Now Accepting Applications: Open Educational Resources (OER) Faculty Grant Award
The Open Educational Resources (OER) Faculty Grant award provides $5K grants to faculty to develop OER for undergraduate courses. In addition to financial support, grant recipients receive individualized assistance from librarians on finding, using, and publishing OER. OER Faculty Grants are funded by the Office of the Provost and University Libraries. The deadline to apply is November 10. Learn More and Apply
Dear [faculty name],
Northwestern is offering a grant funding opportunity for faculty who are interested in using or developing open educational resources (OER) in place of traditional textbooks for undergraduate courses. If your course is currently using textbooks or costly materials, and you'd like to explore free alternatives, this might be a good opportunity for you.
If you’re interested but not sure if it’s a fit for your course, you can send me your syllabus and a librarian will respond with ideas on how this grant might help you reduce the materials costs of your course.
More information about the grant is available here: https://air.northwestern.edu/.
Please let me know if you have any questions!
Best,
[librarian name]
Subject: Open Educational Resources Grant (OER) for your [Course number and title]
Dear [Faculty Name],
The Libraries are part of a University-wide course affordability initiative called AIR (Affordable Instructional Resources), which works to provide faculty with support and options to make their courses more affordable and accessible.
AIR recently launched this year's Open Educational Resources Development Grant program, which will provide $5000 for faculty who wish to find, adapt, and create an Open Educational Resource (OER) for an upcoming undergraduate course. OER are teaching materials that are free, distributed online, and allow anyone to copy, use, adapt, and remix the materials. OER are commonly used as alternatives to expensive textbooks by providing students with high quality course readings at no cost. The deadline for proposals in Novemeber 10, 2023.
I am writing to share this opportunity with you, and to let you know about the OER support services the Libraries offer. If you're interested in exploring OER but don't know where to start, you may want to browse a couple open textbooks to see what type of OER already exists. I did a search in the Open Textbook Library and found these books that seem like relevant options for your [Class number and title] class:
If these aren't quite right, one of the many benefits of OER vs. commercial textbooks is that you have the freedom to edit the book as you wish. Move chapters around, add or remove sections, and customize lessons for the Northwestern context.
While the Open Textbook Library is a good starting place when searching for OER, there are many other places to search for high-quality, faculty-reviewed open course materials. We also provide consultations and support if you'd like to explore developing your own OER.
If you'd like to meet in person to discuss any of this, please let me know! I am happy to put something on the calendar.
Best,
[librarian name]
Open Educational Resources (OER) are free teaching materials (such as textbooks, presentations, and test banks) that are intended to be widely distributed and modified to fit the particular needs of instructors. The Libraries can help you find OER within your discipline, and can work with you to adapt it for your needs. And considering our new teaching environment, Open Educational Resources are the most effective option when it comes to providing accessible, low-cost, high-quality course materials to our students.
To begin exploring OER, start with the following resources:
They can't be that good if they're free, right?
Only you can tell if a book is good, open or not. What we can say is that faculty who reviewed textbooks in the OTL have given high ratings.
How do I know if a book is "good"?
The best way is to review for yourself - the books are free online. Also look at reviews on the OTL.
Is the quality the same as other textbooks?
There is a growing number of studies that show that students have the same or better learning outcomes when using open textbooks. But only you can judge quality for your own course.
What about our campus bookstore? If we support this effort, won't they go out of business?
Bookstores are already facing many challenges, since students look off campus for cheaper books. Open textbooks are actually an opportunity for bookstores to get more students to buy on campus.
Can students order a print copy?
Yes, there are many on-demand online print services, or students could print out only the parts they want at home.
How often are they updated?
Depends on the book. One of the great things about open textbooks is that you can update them yourself--an instructional designer or librarian might be able to help!
Are there accessible versions for disabled users?
Open content has huge potential to increase Accessible content on campus. Unlike traditional materials, it is not locked down and can be adapted and reformatted without extra permission.
How can I edit these?
You will likely need some technical assistance to edit an open textbook. Contact your librarian for assistance!
Where can I find an open textbook for my [CLASS NAME] class?
Check the Open Texbooks by Discipline tab of this guide. If you have questions or need assistance, ask your librarian for help.
Open Textbook Network (2018). "Tough Questions Cheat Sheet" Retrieved from the OTN Resources Google folder.