Dr. Mike Peterson ENGL 1010 Introduction to Writing

Abstract: Dr. Mike Peterson has been using OER materials in English 1010: Introduction to Writing, including his OER-authored book The Art of Academic Writing, which came out in 2021 and has gained interest in writing classrooms around the world. Licensed under Creative Commons, his book was peer-reviewed by Merlot and available online.  His goal for using OER was to reduce the cost and create a more impactful learning experience for the students.  

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Textbook Title: The Art of Academic Writing by Mike Peterson (freely available online)

Description: Dr. Peterson utilized several free online resources to the students. He used his OER-authored textbook for teaching writing along with supplementary web resources where needed, which replaced a previous course textbook that ranged between $40 (ebook) to $80 (paperback).

Cost savings: In fall 2023, he taught 3 sections of English 1010 with a total of 65 students and using OER materials for these classes equates to significant textbook cost savings.

Description: This course partially fulfills General Education English requirement and is designed to improve students' abilities to read, analyze, and write expository papers. It provides opportunities to write and revise a number of essays; activities, library research, portfolios, writing to a style guide, and tests may also be used to prepare students to write college level papers.

Curricular changes: Since teaching with OER for several years, Dr. Peterson finds new materials that include timely, real-world examples for students to read while maintaining the development of their writing skills. Along with the open and free OER materials, he is also looking to utilize free access to other resources (e.g., The New York Times) to engage his students’ reading and critical thinking skills as well as promote active learning. 

Teaching and learning impacts: The students enrolled in this course performed well overall. Using OER material and open pedagogy assignments proved to be beneficial for both the teacher and students in various ways. For instance, the class started using the OER textbook right away on day one without having to purchase and/or wait for delivery. The OER materials also provided accessible information to support learning; in particular, Dr. Peterson’s OER-authored course textbook promotes consistency of voice with him as author/teacher, which was most favorable for student learning. The inclusion of OER materials in this case avoided confusing instructions between the textbook author and course instructor and further bolstered classroom learning in general.

OER Adoption Process Dr. Mike Peterson has been using OER materials in English 1010: Introduction to Writing, including his OER-authored book The Art of Academic Writing, which came out in 2021 and has gained interest in writing classrooms around the world. Licensed under Creative Commons, his book was peer-reviewed by Merlot and available online.  His goal for using OER was to reduce the cost and create a more impactful learning experience for the students.

Student feedback about using OER:  Though no formal survey was distributed to gather the students’ perspectives on the course material, significant positive comments were received by the instructor to indicate the OER materials used were engaging.  For example, here is a quote from an online student about Dr. Peterson’s OER textbook: “So far, your textbook has been so easy and interesting for me to read, much more than any other textbook I've had to read. 😅 so relatable, funny, and cool? Haha! And your last input about ‘rules’ was something I so badly needed to hear.”   Another comment about the OER textbook was shared by Dr. Jane Ono, an English instructor from Colorado (Colorado Early Colleges Parker): “I wanted to drop you a line and let you know how helpful your chapter on the warrant was. I am using it in my Lit. 1015 class on Monday. Your article is so clear and concise. You made my job so much easier!”  These types of feedback, among others, show the promise of utilizing OER in English 1010.

Instructor Name: Dr. Mike Peterson is an Associate Professor of English (Rhetoric/Composition) and has served as English department chair.