OER presentation.Fiorello for OER 101.pptx

Discussion of benefits and challenges in using OER materials created for OER 101 course run by SBCTC in Washington

1. OER: Benefits and Challenges Katie Fiorello Fall 2024 OER: Benefits and Challenges by Katie Fiorello is licensed under CC BY-NC

2. Benefits Affordability Student Input Potential for Rapid Updates / Revision Continued Access to Updated Information Better Aligned to Student Needs " Morning waves 1 (Explore) " by  macrophile  is licensed under  CC BY 2.0 . 2

3. Benefits – Further Detail Affordability OER resources are free to use, which makes courses more affordable for students. This allows for more access for students and increases the likelihood that students actually acquire the necessary texts. Student Input Many OER resources allow for customization and revision, which allows students an opportunity to engage with the material and offer revisions and additions. This could increase student engagement with the scholarly process and allows them to create real-world academic discourse. Potential for Rapid Updates / Revision OER resources that allow for customization and revision allow for people to update material as information changes or as new concepts or conversation occur, rather than waiting for a publisher cycle. This could mean that materials used in courses are more representative of the current thoughts and trends on topics. 3

4. Benefits – Further Detail (2) Better Aligned to Student Needs / Customizable OER resources that allow for customization allows instructors to use only certain selections, to add information or resources, or to contextualize the information in a way that might be more meaningful to the student context. This allows the course and material to better meet student needs. Included in this is the possibility to make materials more scaffolded or more accessible to students. This also means that materials could also be more representative of traditionally underrepresented scholarship and perspectives. Continues Access to Updated Information In traditional text forms, once you purchase the resource, it will remain the same. And, sometimes you lose access after a specific amount of time. With OER resources, you have continued access even when you are no longer enrolled in a specific course, and you have access to updated materials, as the resource is improved. 4

5. Challenges Quality Assurance Sustainability of the Materials and Databases Training for Faculty Predominance of the Digital Format Accessibility " Wavy Green Field in Minimalist Style " by  Martin Vorel  is licensed under  CC BY-SA 4.0 . 5

6. Challenges – Further Detail Quality Assurance Quality of material matters. Although publishers are a gatekeeping process, there are internal processes with publishers that can help fact check and support quality. (Although there are some low quality materials made by national publishing companies). While some resources might have deep internal quality processes, there is not a guarantee that this occurred. And there is not a consistency way to access the resource creation process, such as if the resource was peer-reviewed or quality checked. Ensuring the material is quality can be time consuming and challenging. Sustainability of Materials and Databases One benefit of OER is that materials can be edited or modified, but there is no guarantee that materials will be maintained. And although there is often funding for the initial creation, there is not always funding for updating and maintaining. This could also be true for some of the databases. Traditional materials that are maintained by a publisher are more likely to be updated at some point. Training for Faculty It takes time to learn how to find materials, what the designations are, and how to use different materials based on designations. And although it is not insurmountable to learn, this is a factor in getting engagement with the materials. Faculty need to be trained on how to correctly attribute the materials. 6

7. Challenges – Further Detail (2) Predominance of the Digital Format OER resources are provided in a digital format. Not having access to physical materials can be a hindrance for some students (trying to read a textbook on your phone and also complete Canvas work on the same phone is harder than having a physical book and then working on the phone). It is not reasonable to think that students who want a physical version would be able to print an entire work to access it. There is some consideration that needs to be given to learning modality preferences with text materials (and the annotation and markup that can be used physically versus digitally). Accessibility Because materials are generated by people, who may not have the institutional support that someone from a traditional publisher might have, accessibility may not be a strong consideration or strength of the person making the materials. In using the materials, the user needs to ensure that the materials are accessible in general and to the specific student population. 7

8. OVERALL Thoughts OER resources have strong benefits for faculty and students and can increase the types of scholarship and perspectives that are used in classes. The free nature of the material increases access to the course and the customizable versions of materials means that faculty can build resources that meet the needs and context of their students. But, like all materials (especially in the age of the internet), OER resources need to be reviewed with a critical eye for quality, accessibility, and accuracy. Faculty can’t assume that the materials have been recently updated or reviewed. And faculty need time to learn about what is available, how to appropriately use the materials, and how to attribute the materials correctly to their source. " Sunshine " by  marksdk  is licensed under  CC BY-SA 2.0 . 8