Grants to Faculty Interested in Developing OER for Courses

SCC has received funding through the Higher Education Emergency Relief Fund (HEERF), specifically designated for Open Educational Resources (OER). In Fall 22, the Affordable Educational Resources Committee (AERC) will be helping administer grants to faculty who are interested in developing OER for their courses. Grants of up to $5000 will be available for faculty to create new OER, to curate resources that are already openly available, or to further refine the courses in which they are using OER.

This PD will encourage faculty to apply for the OER grant. Open Educational Resources (OER) are free online resources that can take the place of traditional textbooks: this means they are free, easily accessible, and available to students on the first day.

SPARC shares:

Textbook costs should not be a barrier to education. The price of textbooks has skyrocketed more than three times the rate of inflation for decades. College students face steep price tags that can top $200 per book, and K-12 schools use books many years out of date because they are too expensive to replace. Using OER solves this problem because the material is free online, affordable in print, and can be saved forever. Resources that would otherwise go to purchasing textbooks can be redirected toward technology, improving instruction, or reducing debt.

Students learn more when they have access to quality materials. The rapidly rising cost of textbooks in higher education has left many students without access to the materials they need to succeed. Studies show that 93% of students who use OER do as well or better than those using traditional materials, since they have easy access to the content starting day one of the course.

Technology holds the boundless potential to improve teaching and learning. Open Education ensures that teachers, learners and institutions can fully explore this potential. Imagine a biology textbook that incorporates COVID-19 in the chapter about viruses, or a math tutorial that incorporates local landmarks into word problems. Imagine a lecture attended by hundreds of thousands of people across the globe, or a peer-to-peer exchange between Canadian students learning Mandarin with Chinese students learning English or French. All of this and more is possible when the pathways for technology in education are fully open.

Better education means a better future. Education is the key to advancing society’s greatest goals, from building a strong economy to leading healthy lives. By increasing access to education and creating a platform for more effective teaching and learning, Open Education benefits us all.

Flex Credit

Flex credit is available for this event. Event Code 220814.

Audience

Faculty. All are welcome.

Presenter

Hayley Laird

ADA Accessibility

For ADA accessibility accommodations, please contact David Lockwood at LockwoD@scc.losrios.edu. Contact David for disability accommodations only. For general inquiries, please use the contact information listed in the sidebar.