This material is an open access textbook, which includes content covering a broad array of topics and issues related to open educational resources (OER), ranging from the pedagogical to the practical. The content is organized into four sections: 1) Case for OER, 2) Pedagogical Implications of OER, 3) OER Advocacy, Partnerships, Sustainability, and Student Engagement, and 4) Library Supported OER Adoption and Creation Programs. The following chapters tap into the deep experience of practitioners who represent a meaningful cross section of higher education institutions in North America. There are extensive reference lists at the ends of most chapters/articles and informative opening and closing statements. It could function as the primary resource for a community of practice group of learners interested in gaining a strong overview of the topic and its intersections with other aspects of academic librarianship. The examples and discussions presented by out authors will hopefully facilitate connections among practitioners, foster the development of best practices for OER adoption and creation, and more importantly, lay a foundation for novel, educational excellence.
Type of Material:
Open Textbook.
Recommended Uses:
This resource would be useful in an OER-focused community of practice comprised of academic librarians and/or other faculty/instructional design professionals. It could also be useful in an online or discussion-based course. Alternately, it could be used by an individual for her/his own professional development.
Technical Requirements:
Browser, PDF, and EPUB. Tested in Chrome, Firefox, and Edge.
Identify Major Learning Goals:
This resource will provide an overview of OER principles and best practices, as well as how to implement them at an institution. Users of this resource will be able to:
Decide if they want to become involved in OER adoption, support, and/or creation programs on their campuses—either in a leadership role or in less prominent ways
Articulate reasons for adoption and use of OER
Describe how OER and open pedagogy are interconnected
Identify strategies for engaging stakeholders in OER efforts
Develop a plan for an OER initiative at their institution (if the user decides to pursue such efforts)
Target Student Population:
Professional, including but not limited to, academic librarians, library administrators, instructional designers, and others who might become involved in open educational resource initiatives in higher education.
Prerequisite Knowledge or Skills:
Fundamental knowledge of academic librarianship is assumed. Basic awareness of open education resources (OER) and Open Access (OA) would be helpful.
Content Quality
Rating:
Strengths:
This book provides an excellent overview of OER, covering pedagogical implications, advocacy, and how libraries and institutions can develop adoption programs. It presents multiple perspectives, enhancing its usefulness. Significant and valuable reference lists are included at the end of each chapter. Compiling these together would create a comprehensive bibliography of OER-related resources up through 2017. The chapters are well-written and grounded in the ACRL’s Framework for Information Literacy, which will be familiar to academic librarians in the field. This resource balances pedagogical and theoretical context with practical, ready-to-use content. The examples and adaptable materials are of high quality—it would be great to see more.
Concerns:
There are a few concerns. First, the resource is on a current topic. Users of the text can incorporate their own additional content since it is CC-licensed, which is a plus, but to ensure accuracy, frequent and regular content updates would be beneficial. Another possible improvement would be the inclusion of additional practical materials—checklists, planning sheets, examples of promotional materials, screenshots, etc.
Potential Effectiveness as a Teaching Tool
Rating:
Strengths:
This book effectively provides an overview of OER and its applications. Some chapters are stronger than others, but together they offer a comprehensive and nuanced perspective on the topic.
The content allows users with little background knowledge of OER to read the entire resource and come away with a solid understanding of its pedagogical foundations, as well as an awareness of the various ways academic libraries contribute to OER initiatives in higher education. Users with more prior knowledge can focus on specific sections or chapters that align with their interests or needs. The variety of chapter authors and extensive citations offer readers a starting point for exploring even more materials, potentially written by these same authors on related topics.
Concerns:
This material is more useful as a resource than an active teaching material. There aren’t clear ways for learners to identify objectives for each chapter. There are no built in mechanisms for assessment--neither self-assessment nor instructor-directed assessment.
Ease of Use for Both Students and Faculty
Rating:
Strengths:
The text is well written, clear, and easy to understand.
Concerns:
The material lacks visual appeal. There are a limited number of images and some lack captions or other labels.
Because the resource is a collection of chapters or articles that are entirely text-based, there is no software-enchanced interactivity. The textual content does not pose questions to assist the reader in setting purposes for reading or in reflecting on content at the ends of chapters/articles/sections, so there is no inherent text-based interactivity either. In this way, the material is less like a textbook and more like a resource.
Creative Commons:
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