Presentation Type
Presentation
Full Description of the Session
This presentation will provide a snapshot of UTSA librarians’ work with OER in the past year and a half and will present future strategies for OER expansion. The UTSA Libraries began exploring OER in 2015, essentially starting from scratch in an unfamiliar realm. Since then, we have made substantial strides in building a framework to support OER awareness and adoption. In addition to learning about UTSA’s program, the audience will be encouraged to brainstorm, in small groups, strategies for improving existing OER programs and frameworks. What can we learn from each other to build more robust and effective OER programs?
We’ve drafted an OER library project plan with measurable outcomes as part of our partnership with OpenStax, leveraging their expertise in growing OER adoption on college campuses. In addition to our OpenStax partnership, we have also worked closely with campus partners to spur OER growth: the Libraries’ relationships with the Office of the Provost, the Faculty Center, the Teaching and Learning Center, Office of the Registrar, Online Learning, the Campus Bookstore, and our Student Government Association have been crucial to the success of our initiative. Our OER faculty grant program, now in its second year, will be outlined in detail with special emphases on communication strategies, partner relationships, and our scoring and selection process for applications. In addition to learning about UTSA’s program, the audience will be encouraged to brainstorm, in small groups, strategies for improving existing OER programs and frameworks. What can we learn from each other to build more robust and effective OER programs? This track is for beginner or intermediate OER program leaders.
The University of Texas at San Antonio (UTSA) is a Hispanic-serving institution with 46% of our 30,000 students identifying as first-generation college students. One critical aspect of UTSA’s mission is to provide access to higher education for residents of South Central Texas. Currently, UTSA’s four-year graduation rate is 11%; increasing this number has been identified as a high priority for the entire University. UTSA Librarians believe increasing access to open educational resources (OER) supports and advances this effort. OER research reveals a relationship between textbook access and course outcomes, allowing for more engaged classrooms, student savings, and correlates with a decrease in students dropping and failing courses. OER advocacy is a natural fit for UTSA, and aligns well with our mission and institutional goals.
DOI
https://doi.org/10.7275/0pvc-p111
Start Date
14-6-2017 1:55 PM
End Date
14-6-2017 1:20 PM
Leaping into OER at UT San Antonio: Leveraging Partnerships and Communication to Spur Growth
This presentation will provide a snapshot of UTSA librarians’ work with OER in the past year and a half and will present future strategies for OER expansion. The UTSA Libraries began exploring OER in 2015, essentially starting from scratch in an unfamiliar realm. Since then, we have made substantial strides in building a framework to support OER awareness and adoption. In addition to learning about UTSA’s program, the audience will be encouraged to brainstorm, in small groups, strategies for improving existing OER programs and frameworks. What can we learn from each other to build more robust and effective OER programs?
We’ve drafted an OER library project plan with measurable outcomes as part of our partnership with OpenStax, leveraging their expertise in growing OER adoption on college campuses. In addition to our OpenStax partnership, we have also worked closely with campus partners to spur OER growth: the Libraries’ relationships with the Office of the Provost, the Faculty Center, the Teaching and Learning Center, Office of the Registrar, Online Learning, the Campus Bookstore, and our Student Government Association have been crucial to the success of our initiative. Our OER faculty grant program, now in its second year, will be outlined in detail with special emphases on communication strategies, partner relationships, and our scoring and selection process for applications. In addition to learning about UTSA’s program, the audience will be encouraged to brainstorm, in small groups, strategies for improving existing OER programs and frameworks. What can we learn from each other to build more robust and effective OER programs? This track is for beginner or intermediate OER program leaders.
The University of Texas at San Antonio (UTSA) is a Hispanic-serving institution with 46% of our 30,000 students identifying as first-generation college students. One critical aspect of UTSA’s mission is to provide access to higher education for residents of South Central Texas. Currently, UTSA’s four-year graduation rate is 11%; increasing this number has been identified as a high priority for the entire University. UTSA Librarians believe increasing access to open educational resources (OER) supports and advances this effort. OER research reveals a relationship between textbook access and course outcomes, allowing for more engaged classrooms, student savings, and correlates with a decrease in students dropping and failing courses. OER advocacy is a natural fit for UTSA, and aligns well with our mission and institutional goals.