary material to Open Educational Resources can dramatically reduce the cost for students. This participant-centered workshop looks to engage the questions frequently asked by faculty when considering OER adoption:
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What are these OER? Where do I find them?
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Are the materials academically rigorous?
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Who creates this content? Do I have to create this content?
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Who can help me put this course together?
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Is it really worth it to invest the significant time in preparing this new course? (It sounds like a lot of work!)
- Do students really save?
- Do students actually still learn with these materials?
With university systems as large as the University of Maryland system elevating OER adoption to a statewide initiative at its 12 institutions, this emerging trend in IS education cannot afford to be overlooked.
References:
Zalaznick, M. (2016, December). OER Revolution. University Business, (12), 41–43.
Targeted AttendeesEducators with an interest in learning more about expanding access to education through the incorporation of Open Educational Resources (OER) in their classrooms and programs. The presenter has taught using OER for several years and encountered much resistance along the way and hopes this workshop can shed light on the positive potential of such an initiative.
Recommended Citation: Baker, E., (2017). Expanding Access and Engagement in Your Courses with Open Educational Resources (OER).
Proceedings of the EDSIG Conference, (2017) n.4438, Austin, Texas