Related Information

ASCCC OERI Summer 2022 Update

 

It’s hard to believe that August and the beginning of the 2022-2023 academic year are almost here. Our Friday Forums, twice monthly webinars, will begin on September 9 and will be held from 10:30 am – 11:30 am. Please read on for a variety of updates and a special webinar.

 

Cal OER August 3-5, 2022

The 2022 Cal OER Conference will be held virtually August 3 – 5, 2022. Registration is still open and the program is available for review. To learn more about Cal OER, visit the Cal OER website. Below are descriptions of our general sessions. Archives of all presentations will be available to all attendees. Registration will close on August 2 at 5:00 pm.

 

Wednesday, August 3

Opening General Session, Welcome and 1st Keynote 9:30 am - 10:45 am - Didn't See That Coming: Lessons Learned from SUNY OER Services

  • Mark McBride, Associate Director of Libraries, Scholarly Communications and Museums for Ithaka S+R
  • In 2017, the State University of New York (SUNY) established a shared service with the goal of expanding OER across its sixty-four colleges and universities. SUNY OER Services (SOS) operates as part of SUNY's Office of Library and Information Services and works directly with SUNY campuses and faculty to provide assistance and knowledge to support the adoption of OER and sustained use of OER as drivers of faculty choice and student success. An overview of SUNY’s approach to expanding OER will be shared, followed by a discussion of the lessons learned over time and the unexpected benefits to faculty who implement OER.

 

Thursday, August 4

General Session 9:30 am - 10:45 am - California Higher Education System Updates

  • Leslie Kennedy, CSU Affordable Learning Solutions
  • Delmar Larsen, UC Davis
  • Rebecca Ruan-O'Shaughnessy, California Community Colleges Chancellor's Office
  • Representatives from California's three segments of public higher education, the California Community Colleges, the California State University, and the University of California, will provide updates on their systems' OER, zero-textbook-cost, and textbook affordability efforts. Legislation and state goals will be addressed, as appropriate. Time will be allotted for questions and answers.

Interim Keynote 1:00 pm - 2:15 pm - OER Beyond the Dollar

  • Panelists:
    • Angela Haydel DeBarger; Program Officer, William and Flora Hewlett Foundation
    • Rajiv Jhangiani; Vice Provost for Teaching and Learning, Brock University
    • Kyra Karatsu; Online Education Resources/Zero Textbook Cost Specialist and student, College of the Can
    • Joy Shoemate; Director of Online Education, College of the Canyons
  • Moderator:
    • James Glapa-Grossklag, College of the Canyons
  • Historically, the success of OER has been measured as dollars saved or open textbooks adopted. While these are desirable outcomes, they beg the larger question of ‘why OER?’ In this session, we will consider the case for OER beyond affordability. Can OER help teachers and learners achieve other goals? How is the case for OER evolving?

Friday, August 5

Final Keynote 9:30 am - 10:45 am - Crunching the OER Numbers

  • Jeff Seaman; Director, Bay View Analytics
  • Julia Seaman; Research Director, Bay View Analytics
  • The latest results from Bay View Analytics’ annual survey on higher education in the United States show continued growth for OER awareness following the pandemic. For the first time since the inception of our annual survey, the majority of faculty (57%) reported awareness of OER. Faculty use of OER has also quadrupled since 2016, with more than one in five reporting adopting OER. We’ll discuss these findings during the keynote and show how faculty in California compare to their regional colleagues.

New OER Available

The ASCCC OERI’s 1st “facilitated projects” are in their final stages of review, revision, and refinement. Biopsychology and Interpersonal Communication: Context and Connection were developed by faculty teams that were recruited by the OERI. Both draft texts are now available in LibreTexts for consideration by faculty. Faculty feedback is desired – please share with appropriate faculty.

 

Creative Commons Training

The open licenses that are used to identify resources as “open” are provided by Creative Commons, a nonprofit that also provides training on their use. The ASCCC OERI is in conversation with another nonprofit entity that would like to provide an opportunity for a small group of people to earn the Creative Commons Certificate. To determine faculty interest in such a training, the OERI published a short survey in early June. Over 75 faculty responded. We’re in the process of reviewing these data so that they may be used to inform next steps. We’re hoping to be able to make training opportunities available during the upcoming academic year. At present, a week-long Creative Commons “boot camp” is likely to be held in January.

 

OERI Seeking Discipline Leads

  • The ASCCC OERI is recruiting faculty to support our OER advocacy efforts by serving as Discipline Leads during the 2022-2023 academic year.
  • The specific tasks of each Discipline Lead will be determined by the status of OER in the discipline.
  • Each Discipline Lead will serve as a resource for their discipline colleagues and will typically host at least one virtual event each term.
  • Discipline Leads receive a stipend of $500 at the end of each term upon completion of their specified tasks.

We are currently recruiting Discipline Leads for the following disciplines:

  • Communication Studies
  • Computer Science
  • Counseling
  • Education
  • Ethnic Studies
  • Film, Television, and Electronic Media
  • Geography
  • Journalism
  • Music
  • Social Justice Studies

Interested faculty should see ASCCC OERI - Seeking Faculty for OER Work for more information and application instructions.

 

Open for Antiracism – Webinar and Opportunity

The OERI is please to a special webinar at the end of August that describes a program that combines OER, open pedagogy, and antiracism. Open for Antiracism, often referred to as OFAR, provides faculty with the knowledge to use open to transform the classroom and guides them in the development of a plan to make it happen.

 

Wednesday, August 31, 3:00 pm – 4:00 pm - Open for Antiracism: Supporting Educators to Use Open Education for Antiracist Teaching

  • Launched in 2020, the Open for Antiracism (OFAR) program engages and supports California Community College faculty in transforming their classrooms to be antiracist by leveraging OER and open pedagogy.  Participating teams of faculty will join a community of practice learning about antiracist pedagogy in the fall through an asynchronous facilitated online course. Spring semester will be dedicated to implementing those new practices in the classroom with coaching and peer support.  Entering its third year, OFAR will continue to emphasize institutional impact along with support for student leadership.  Join us to hear about research results from past years and how you can apply.
  • Register for Open for Antiracism: Supporting Educators to Use Open Education for Antiracist Teaching