Open Education 2017

Boise State University is a relatively new entrant to the area of OER in higher education. However, it has already developed a faculty professional development model. This model is characterized by a graduated progression, wherein faculty have the opportunity of experiencing professional development on OER through various short and long term programs like hour long workshops, single day institutes, semester long faculty learning communities, faculty mentorships, and grant projects. It is facilitated by Instructional designers and technologists from the IDEA (Instructional Design and Educational Assessment) shop in collaboration with LTS (Learning Technology Solutions). Challenges faced and lessons learned will be discussed, which might be useful for faculty professional developers looking to implement a similar program in their organizations.

This presentation will provide a brief overview of the OER professional development model at Boise State University. We will present background/timeline information on why and how OER professional development started at Boise State. We will talk about each of the components of the model, elaborating on the process of call for applications, participant selection, learning content and method. We will look at outside factors, Student Government involvement, and dealings with the school's administration. We will also talk about challenges faced and lessons learned which might be useful for faculty professional developers looking to implement a similar program in their organizations. The participants will engage in active discussions (think-pair-share) and share how OER is being implemented in their institutions as well as discuss ideas on how the current Boise State model can be improved.