Dawn Brock ENGL 2010: Intermediate Writing OER Project

Textbook: 

A Dam Good Argument by Liz Delf, Rob Drummond, and Kristy Kelly https://open.oregonstate.education/goodargument/chapter/welcome-to-another-writing-class/ 

Cost savings: 

Yes, there was cost saving for my students. The textbook I used to ask my students to read costs approximately $60. This current book is free. 

Curricular changes: 

The main changes were to the reading assignments and discussion posts. My large writing assignments remained the same. 

Teaching and learning impacts: 

Overall, I found more students did the reading than when I used the previous book and were appreciative of not having an added cost to their budget. 

OER Adoption Process

Over the semesters I have taught I have had many students come to me concerned because they cannot afford the textbook and as such were falling behind in class. Because of that issue I had already started the process of finding material to use in class that my students wouldn’t have to pay for. Then the library sent out an email explaining OER and this grant and I jumped at the opportunity.

Student feedback about using OER:  

• I didn’t have to spend money on textbooks that I was not going to read anyways. Having open materials is very helpful because it doesn’t add the stress of having to pay and it’s easier to read. 
• I was able to learn the required material without having to pay an unnecessary amount of money.
• It was way more relatable, explaining how the material would benefit me even if I didnt major in the subject.
• Being a free and well formatted online resource made the accessibility of the OER incredible, it was never difficult to access or understand and the information presented was easy to digest.

Instructor Name: Dawn Brock

Dawn Brock has been teaching English Composition at Utah Tech University since the fall of 2020. She strives to make each class unique to what her students need.