OER lessons learned [audio]
Maura shares lessons learned while supporting OER use, re-use and creation in TUS.
Maura’s OER lessons learned – key takeaways
- Think OER first!
- Advocate for OER and highlight the benefits of OER to your community at every opportunity
- Use OER discussions to promote other Library services, such as Institutional Repositories
Transcript of audio file
Hi there, I’m Maura. I’m the Open Educational Resources Librarian in TUS.
I’d like to share with you three things that I have learned in my role.
My first lesson is to encourage teaching staff to think OER first! If updating a module, developing a new programme or undergoing a programmatic review, start with OER! Explore the available OER in your field to inform how you proceed. OER can include everything from textbooks, journals, activities and assessment materials. The customisable nature of OER means that you can adjust the material to your local context and ensure the content is accessible, inclusive and diverse. OER gives you immense flexibility to adapt and reuse, so it makes a great starting point and ensures that your work has immense reuse potential.
A second lesson is that there is immense enthusiasm but also sometimes a little uncertainty amongst many University staff regarding OER. It is important to highlights the benefits of OER including time saving, cost saving, sustainability and potential for collaboration, including student co-creation. Take every opportunity you can to advocate for OER within your community. Don’t assume that staff are aware of the benefits of OER and work with them to discuss, and hopefully overcome, any concerns that they might have.
A third lesson is that OER can be a valuable tool to promote other library services and resources, such as our institutional repositories and other training we provide. Sometimes we overestimate the knowledge that staff may have regarding Library services as a whole, even well-established services, but try not to assume the knowledge and instead build in those opportunities to promote your Library service more broadly when discussing OER.
