USU Libraries presents webinar to answer Open Education Resource grant application questions

Utah State University Libraries will host a webinar on Jan. 26 at noon in hopes of answering faculty questions regarding Open Educational Resources before grant applications open on Feb. 1.

“We will hear from past grant recipients who have adopted, adapted and created OER, as well as an instructional designer from CIDI who has helped incorporate OER into Canvas,” OER Coordinator Nick Gittins said. “We hope this session will encourage faculty interested in OER to reach out and work with us to develop high-quality learning resources that can be utilized by learners from all backgrounds.”

OER are teaching materials that are free of cost and access barriers and are licensed for open use. They reduce student costs and improve learning outcomes. Since 2014, USU instructors have saved students over $2 million by using OER, however, faculty members have often been hesitant to use it in their classrooms.

“Some may wonder if ‘you get what you pay for’ when it comes to freely licensed materials,” OER Manager Stephanie Western said. “But we hold OER to a standard of quality, and they result in student outcomes that are the same if not better than with traditional materials.”

Faculty can apply for available grants up to $3,000 when the portal opens in February. There are three ways to use OER in classrooms: adopt an existing OER (up to $500), adapt one or more existing OER (up to $1,000) or create and author a new OER (up to $3,000).

Grant application reviews will begin March 1.

USU instructors from all campuses are encouraged to visit https://usu-edu.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZUkd-mvpj8vHN2ym25M5laj-ZFZPSAMUS4a to register for the webinar or email oer@usu.edu with questions or to schedule a preliminary consultation.