textbooks

textbooks

Textbook Savings and Customized Teaching: The 2023-2024 Course Material Transformation Fellowship Award Winners

Textbook Savings and Customized Teaching: The 2023-2024 Course Material Transformation Fellowship Award Winners

The Campus Library and the Center for Faculty Development have collaborated once again to offer the Course Material Transformation Fellowship for 2023-2024. This fellowship supports instructors in their efforts to adopt and create affordable course materials, including open educational resources (OER), library licensed content, and open access materials. The Fellowship Program aims to: Lower the cost of college for students in order to contribute to their retention, progression, and graduation. Encourage the development of alternatives to high-cost textbooks by supporting the adoption, adaptation, and creation of Open Educational Resources (OER) Make course material access on the first day of class a reality for all students, regardless of socioeconomic status. Fellowship recipients will receive a $2,000 stipend from the Center for … Continued
Who Uses OER at IU East? — Open Education Week 2023

Who Uses OER at IU East? — Open Education Week 2023

Due to the rising costs of higher education, textbook affordability is a particular area of hardship for many students. With limited funding, students may have to choose what is essential to their well-being and education and because of this, many students forgo buying required textbooks or other course material. This often results in poor grades or failing or dropping out of the course (Yano & Myers, 2019).  To combat this issue, Open Educational Resources (OER) initiatives have been growing among many higher education institutions, including Indiana University East. ​ In support of Open Education Week (March 6-10th) 2023, the Campus Library is highlighting IU East faculty who currently use OER textbooks and resources in their classes.  Humanities and Social Sciences … Continued
Open Pedagogy: create and collaborate

Open Pedagogy: create and collaborate

Open Pedagogy is a concept in teaching that overlaps with other schools of pedagogical thought, especially as we now work, create, and learn in a digital environment and engage more with collaborative work, such as: Constructivist Pedagogy – learning based on the idea that we construct our own knowledge through direct experience (Hands-on learning). Critical Digital Pedagogy – focuses not just on the tools we use in teaching, but how we are connecting as human beings. Connected Learning – active participation in learning, collaboration with peers, mentors, etc. The term Open Pedagogy was first cited in 1979 by a Canadian named Claude Paquette and he “outlines three sets of foundational values of Open Pedagogy: autonomy and interdependence; freedom and responsibility; … Continued
There’s an OER For That: Looking at Affordable Learning Options

There’s an OER For That: Looking at Affordable Learning Options

With the success of our Scholar’s Book Fair last week, we received some feedback from faculty that the OER (Open Education Resources) and IU Pressbooks stations were two of the most valuable topics covered during the event. And with OER Week coming up in less than a month (March 2-6), it is a good time to discuss in more detail what an OER is and how can IU Pressbooks contribute to OER creation. What is an OER? Open Educational Resources (OER) are any teaching, learning, and research resources (textbooks, syllabi, courseware, assessments, lesson plans, test questions, etc.) that are freely available and shared under an intellectual property license that allow others to download, reuse, adapt, edit, retain, and redistribute the … Continued
Getting Textbooks

Getting Textbooks

One common question we get in the library, especially near the beginning of a semester, is: “Do you have my textbook?” Like many academic libraries, we have some textbooks on the shelves, but not a lot, and usually older editions.  The cost and quantity of texts needed for every class is prohibitive for libraries. And even if purchased, the first student in the door would get to check out the book and keep it for long enough that it likely wouldn’t be available for others in the class. We do, however, have a system for books to be in the library on our “reserves” shelf.  That has the benefit of letting a lot of students use it in a short … Continued