Open Education 2017

This panel presentation spans a year in the life of one Alternative Textbook Grant (ATG) from the University of Oklahoma (OU) Libraries, showcasing the collaboration between the librarian who administers the grant program, a 2016 faculty grantee, a student participant in the grantee's OER project, and an emerging technologies librarian who provided technical and publishing support. Each panelist will bring a unique perspective and expertise to the discussion.

For the past four years the OU Libraries ATG has supported faculty who wish to reduce the cost of course materials by adopting, adapting, or creating openly licensed content. Jen Waller, Open Educational Resources and Scholarly Communication Coordinator, will first provide a background on the origin and structure of the ATG.

Guided by a commitment to equitable access, Dr. Julie Ward used her ATG to incorporate open pedagogy into her Introduction to Hispanic Literature and Culture course. Student groups created an openly licensed critical anthology of selected literary texts, the Antologia abierta de literatura hispana (AALH). Julie will share the motivations, challenges, and joys of this project.

Rachel Bornstein, a first-year student in the course, will provide her perspective on collaborating with her classmates to create the AALH. In addition to the desirability of OER and open access from a cost perspective, Rachel will present how working in the open shaped group dynamics and their final product.

One challenge of open publication is ensuring broad access. Cody Taylor, Emerging Technologies Librarian, will discuss his role in making AALH as openly available as possible. Cody's work allowed the AALH to be simultaneously published in formats suited for printing, web publications and ebook readers, staying true to the Five R's of openness.

The panelists' reflections of their year in the life will allow attendees to gain insight and empathy into the collaborative nature of openness.