Chalice Randazzo ENGL 1010D: Introduction to Writing OER Project

Description: 

Students were able to save the cost of the traditional course texts. The OER materials I used were a combination of general knowledge resources, such as chapters that explained types of research sources, and AI-specific readings. My required reading list, with hyperlinks already embedded, is below:

• Prompt Literacy in Academics (Univ of Michigan)
• "10 reasons why AI may be overrated" (NPR)
• Claims, Reasons, Evidence (U Pitt)
• Fact vs Opinion (Ohio State)
• Qualitative vs Quantitative (Ohio State)
• Primary, secondary, and tertiary sources (Ohio State)
• Sources: Popular, Substantive Popular, Professional, & Scholarly (Ohio State)
•  (ALL of Chapter 6: Evaluating Sources (Ohio State)
• YouTube video about parts of a scholarly article (about 3 min)
• The Purdue OWL research and citation page (click here)
• Tips for Integrating Quotes (UNC): read "How do I set up and follow a quotation" and "How do I embed a quotation in a sentence?"
• Citation Software (The Ohio State)
• When to Cite (The Ohio State)

Curricular changes: 

I had to remove an entire assignment to make way for new AI-based assignments, and I had to redo all the readings in the course.

Teaching and learning impacts: 

In past semesters, students would never even purchase the textbook. Even if they do not actually read the OER materials, they do not have the excuse of being unable to afford the book. In addition, much of the OER materials I was able to find are written in a more accessible style for students.

OER Adoption Process:

Not all courses are appropriate for OER materials, but others are. To keep the overall cost of education down, faculty should try to adopt OER resources when possible: e.g., when faculty expertise can fill in some of the gaps that might be missing in OER materials, or the course resources do not need to be updated for things like licensing or technology. In addition, OER materials were actually beneficial for the topic of AI because paid, published material is often outdated by the time it is available to students.

Student feedback about using OER: 

I haven’t heard much about this, which I always take as a good sign. In my experience, the most common feedback I receive about readings is that they are too expensive or too lengthy. So, using OER materials seems to have alleviated at least one of those issues.

Instructor Name: Chalice Randazzo

I am an Associate Professor in Utah Tech University's English Department. My PhD is from Texas Tech University's Technical Communication and Rhetoric program, and my research considers the intersection of critical-cultural and practical outcomes. My most recent project explores silence in U.S. resumes and cover letters: what people say, why they don't say it, and how resume expectations can silence groups of people.