scholarly journals Opening up Educational Practices through Faculty, Librarian, and Student Collaboration in OER Creation: Moving from Labor-intensive to Supervisory Involvement

2021 ◽  
Vol 16 (1) ◽  
pp. 1-27
Author(s):  
Bryan McGeary ◽  
Christopher Guder ◽  
Ashwini Ganeshan
Keyword(s):  
Open Educational Resources ◽  
Open Educational Resource ◽  
Ohio University ◽  
Collaborative Partnerships ◽  
University Libraries ◽  
Student Collaboration ◽  
Personnel Costs ◽  
Hispanic Linguistics ◽  
Open Textbooks ◽  
The Impact

This article presents a case study for transitioning library-led open-educational resources (OER) initiatives away from labor-intensive activities to a model where library personnel focus on project management responsibilities. This shift from labour-intensive activities, such as workshops and training sessions, led to more collaborative partnerships with faculty and students to produce OER projects. In particular, we focus on labour implications for the various stakeholders involved and the sustainability of these initiatives. We describe several initiatives undertaken by the Ohio University Libraries to encourage open educational resource adoptions and projects, including a grant-funded initiative to provide support services for faculty creating OER. That funding, which was awarded to enhance undergraduate education, has been used to support the development of five OER projects that have directly involved students in the creation of those materials. We provide an overview of the various ways in which students have become involved in OER creation in partnership with faculty and librarians and discuss the impact these partnerships have had on student-faculty-librarian relationships and student engagement. Among these projects are an Hispanic linguistics open textbook created using only student-authored texts, student-generated test banks to accompany existing OER materials for a large-enrollment art history course, and several other projects in which hired student assistants are helping faculty to develop content for open textbooks. This article helps to address a gap in the literature by providing transparency regarding the personnel, costs, and workflow for Ohio University Libraries’ OER initiatives and addressing potential areas of concern surrounding student labour. 

scholarly journals Results from a Psychology OER pilot program: faculty and student perceptions, cost savings, and academic outcomes

Open Praxis ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 12 (1) ◽  
pp. 83
Author(s):  
Juliana Magro ◽  
Sara V Tabaei
Keyword(s):  
Student Perceptions ◽  
Academic Outcomes ◽  
Cost Savings ◽  
Open Educational Resources ◽  
Pilot Program ◽  
Open Textbooks ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Pedagogical Changes ◽  
Better Than

This case study describes the library’s experience of collaborating with an undergraduate Psychology Department at Touro College to integrate open textbooks into their program. We discuss the pedagogical changes as well as explore the impact of Open Educational Resources (OER) on students’ savings, their academic outcomes and perceptions of OER. Furthermore, we highlight the successes and shortcomings in having the library as a central OER partner. To measure the results, we surveyed students and conducted a faculty survey and a focus group, in addition to analyzing the students’ final grades. This pilot program delivered strong results. The students’ perception was very positive, and faculty’s opinions on the textbooks used were mixed. Some professors felt that the textbook lacked important content, but because of its openness, they added their own content to the book. Students enrolled in OER courses performed better than those enrolled in the same courses using a commercial textbook.

scholarly journals As Good or Better than Commercial Textbooks: Students’ Perceptions and Outcomes from Using Open Digital and Open Print Textbooks

2018 ◽  
Vol 9 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Rajiv S Jhangiani ◽  
Farhad N Dastur ◽  
Richard Le Grand ◽  
Kurt Penner
Keyword(s):  
Student Performance ◽  
Secondary Students ◽  
Cost Savings ◽  
Open Educational Resources ◽  
Post Secondary ◽  
Digital Format ◽  
The Cost ◽  
Open Textbooks ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Better Than

The increase in the cost of college textbooks together with the proliferation of digital content and devices has inspired the development of open textbooks, open educational resources that are free, openly licensed, and often peer-reviewed. Although several published studies have investigated the impact of open textbook adoption on educational outcomes, none have separated the effects of textbook openness and format and only two have taken place in Canada (Hendricks, Reinsberg, & Rieger, 2017; Jhangiani & Jhangiani, 2017). This study investigates the perceptions, use, and course performance of Canadian post-secondary students assigned a commercial or open textbook in either print or digital format. Results show that students using the print format of the open textbook perceive its quality to be superior to the commercial textbook. Moreover, students assigned an open textbook in either format perform either no differently from or better than those assigned a commercial textbook. These results are consistent with the existing literature and support the conclusion that the cost savings to students associated with the adoption of open textbooks do not come at the expense of resource quality or student performance. L’augmentation du coût des manuels universitaires ainsi que la prolifération du contenu numérique et des appareils électroniques ont inspiré le développement de manuels ouverts, des ressources éducationnelles qui sont gratuites, dont les licences d’exploitation sont ouvertes et qui sont souvent évalués par les pairs. Bien que plusieurs études publiées aient étudié l’impact de l’adoption de manuels ouverts sur les résultats éducationnels, aucune n’a séparé les effets du caractère ouvert des manuels et du format et seulement deux études ont été menées au Canada (Hendricks, Reinsberg & Rieger, 2017; Jhangiani & Jhangiani, 2017). Cette étude examine les perceptions, l’emploi et les résultats des étudiants dans des établissements d’enseignement supérieur canadiens à qui on avait assigné un manuel commercial ou un manuel ouvert en format imprimé ou numérique. Les résultats ont montré que les étudiants qui avaient utilisé le format imprimé du manuel ouvert avaient perçu que sa qualité était supérieure à celle du manuel commercial. De plus, les étudiants à qui on avait assigné un manuel ouvert dans l’un ou l’autre des formats avaient obtenu des résultats semblables à ceux des étudiants à qui on avait assigné un manuel commercial. Ces résultats concordent avec les publications existantes et confirment la conclusion que les économies de coûts pour les étudiants liées à l’adoption de manuels ouverts n’entraînent pas une dégradation de la qualité des ressources ni des résultats des étudiants.

scholarly journals Mainstreaming Open Textbooks: Educator Perspectives on the Impact of OpenStax College open textbooks

2015 ◽  
Vol 16 (4) ◽  
Author(s):  
Rebecca Pitt
Keyword(s):  
Collaborative Research ◽  
Open Educational Resources ◽  
Educational Resources ◽  
Research Project ◽  
Learning And Teaching ◽  
Open Research ◽  
Research Findings ◽  
Educator Perspectives ◽  
Open Textbooks ◽  
The Impact

<p>This paper presents the results of collaborative research between OpenStax College, who have published 16 open textbooks to date, and the OER Research Hub, a Hewlett funded open research project examining the impact of open educational resources (OER) on learning and teaching.  The paper focuses primarily on the results of two surveys that were conducted with educators during 2013 and 2014/2015. These surveys focused on use and perceptions of OER and OpenStax College materials, financial savings and perceptions of impact on both educators and students.  This paper reports on the research findings related to the impact of OER on educator practice and make a series of specific recommendations based on these findings. </p>

scholarly journals What Happens When Trained Graduate Student Instructors Switch to an Open Textbook? A Controlled Study of the Impact on Student Learning Outcomes

2018 ◽  
Vol 18 (1) ◽  
pp. 48-64 ◽  
Author(s):  
Erin E. Hardin ◽  
Bret Eschman ◽  
Elliot S. Spengler ◽  
J. Alex Grizzell ◽  
Anahvia Taiyib Moody ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Student Learning ◽  
Learning Outcomes ◽  
Graduate Student ◽  
Underserved Populations ◽  
Past Research ◽  
Student Learning Outcomes ◽  
Open Educational Resources ◽  
Controlled Study ◽  
Instructor Characteristics ◽  
The Impact

Open educational resources (OER) are increasingly attractive options for reducing educational costs, yet controlled studies of their efficacy are lacking. The current study addressed many criticisms of past research by accounting for course and instructor characteristics in comparing objective student learning outcomes across multiple sections of General Psychology taught by trained graduate student instructors at a large research-intensive university. We found no evidence that use of the OER text impeded students' critical thinking compared to use of a traditional textbook, even after accounting for instructor characteristics. To the contrary, we found evidence of a slight increase in content knowledge when using an OER text. Importantly, this effect was driven by improvements from both our lowest-performing students and our highest-performing students. Moreover, student learning outcomes were not influenced by instructor experience, suggesting even novice instructors fared well with OER materials. Finally, students from traditionally underserved populations reported the lower cost of the book had a significantly higher impact on their decision to enroll in and remain enrolled in the course.

scholarly journals Web Strategies for the Curation and Discovery of Open Educational Resources

Open Praxis ◽  
2016 ◽  
Vol 8 (4) ◽  
pp. 297 ◽  
Author(s):  
Vivien Rolfe
Keyword(s):  
Search Engine ◽  
Life Science ◽  
Open Educational Resources ◽  
Educational Resources ◽  
Small Scale ◽  
Open Educational Resource ◽  
Educational Resource ◽  
Open Education ◽  
Pragmatic Approach ◽  
The Uk

For those receiving funding from the UK HEFCE-funded Open Educational Resource Programme (2009–2012), the sustainability of project outputs was one of a number of essential goals. Our approach for the hosting and distribution of health and life science open educational resources (OER) was based on the utilisation of the WordPress.org blogging platform and search engine optimisation (SEO) techniques to curate content and widen discovery.This paper outlines the approaches taken and tools used at the time, and reflects upon the effectiveness of web strategies several years post-funding. The paper concludes that using WordPress.org as a platform for sharing and curating OER, and the adoption of a pragmatic approach to SEO, offers cheap and simple ways for small-scale open education projects to be effective and sustainable.

scholarly journals The use of a publishing platform to facilitate the adaptation and development of Open Textbooks: A Pilot Report

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kate Nixon ◽  
Katya Henry
Keyword(s):  
Academic Staff ◽  
Open Educational Resources ◽  
Student Feedback ◽  
Educational Resources ◽  
Proof Of Concept ◽  
Learning And Teaching ◽  
Perceived Benefit ◽  
Course Material ◽  
Open Textbooks ◽  
Specific Unit

After a successful proof of concept to expand the university’s commitment to Open Educational Resources (OER), a pilot program was launched to facilitate the adaptation and development of Open Textbooks by academic staff for students as well as broader audiences. The pilot involved the use of the publishing platform Pressbooks as a mechanism to raise awareness of Open Educational Resources, and to provide a university-supported tool with which to develop Open Textbooks. Commencing in Semester 2, 2020, participants in the pilot received vendor training from Pressbooks, as well as support from learning and teaching and library staff. Pilot participants used the Pressbooks platform in a number of ways. Academics created textbooks as course material in a single unit, academics adapted open textbooks for Australian contexts over a number of units, and academics created open textbooks based on their research and not for a specific unit of study. Of the 13 pilot participants, five open textbooks were created, with one still in development. Responses to the pilot were mixed. Student feedback on the use of Pressbooks indicates that they enjoyed the structured and easy-to-read course material. Other students expressed frustration with the higher workload expectations of consuming material online prior to participating in synchronous classes. Students appreciated the zero cost of engaging with an open textbook. Academic feedback was also mixed, with some appreciating the flexibility and engagement that they can achieve in Pressbooks. Others were discouraged by the amount of time spent on creating material for little perceived benefit. The majority of academic staff who developed a textbook using Pressbooks would like to continue to use the platform.

MULTIDIMENSIONAL RESEARCH ON THE IMPACT OF OPEN EDUCATIONAL RESOURCES

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Marta R. Ariza ◽  
Antonio Quesada ◽  
Ana María Abril ◽  
Pilar Rodríguez
Keyword(s):  
Open Educational Resources ◽  
Educational Resources ◽  
The Impact

Impact of the European Higher Education in the World Initiative on Higher Education

2019 ◽  
pp. 237-252
Author(s):  
Andrew S. Herridge ◽  
Lisa J. James
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
Bologna Process ◽  
Collaborative Partnerships ◽  
The European Union ◽  
International Faculty ◽  
The World ◽  
European Higher Education ◽  
The Uk ◽  
The Bologna Process ◽  
The Impact

This chapter looked at the implications of Brexit on the recruitment of international faculty, students, and the ability to obtain research funding. Higher education stakeholders have legitimate concerns regarding the impact of the UK's separation from the EU. In preemptive moves, students are transferring to institutions outside the UK and EU to universities that are welcoming and accommodating the special needs and circumstances of international scholars. Researchers are prematurely dissolving collaborative partnerships with colleagues to mitigate complications and lost funding expected, as a result of Brexit. There are universities exploring possible locations for new satellite campuses in other countries. Through the development of policies and treaties such as the Bologna Process, Lisbon Strategy, European Higher Education in the World initiative, the European Union has demonstrated the importance and purpose of higher education both in Europe and at the international level.

Students' Perceptions About the Impact of Using Padlet on Class Engagement

2021 ◽  
pp. 1919-1939
Author(s):  
Nahla Helmy Nadeem
Keyword(s):  
Student Engagement ◽  
Exploratory Study ◽  
Assessment Tool ◽  
Written Feedback ◽  
Perceived Effectiveness ◽  
Student Collaboration ◽  
Multidimensional Construct ◽  
Positive Assessment ◽  
Major Shortcoming ◽  
The Impact

Student engagement is a multidimensional construct that includes four distinct, though interrelated, aspects: behavioral, emotional, agentive, and cognitive engagement. The present study investigates students' perceptions about the impact of Padlet as a learning and assessment tool on the four aspects of class engagement. Padlet is a virtual wall that allows students to interact and contribute to class discussions and at the same time provides teachers with feedback on the learning process. The exploratory study was conducted on 27 female students in a 3-credit sociolinguistics course in which Padlet was used as a learning and assessment tool. At the end of the course, a survey and a personal interview were used to get students' feedback on the effectiveness of Padlet through addressing various aspects of their perceived engagement. The results showed that using Padlet enhanced student engagement, fostered active learning and offered positive assessment experiences. Its perceived effectiveness was mainly due to Padlet features that supported student collaboration, promoted students' agency and helped in creating a positive learning atmosphere. Its major shortcoming as an assessment tool was the lack of written feedback to students. However, teachers could use a combination of online and written assessments to compensate for this shortcoming.

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