Learn how CU Boulder educators and collaborating colleagues develop and use open educational resources (OER)

Concerned about the rising cost and personal and career relevance of higher education for your students? Eager to ensure equitable access to course materials for everyone in your courses?

Step into the world of open educational resources (OER) with the help of the University Libraries. We are hosting a panel discussion with four educators who have created open educational resources (OER): Michael Klymkowsky (CU Boulder), Melanie Cooper (Michigan State University), Nathan Schneider (CU Boulder), and Diana Daly (University of Arizona). This virtual discussion will take place March 4 from 12:30–1:45 p.m. Registration is required and participants will receive the Zoom link the day before the event.

Michael Klymkowsky and Melanie Cooper are long-time collaborators who have authored several OER resources. These materials provide access to curriculum materials that have been developed using research on student learning, and with the goal of supporting students to use their knowledge of biology and chemistry to predict, explain and model core concepts of the discipline. “A major driver in developing CLUE and Biofundamentals was to focus on what is relevant and foundational, and to make it freely accessible to students. It’s not surprising that these OER are more effective educationally,” says Michael Klymkowsky, a professor in the Department of Molecular, Cellular, and Developmental Biology.

The panelists will share their motivations for working with OER, experiences using them in their teaching, and recommendations for educators interested in exploring OER and open education. Bring your questions, insights and thoughts; we encourage you to interact with the panelists.

“I began using Diana Daly’s OER textbook Humans R Social Media to save the 100-250 students in my Introduction to Social Media course thousands of dollars, collectively,” says Nathan Schneider, an assistant professor in the Department of Media Studies. “But that was only the beginning. Dr. Daly and I began to collaborate on co-creating the future of the book. Our students’ voices have shaped the latest edition, and I wrote a new chapter for it. This is all  possible because of the OER paradigm.”

This event is part of Open Education Week, a global celebration intended to highlight successful open initiatives and to inspire a community of educators.

Questions? Please contact the Libraries OER Leads.