OhioLink offers grants to redesign a course using Open Educational Resources

Academics, Faculty & Staff, Training

Feb 22, 2023

Open Educational Resources poster — Image from https://www.ohiolink.edu

All full-time and adjunct faculty members are invited to apply for a grant from OhioLINK (Ohio Library and Information Network) to redesign a course using Open Educational Resources (OER). Applications are due by March 10, 2023 (see details below).

According to the Scholarly Publishing and Academic Resources Coalition (SPARC), Open Educational Resources are teaching, learning, and research resources that are free of cost and other access barriers, and carry legal permission for open use. Generally, this permission is granted by use of an open license, allowing anyone to freely use, adapt, and share the resource.

Three Cincinnati State faculty members were awarded grants from OhioLink in Fall 2022.

Kelly Hubbard (Program Chair, Early Childhood Education) said, “The information in the OER grant curriculum was eye opening for me. I learned that OER goes beyond just using ‘free’ or ‘supplementary’ materials.”

“The turn-around time for the grant work was tight, but I’ve found some great new materials that provide more in-depth and current information for my course,” Kelly added.
Milene Donlin (Biology) commented, “I would recommend the OER grant to anyone with little or no OER experience. You’ll learn more about OER licenses and resources that may become primary or supplementary learning materials in your courses.”

“The ability to collaborate with our Cincinnati State Library staff during the grant project makes it possible to consider adopting OER materials,” Milene said.

For the Spring 2023 grants, up to 30 faculty members statewide will be selected to receive a $650 stipend and personalized assistance in redesigning a course and incorporating OER to make the course more accessible and affordable for students.

Applications for OhioLINK OER Course Redesign Grants for Spring 2023 are due Friday, March 10. For details, visit https://www.ohiolink.edu/content/affordablelearning/course_redesign_grants.

Faculty members selected for the grant will participate in an online course, “Introduction to Open Educational Resources,” from April 10 to May 5, 2023. The course has four modules, and each should take 1 or 2 hours to complete.
Grant participants also must prepare a report by June 2, 2023, on their plans to implement use of at least one openly-licensed, library-licensed, or low-cost resource in their course.

You can learn more about OER in the Cincinnati State Library Guide to OER. If you have questions, contact Library Director Crissy Ross (crissy.ross@cincinnatisate.edu).