OER at Kean University

By Muhammad Hassan Published in NJLA CUS/ACRL-NJ Fall Newsletter

We take immense pride in our institution's unwavering dedication to providing high-quality education while ensuring affordability and accessibility for all our students. We understand that the cost of education, including textbooks and course materials, can be a significant barrier for many students. Therefore, we are firmly committed to the principles of Open Educational Resources (OER) and their transformative potential to advance these core goals. In the following short report, I will elaborate on our journey with OER and the steps we've taken to make education more affordable, accessible, and of the highest quality for our students.

Our Commitment to OER

Kean University's commitment to OER is formalized in a comprehensive guideline that establishes a framework for the adoption, creation, and utilization of OER. This framework is designed to benefit not only our students but also our dedicated faculty and the broader academic community. Kean University commits to the following:

• Affordability: Kean University will prioritize the adoption and development of OER to reduce the financial burden on students and enhance their access to quality educational?materials.
• Access: Kean University will ensure that OER materials are easily accessible to all students and that no student is disadvantaged due to the lack of access to required course?materials.
• Quality: Kean University will maintain the academic rigor and quality of OER materials and ensure that faculty members have the resources and support to create or adopt high-quality OER.

Adoption of OER

• Faculty members are encouraged to explore and use existing OER materials in their courses, where applicable, in alignment with their academic goals.
• The institution will provide resources and support, including professional development, for faculty to identify, evaluate, and adopt OER.
• Departments and programs will periodically assess the potential for OER adoption and report their findings to promote OER integration.

Our Journey

Our OER journey commenced in the fall of 2018 when we began to explore innovative ways to reduce the costs associated with higher education. We launched in the Spring of 2019 and offered seven sections that didn’t require students to purchase traditional textbooks. To effectively support this initiative, we formed a dedicated working group consisting of library staff, faculty, and other stakeholders who collaborated closely with our faculty members. The Learning Commons staff facilitated training sessions and workshops aimed at equipping faculty with the knowledge and skills required to transition to OER. Throughout 2019, we conducted monthly workshops, actively engaging with our faculty to address their concerns, provide guidance, and share best practices. These workshops were invaluable in nurturing a community of educators committed to OER, leading to more widespread adoption of OER materials in our courses.

In 2020, the landscape of education underwent a seismic shift due to the COVID-19 pandemic. As we adapted to the new challenges brought on by remote learning, our OER efforts evolved as well. While we initially planned to continue offering one workshop per month, the unprecedented circumstances compelled us to shift our focus toward supporting the university's transition to remote learning. This unexpected turn of events, however, provided us with a unique opportunity to assess our OER initiatives comprehensively and develop new strategies to promote equity and inclusivity in education, even in the face of adversity. In spring 2021, we achieved another significant milestone in our OER journey. We hosted our inaugural OER conference, a testament to our commitment to open education. The conference not only showcased our dedication to OER but also allowed us to build valuable relationships with other institutions, fostering new collaborations and inspiring innovative ways to support our students.

This conference was a turning point in our OER journey. We gained insights into the best practices and successful strategies employed by other institutions, enhancing our own approach to OER. It also enabled us to forge partnerships with like-minded organizations and institutions that shared our vision for affordable, accessible, and high-quality education. These partnerships?have been instrumental in furthering our OER initiatives. In the spring of 2022, we initiated new collaborations with our faculty to promote the use of resources available at our Learning Commons. This collaborative effort expanded the array of resources available to our students and faculty, furthering our commitment to quality and accessibility.?Perhaps one of the most significant milestones was reached in the fall of 2022 when approximately 22% of all sections offered at Kean University don’t require students to purchase traditional textbooks. This achievement reflects our dedication to making quality education affordable and accessible. We remain resolutely committed to continuous assessment and updates to our OER initiatives. Our dedication to equitable access to education is a journey, not a destination, and we are always striving to do more for our students.

As we look to the future, Kean University is committed to expanding its OER efforts even further. We aim to increase the percentage of sections that do not require traditional textbook purchases. Our goal is to provide a textbook-free education for as many students as possible, reducing the financial burden they face.

We are also working on establishing partnerships with OER content providers and open textbook initiatives to enrich the pool of available resources. These partnerships will provide us with a wider range of high-quality materials, further enhancing the quality of education we offer. We are investing in faculty development and support to encourage more educators to create and adopt OER materials. Our faculty is at the heart of this transformative journey, and we are committed to providing them with the resources, training, and recognition they deserve for their dedication to OER.

Kean University's journey with OER is a testament to our unwavering commitment to making education affordable, accessible, and of the highest quality. We have made significant strides, but our work is far from complete. We are constantly assessing and updating our efforts to ensure that we stay true to our mission of providing equitable access to education. Our commitment to OER is not just a practical solution to textbook costs; it's a reflection of our values and a commitment to our students' success. As we continue this journey, we are excited about the future and the potential of OER to reshape education in ways that benefit all.

We look forward to further collaborations, innovative strategies, and, most importantly, the success of our students, who will benefit from an education that is truly affordable, accessible, and of the highest quality. Thank you for being a part of this transformative journey with us, and join us on March 21, 2024, for our OER conference. You can find more details on digitalcommons.kean.edu(link is external).

Muhammad Hassan is the Executive Director of the Nancy Thompson Learning Commons at Kean University. He can be reached at [email protected](link sends e-mail).?