Browsing by Author "Walz, Anita R."
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- 2023 Spring Open Forum: Connecting the Opens: Open Access, Open Data, Open Educational Resources, and Establishing Your Online Scholarly PresenceWalz, Anita R.; Young, Philip; Petters, Jonathan L.; Miles, Rachel A.; Surprenant, Aimée (Virginia Tech, 2023-02-20)Join the University Libraries for a presentation for future professors regarding open access, open educational resources, open data, and establishing an online scholarly presence. University Libraries’ faculty Philip Young, Anita Walz, Jonathan Petters, and Rachel Miles will provide a brief overview of each topic, with discussion to follow.
- 7 Tips for Hosting Virtual OTN WorkshopsWalz, Anita R.; Hofer, Amy; Trunnell, Christina (Open Textbook Network, 2020-05-12)
- Across the Miles: Engagement Across DistanceWalz, Anita R.; Gilbert, Charla; Cash, Debbie (2015-05-08)This professional practice session covers expansion and redefinition of student and faculty-focused library services between Virginia Tech’s main campus in Blacksburg and the National Capital Region, located five hours away and in an entirely different context. A team of collaborators in a recently realigned department discuss their model for planning and initiating for change. In the Summer of 2014, Virginia Tech libraries were strategically realigned to better meet strategic directions and aspirations as documented in VT Libraries 2012-2018 Strategic Plan. One of these shifts included development of a new unit “Planning and Branch Operations” which includes many library operational duties, oversight of three branches, a research commons, and “planning and assessing the Libraries’ presence in the National Capital Region.” In line with the President’s “Strategic Plan: A Plan for a New Horizon. Envisioning Virginia Tech 2012-2018” http://www.president.vt.edu/strategic-plan/2012-plan/2012-strategic-plan.pdf library faculty and staff began to meet to discuss extending, enhancing, envisioning, and expanding library services within the National Capital Region. This resulted in a process to simultaneously gather information, improve problematic services with immediate impact, and plan mid- and long- term directions for extension and expansion of library services in the National Capital Region. This presentation tells the story of how a team of several individuals from Virginia Tech’s Blacksburg and National Capital Region-Falls Church campuses, in partnership with colleagues at various sites in the National Capital Region expanded offerings of the NCR-Resource Center, leveraged a new strategic focus on institutional expansion in Northern Virginia, partnered to provide multiple service-types from afar, and customized these services to address the unique needs of Virginia Tech faculty, staff, and students in the National Capital Region. Services developed and expanded as a result of this collaboration include, but are not limited to: improved collection circulation systems and procedures, establishment, extension and expansion of onsite or remotely-provided services (event capture, statistical consulting, data management training/planning . . . ), and increased collaboration with initiatives unique to the needs of VT faculty, staff, and students affiliated with the seven locations in Northern Virginia.
- Adaptable Course Materials: Creating an Open Textbook for ElectromagneticsWalz, Anita R.; Ellingson, Steven (2018-02-15)We describe the purpose, process, and product of developing the open textbook. Electromagnetics, Volume 1 (Beta) by Ellingson (2018) is a faculty-authored, LaTeX based, customizable, and openly licensed textbook (licensed Creative Commons Attribution ShareAlike CC BY SA 4.0) published through VT Publishing of the University Libraries and publicly released as a Beta version. This poster explores the potential and process of reusing, developing, and publicly sharing modular and customizable course materials (open textbooks) licensed with Creative Commons licenses in support of addressing faculty desire for more flexible, adaptable, and lower cost course materials. Electromagnetics Volume 1 (Beta) was published in January 2018 by VT Publishing and made possible in part by the Virginia Tech University Libraries’ Open Education Faculty Initiative Grant Program. The text is currently being field tested Spring 2018 ECE 3105 with ancillaries, LaTeX source code, and new print and electronic versions expected to be released in Summer 2018. It is freely and publicly available at: https://doi.org/10.7294/W4WQ01ZM A low-cost print on demand version of Volume 1 BETA is also available via Amazon.com for under $30. This textbook is part of the Open Electromagnetics Project at Virginia Tech. The goal of the project is to create no-cost openly-licensed content for courses in undergraduate engineering electromagnetics. The project is motivated by two things: lowering learning material costs for students and giving faculty the freedom to adopt, modify, and improve their educational resources.
- Adult Literacy for Incarcerated Adults: Using a community approach and peer-mentors to create access to Open Educational ResourcesScales, Glenda R.; Walz, Anita R. (2022-09-08)Invited presentation for the Correctional Services Literacy and Reading Symposium, Drakenstein Correctional Centre, Western Cape, South Africa.
- Advancing OER & Open Education on Your CampusWalz, Anita R. (2018-10-19)Invited keynote presentation. This event was sponsored by Central Virginia Community College and Achieving the Dream Open Educational Resources Initiative.
- Aerodynamics and Aircraft PerformanceMarchman, James F. III (2004, 2021)
Aerodynamics and Aircraft Performance, 3rd edition is a college undergraduate-level introduction to aircraft aerodynamics and performance. This text is designed for a course in Aircraft Performance that is taught before the students have had any course in fluid mechanics, fluid dynamics, or aerodynamics. The text is meant to provide the essential information from these types of courses that is needed for teaching basic subsonic aircraft performance, and it is assumed that the students will learn the full story of aerodynamics in other, later courses. The text assumes that the students will have had a university level Physics sequence in which they will have been introduced to the most fundamental concepts of statics, dynamics, fluid mechanics, and basic conservation laws that are needed to understand the coverage that follows. It is also assumed that students will have completed first year university level calculus sequence plus a course in multi-variable calculus. Separate courses in engineering statics and dynamics are helpful but not necessary. Any student who takes a course using this text after completing courses in aerodynamics or fluid dynamics should find the chapters of this book covering those subjects an interesting review of the material. The 236-page text was created specifically for use by undergraduate students in Aerospace Engineering and was based on Professor Marchman’s many years of experience teaching related subject matter as well as his numerous wind tunnel research projects related to aircraft aerodynamics and his personal experience as the owner and pilot of a general aviation airplane. It has been used at Virginia Tech and other universities. How to adopt or adapt this book
Instructors reviewing, adopting, or adapting parts or the whole of the text are requested to register their interest using this form. Table of contents 1. Introduction to Aerodynamics 2. Propulsion 3. Additional Aerodynamics Tools 4. Performance in Straight and Level Flight 5. Altitude Change: Climb and Glide 6. Range and Endurance 7. Accelerated Performance: Takeoff and Landing 8. Accelerated Performance: Turns 9. The Role of Performance in Aircraft Design: Constraint Analysis - Appendix A: Airfoil Data Editorial note
This is a 2021 nearly verbatim presentation of Dr. Marchman’s 3rd edition (2004) of the text with minor corrections to text and formulas, addition of machine-readable math, alt text, and redrawn figures. It is available in Pressbooks, PDF, and ePub. Available formats
ISBN (PDF): 978-1-949373-63-9
ISBN (EPUB): 978-1-949373-64-6
ISBN (HTML): 978-1-949373-62-2
Link to the HTML (Pressbooks) version
Order a print copy Suggested citation
Marchman, James F. III, (2021). Aerodynamics and Aircraft Performance, 3rd ed., Blacksburg, VA: University Libraries at Virginia Tech. http://hdl.handle.net/10919/96525, CC BY 4.0 About the author
Dr. James F. Marchman, III is Professor Emeritus of Aerospace and Ocean Engineering and a former Associate Dean of Engineering at Virginia Tech where he taught and conducted research in aerodynamics, aircraft performance, aircraft design and other areas over a 40 year career. His textbook, Aircraft Design Projects For Engineering Students, coauthored by Professor Lloyd R. Jenkinson of Loughborough University in the United Kingdom, [Butterworth-Heinemann, 2003] has been used by students around the world. Accessibility note
The University Libraries at Virginia Tech are committed to making its publications accessible in accordance with the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990. The HTML version (Pressbooks) version of this book utilizes header structures, MathML, and includes alternative text which allow for machine-readability. The ePub version of ths book meets WCAG 2.0 Level A. View errata | Report an error - Affordable (and free!) course materials: What, why and where to find themWalz, Anita R. (Virginia Tech, 2023-05-16)This presentation was delivered during Virginia Tech's Center for Excellence in Teaching and Learning Course Design Clinic. It is used in a 30-minute, interactive session and is intended to provide timely and immediately useful information for faculty engaged designing or redesigning courses. It features library support and resources available to faculty and students through the University Libraries, and open educational resources (OER) available to anyone in the general public with internet access.
- Assessing the Potential Toward Open Educational Practices in KyrgyzstanWalz, Anita R.; Bekbalaeva, Jyldyz (2018-04)The study was undertaken to understand the propensity for increased engagement with open educational practices (OEP), to include methods prioritizing student-centered teaching & learning, and awareness, use, and development of open educational resources (OER) among higher education faculty in Kyrgyzstan. The study employed a mixed-methods research design, combining qualitative and quantitative data obtained from 35 faculty, librarians, and administrators in institutions of higher education in Kyrgyzstan. This study aimed to identify current teaching practices and learning resource usage practices, gauge levels of knowledge regarding Kyrgyzstan’s Copyright law, Creative Commons licenses, and Open Educational Resources, and investigate perceptions regarding potential roles for libraries in enabling others’ learning regarding Copyright and Creative Commons, and open educational resources. Analysis of the results revealed a higher than expected gravitation toward student-centered pedagogy than previously assumed. The study also identified broad use of digital downloads as learning materials, conflation of open educational resources with free online resources, and positive perceptions of libraries’ potential to instruct regarding Kyrgyz copyright, Creative Commons, and open educational resources, and needs for further professional development training for librarians. (Appendix includes survey instrument.)
- Becoming a Good Neighbor: Befriending Instructional Designers and Campus Distance Learning FolksWalz, Anita R.; Metko, Stefanie (2016-04-21)On our campus, a bridge connects the main library and the university group which operates the campus learning management system (LMS), trains faculty to use educational technologies, and collaborates directly with faculty who are exploring teaching online. Two librarians were tasked with developing a positive working relationship with the units in this group. This poster explores a handful of stories exhibiting the merits, lessons learned, and types of contributions librarians willing to collaborate directly with non-library educational technology departments might encounter. Including: building trust as an iterative process, learning from and together, connecting colleagues "across the bridge," new topics for instruction, influencing policy, addressing copyright and LMS, making the library visible via LMS, developing open educational resources, policy and politics, and so on.
- Behind the Scenes of the Fair Use Week Exhibit - How We Made Our Copyright DecisionsPannabecker, Virginia; Sebek, Robert; Walz, Anita R.; Fralin, Scott; Gilbertson, Keith (2016-02)This workshop was created for a general audience, with an expectation of most being students, staff, or faculty in a higher education environment. *This workshop was developed with United States copyright law in mind. During this workshop, presenters and participants discussed decisions related to using copyrighted materials in an in-person and online exhibit. Following the discussion, they explored an interactive exhibit and consider whether uses of copyrighted materials in case studies included in the exhibit were more towards ‘Fair,’ or towards ‘Infringing.’
- Boundary Spanners: Bridging Gaps Between Higher Education and PreK12Walz, Anita R.; Farley, Julee (2021-10-19)Boundary spanners serve as linking pins between organizations and can also fill structural holes, allowing networks with no previous connection to share information and resources. Using boundary-spanner practices, this presentation summarizes efforts between one university and area PK12 schools regarding development and broad sharing of relevant, adaptable PK12 OER course materials. Many personnel in higher education want to share their knowledge with a broader audience but lack the ability to create materials that best meet the needs of PK12 students. We were able to address these issues through collaboration between university content experts, teachers who have deep expertise in creating individualized learning materials, and processes and platforms for curation and broad sharing. When learning resources are created by the university in consultation with teachers, and shared as accessible and editable OER with broader geographic areas, the materials better fit the actual practice and needs of PK12 teachers, as well as allow the university to expand its reach and impact. As PK12 teachers are required to provide individualized levels of instruction and course materials for all students, it is critical that these materials be easily and legally editable as well as accessible for students with disabilities. Some of the most significant contributions of this work are in the areas of accessibility, copyright, permission and ability to edit, and broad sharing. Our case study will present rationale, need, process, and the artifacts (permission forms, checklists, and templates) developed together by two “boundary spanners” in order to enable partnership, creation, curation, and free sharing of more useful learning resources. [This presentation is also available as a video recording from the Open Education Conference.]
- Building a Community of Teachers: Designing Faculty Interest Groups to Build Pedagogical ExpertisePressley, Lauren; Hall, Tracy Michelle; Walz, Anita R.; Moorefield-Lang, Heather; Henshaw, Neal; Miller, Rebecca K. (2014-03-06)We explore the University Libraries program to develop instructional expertise within the department, with a focus on the development of a pedagogies interest group focused on understanding, reflecting on, and practicing new and emerging pedagogies in higher education. This poster presents how this model might be applied to other departments interested in facilitating this faculty-driven model of pedagogical development.
- Building an Assessment CollaboratoryGallagher, Jenni; Short, Hannah Wildman; Walz, Anita R. (2021-09-27)As General Education administrators, we appreciate the vital role that assessment plays in the continual process of evaluating and improving teaching and learning. We recognize the importance of supporting faculty in the assessment process, as many instructors – especially those new to gen ed or new to teaching – feel unsure about how to create well-aligned assessments and how to use them as a tool for refining instruction. The creation of an assessment Collaboratory, an online repository of actual assignments and assessments that have been successfully used in gen ed classrooms, provides a solution to this challenge. We will walk through our process for establishing such a resource, including our strategies for engaging faculty and other stakeholders, identifying the best technological platform for our needs, acquiring good assignment and assessment examples, and publicizing the resource to our gen ed instructors. Additionally, we will discuss the value of the Collaboratory beyond just assessment, as a vehicle for building a community of practice and promoting inclusive and active-learning pedagogy. Learning goals: 1. Explain the purpose and function of an assignment/assessment Collaboratory. 2. Identify challenges and potential solutions for creating such a resource at your institution. 3. Discuss the value of such a resource for improving assessment quality, building a community of practice, and promoting inclusive and active-learning pedagogy. 4. Discuss strategies for fostering stakeholder buy-in and collaboration throughout the creation process. Participants will be encouraged to engage throughout the session. Example questions include: If you were to create a Collaboratory at your institution, what potential challenges would you face? Do you see potential for a similar resource at your institution? If so, what elements would you adopt, and what would you change? Is there anything missing from ours that would be critical to have in yours?
- But what do you REALLY think? An OER collaborator perception surveyWalz, Anita R.; Blicher, Heather; Grey, Kindred (2023-10-17)Since 2013 the Open Education Initiative (OEI) at Virginia Tech https://guides.lib.vt.edu/oer has supported faculty in exploring, adopting, adapting, creating, and freely-distributing open educational resources of various formats. In an effort to identify how to document, strengthen, streamline, and advocate for program permanence, the OEI conducted a formal, anonymous survey. The survey population included faculty and staff open education collaborators who have or are partnering with the OEI since an initial series of grants in 2016. While we keep in close contact with collaborators throughout the entire development process, we believe that anonymous feedback will help us to gain additional insights after projects are completed. We seek to uncover additional aspects of faculty/staff motivations to participate in the OEI, areas for program improvement, and observations about the program from a faculty/staff viewpoint rather than our own perceptions. Our program, institutional context, core values, and earlier, informal findings informed the openly-licensed survey instrument. We will discuss expected findings vs. actual findings from the survey, and our plans for responding, including possible asynchronous online learning modules designed to streamline labor-intensive steps. We hope that these will expand the reach and impact of the OEI while keeping workloads within reason for members of the OEI.
- Cell Biology, Genetics, and Biochemistry for Pre-Clinical StudentsLeClair, Renee J. (Virginia Tech Carilion School of Medicine in association with Virginia Tech Publishing, 2021)
Cell Biology, Genetics, and Biochemistry for Pre-Clinical Students is an undergraduate medical-level resource for foundational knowledge across the disciplines of genetics, cell biology and biochemistry. This USMLE-aligned text is designed for a first-year undergraduate medical course that is delivered typically before students start to explore systems physiology and pathophysiology. The text is meant to provide the essential information from these content areas in a concise format that would allow learner preparation to engage in an active classroom. Clinical correlates and additional application of content is intended to be provided in the classroom experience. The text assumes that the students will have completed medical school prerequisites (including the MCAT) in which they will have been introduced to the most fundamental concepts of biology and chemistry that are essential to understand the content presented here. This resource should be assistive to the learner later in medical school and for exam preparation given the material is presented in a succinct manner, with a focus on high-yield concepts. The 276-page text was created specifically for use by pre-clinical students at Virginia Tech Carilion School of Medicine and was based on faculty experience and peer review to guide development and hone important topics. Available formats
ISBN (PDF): 978-1-949373-42-4
ISBN (EPUB): 978-1-949373-43-1
ISBN (print): 978-1-949373-41-7
Click here to purchase a print copy
ISBN (Pressbooks): 978-1-957213-05-7
Pressbooks
Also available via LibreTexts Report errors How to adopt this book
Instructors reviewing, adopting, or adapting parts or the whole of the text are requested to register their interest by filling out this form. Instructors and subject matter experts interested in and sharing their original course materials relevant to pre-clinical education are requested to join the instructor portal. Features of this book - Detailed learning objectives are provided at the beginning of each subsection - High resolution, color contrasting figures illustrate concepts, relationships, and processes throughout - Summary tables display detailed information - End of chapter lists provide additional sources of information - Accessibility features including structured heads and alternative-text provide access for readers accessing the work via a screen-reader Table of contents 1. Biochemistry basics 2. Basic laboratory measurements 3. Fed and fasted state 4. Fuel for now 5. Fuel for later 6. Lipoprotein metabolism and cholesterol synthesis 7. Pentose phosphate pathway (PPP), purine and pyrimidine metabolism 8. Amino acid metabolism and heritable disorders of degradation 9. Disorders of monosaccharide metabolism and other metabolic conditions 10. Genes, genomes, and DNA 11. Transcription and translation 12. Gene regulation and the cell cycle 13. Human genetics 14. Linkage studies, pedigrees, and population genetics 15. Cellular signaling 16. Plasma membrane 17. Cytoplasmic membranes 18. Cytoskeleton 19. Extracellular matrix Suggested citation
LeClair, Renée J., (2021). Cell Biology, Genetics, and Biochemistry for Pre-Clinical Students, Roanoke: Virginia Tech Carilion School of Medicine. https://doi.org/10.21061/cellbio. Licensed with CC BY NC-SA 4.0. Other titles in this series - LeClair, R., (2022) Neuroscience for Pre-Clinical Students - Binks, A., (2022) Cardiovascular Pathophysiology for Pre-Clinical Students - Binks, A., (2022) Pulmonary Physiology for Pre-Clinical Students - Binks, A., (2022) Pulmonary Pathophysiology for Pre-Clinical Students About the author
Renée J. LeClair is an Associate Professor in the Department of Basic Science Education at the Virginia Tech Carilion School of Medicine, where her role is to engage activities that support the departmental mission of developing an integrated medical experience using evidence-based delivery grounded in the science of learning. She received a Ph.D. at Rice University and completed a postdoctoral fellowship at the Maine Medical Center Research Institute in vascular biology. She became involved in medical education, curricular renovation, and implementation of innovative teaching methods during her first faculty appointment, at the University of New England, College of Osteopathic Medicine. In 2013, she moved to a new medical school, University of South Carolina, School of Medicine, Greenville. The opportunities afforded by joining a new program and serving as the Chair of the Curriculum committee provided a blank slate for creative curricular development and close involvement with the accreditation process. During her tenure she developed and directed a team-taught student-centered undergraduate medical course that integrated the scientific and clinical sciences to assess all six-core competencies of medical education. Accessibility note
The University Libraries at Virginia Tech and Virginia Tech Publishing are committed to making its publications accessible in accordance with the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990. The HTML (Pressbooks) and ePub versions of this book utilize header structures and include alternative text which allow for machine-readability. - Choices by Design: Finding and Using Openly Licensed ResourcesWalz, Anita R. (2014-10-20)Many people find it difficult to know what they can and cannot use in public or other presentations because of Copyright law. When someone is flexible regarding the exact image or figure they want to use, finding and using openly licensed/Creative Commons licensed content is one alternative to navigating fair use and Copyright exemptions. This practical session covers very basic Copyright facts, addresses faculty/staff interests in using copyrighted material in a variety of settings, introduction to Creative Commons, how to attribute Creative Commons licensed works, finding openly-licensed works, and additional resources for finding further openly licensed resources.
- Class Slides for Fundamentals of Business fourth editionPoff, Ron (2023)Class slides for Fundamentals of Business, fourth edition (2023) are freely-available, screen-reader friendly, openly-licensed, and editable. The slides align with the freely-available open textbook, Fundamentals of Business, fourth edition, which was designed for use in Virginia Tech’s Pamplin College of Business introductory level business course, MGT1104 Foundations of Business. The collection includes chapter-level .ppt slides for chapters 1 - 8 and 10. The remaining chapter slidedecks will be added as they become available. The open textbook, Fundamentals of Business, fourth edition, is freely available in PDF, ePub, Pressbooks, and other formats at https://doi.org/10.21061/fundamentalsofbusiness4e An online, interactive, accessible version of this book is available at: https://pressbooks.lib.vt.edu/fundamentalsofbusiness4e. About the license Unless otherwise noted, the book, slides, and contents therein are licensed with a Creative Commons Attribution NonCommercial ShareAlike (CC BY NC-SA) 4.0 license (human readable version) | legal code, which allows anyone to remix, tweak, and build upon the work for uses which are primarily non-commercial. New works must acknowledge the original work and be non-commercial. Derivative versions must be licensed under the same CC BY-NC-SA 4.0 license. See Creative Commons' Best Practices for Attribution for further information. Help us! If you are an instructor reviewing, adopting, or adapting this textbook and/or slides, please help us understand your use by filling out this form http://bit.ly/business-interest How to adapt and share the slides Instructors are encouraged to customize the slide deck by adding their own content and examples. According to the Creative Commons BY NC SA license, customized and shared versions of the slides must: - Retain the original copyright statement - Be released under the Creative Commons Attribution NonCommercial-ShareAlike (CC BY NC SA) 4.0 license - Include a link to the original slide deck source: http://hdl.handle.net/10919/105157 - Include brief statement regarding whether or not changes were made - List the name of the adapter Find, adapt, and share resources Instructors are encouraged to share their versions and other resources created for this content area via the Instructor Resource Portal in OER Commons. Errata and error reporting http://bit.ly/business-feedback Accessibility Virginia Tech is committed to making its publications accessible in accordance with the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990. All figures within the slides have alternative text. Contributors Slide creation: Ron Poff Accessibility: Heather Blicher Figure design: Kindred Grey Project management: Anita Walz
- Class Slides for Sustainable Property ManagementHopkins, Erin A. (Virginia Tech, 2023)
Class slides for Sustainable Property Management (2023) are freely-available, screen-reader friendly, openly-licensed, and editable. The slides align with the freely-available open textbook, Sustainable Property Management, which is the required text for Virginia Tech's Department of Apparel, Housing, and Resource Management, PM 3674, Property Management Operations. The collection includes chapter-level .ppt slides with questions and activities for each of the eight chapters. The open textbook, Sustainable Property Management, is freely available in PDF, ePub, Pressbooks, and other formats at https://doi.org/10.21061/sustainable_property_management. About the license
Unless otherwise noted, the book, slides, and contents therein are licensed with a Creative Commons NonCommercial ShareAlike (CC BY-NC-SA) 4.0 license (human readable version) | legal code, which allows anyone to remix, tweak, and build upon the work for uses which are primarily non-commercial. New works must acknowledge the original work and be non-commercial. Derivative versions must be licensed under the same CC BY-NC-SA 4.0 license. See Creative Commons' Best Practices for Attribution for further information. Help us!
If you are an instructor reviewing, adopting, or adapting this textbook and/or slides, please help us understand your use by filling out this form How to adapt and share the slides
Instructors are encouraged to customize the slide deck by adding their own content and examples. According to the Creative Commons BY NC SA license, customized and shared versions of the slides must: - Retain the original copyright statement - Be released under the Creative Commons Attribution NonCommercial-ShareAlike (CC BY NC SA) 4.0 license - Include a link to the original slide deck source: http://hdl.handle.net/10919/11342 - Include brief statement regarding whether or not changes were made - List the name of the adapter Find, adapt, and share resources
Instructors are encouraged to share their versions and other resources created for this content area via the Instructor Resource Portal in OER Commons. View errata
Report an error Accessibility
Virginia Tech is committed to making its publications accessible in accordance with the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990. All figures within the slides have alternative text. This work is published by Virginia Tech's Department of Apparel, Housing, and Resource Management in association with the University Libraries' at Virginia Tech Open Education Initiative. Contributors
Slide creation: Erin A. Hopkins
Accessibility: Heather Blicher, Kindred Grey
Figure design: Kindred Grey
Project management: Anita Walz - Collaborating to Build, Adapt, and Evaluate Open Educational Resources (OER)Walz, Anita R.; Russell, John Morgan; Grey, Kindred (2021-02-04)Although most instructors are concerned about the cost and fit of their course materials, many may not be willing or able to switch from the traditional publisher model due to a range of reasons including lack of time, knowledge, resources and support, institutional factors, and [un]willingness to change (Lashley, 2019; Conole & McAndrew, 2010). However, some instructors are able to reach their course material goals related to consistency, affordability, and fit by adopting collaborative approachesto authoring and adapting open educational resources (OER). Grant-funded and collaborative OER development approaches are increasingly offered by institutions of higher education. These initiatives aim to reduce costs to students and enable improved academic achievement due to increased student and instructor engagement, and better-fitting course materials (Walz, Jenson, and Salem, 2016; Colvard, Watson, and Park, 2018). OER are freely and publicly available materials for teaching and learning released under a license (such as a Creative Commons) that allow no-cost adaptation and sharing (Hewlett Foundation, n.d.). While evaluation and impact of such resources is a relatively young field, early research shows positive outcomes. Namely that OER are of equivalent quality or better than commercially published materials (Clinton and Khan, 2019), showing no instructional harm and eliminating course material costs, and have a disproportionately positive impact on Pell-grant eligible and first-generation students (Colvard, Watson & Park). Collaborative OER project support can include a range of financial incentives, development coaching, project management, copyright, open licensing, and publishing consultations, access to related software, graphic design, and assessment-related support for instructors. Completion and use of such curriculum resources has the benefit of decreased costs and potential for improved student academic achievements. Since 2014 the University Libraries at Virginia Tech have incentivized and supported faculty projects that create or adapt OER and publicly share them with the world. The intended audience of this poster includes instructors and potential collaborators who are considering creating or adapting open educational resources and want to know more about the process of a collaborative development approach to OER and potential benefits to them and students. The process as presented is a high-level sequence of overlapping steps undertaken by one or more members of our time in creating Significant Statistics. This presentation also lists significant areas of inquiry which commonly arise and require decisions in such a project, and benefits as reported by students and realized so far by the instructor.