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Open Education Development Series

About the Series

The Open Education Development Series program is a five-part, scaffolded exploration of Open Education (to include OER and Open Pedagogy), targeted to faculty teaching in online courses and designed to support their understanding and engagement with this innovative instructional approach. Faculty teaching in online courses and programs are eligible for this program.

Parts I – IV will be offered in fall and spring
Part V will only be offered once per year in summer

Spring 2025 Registration

Parts I-IV

Enroll in the OEDS Parts I – IV

Part V

  • TBD – Apply to participate in OEDS Part V
  • TBD – Part V Application Worksheet

Registration period: Will open in February 2025

Information Sessions

  • TBD

Spring 2025 Cohort Dates

  • TBD

Information Session

Attend an information session to learn more about the requirements for consideration, the application and review process, and to get an overview of the five-part Development Series and the learning experiences that participants will have in each part. Information sessions will be announced in December 2024.

Find your Entry Point

This table illustrates the target audience for each part based on possible OER experiences. Faculty teaching in online courses and programs are eligible for this program. If the example provided sounds familiar to your journey, that might be your entry point. For more information including eligibility criteria, learning outcomes, deliverables, and participation requirements for each part of the Open Education Development Series, please see the information after the following table:

Open Education Development Series Table

TitleDescription
Part I: Building a Foundation of OER Knowledge and UseI am not familiar with OER. I may have heard the acronym in conversation before, but I couldn’t tell you what it is or how it applies to my online course or instruction.
Part II: Transforming Practice with OER Creation and Open Pedagogy
$250 Stipend offered for successful completion of Parts I and II
I have heard of OER and I know what the benefits are in using these resources in my online course/instruction, but I am not sure how I would go about incorporating them.
Part III: Putting it All Together - Finding and Evaluating OER
$250 Stipend offered for successful completion of Part III
I have heard of OER, I know several benefits of OER, and I know where I could go to find OER. I am not sure, however, how I would determine the quality of the resources I could use in my online course/instruction.
Part IV: Putting it All Together - Adopting and Integrating Existing OER
Up to a $500 stipend offered for successful completion of Part IV
I have heard of OER, I know the benefits of OER, and I can determine the quality of OER I might use in my course/instruction. I am not sure, however, how to effectively remix or reuse OER into my online course/instruction. Please note, OER remixed and created in Part IV must be integrated into an online course.
Part V: Putting it All Together - Creating and Publishing your own Open Textbook
$2,000 Stipend offered for successful completion of Part V
My knowledge and experiences with OER have inspired me to create my own open textbook and become an active contributor to the Open Community. I would like to be contacted directly for more information on how to apply to Part V of the Open Ed Development Series. Please note, open textbooks created in Part V must be integrated into an online course.

Part I: Building a Foundation of OER Knowledge and Use

Part I Overview An Introductory Exploration

Part I serves as an introductory investigation into the WHY and WHAT of OER. It answers the questions:

  • What is (and isn’t) OER?
  • Why should I consider using OER in my course?
  • What are available resources and strategies that can help me to use OER more consistently or meaningfully?

Explore concepts associated with OER use, including the 5Rs, the relationship between copyright, open access and creative commons, attribution and creative commons licensing, benefits and challenges with OER adoption and use, course considerations when selecting OER, and effective and efficient OER search strategies.

Part II: Transforming Practice with OER Creation and Open Pedagogy

Part II Overview An Introductory Exploration

Part II continues the introductory OER investigation, shifting focus from what OER is and ways we can use them to support student learning experiences, and moving into HOW we can interact with OER. Part II answers the questions:

  • How can I create and share my own OER?
  • How can I empower and engage my students in this process?

Explore concepts associated with open education and meaningful OER use, including an open education mindset, a timeline of the open education movement, and open pedagogy practices.

Part III: Putting it All Together: Finding and Evaluating OER

Part III Overview Taking a Critical Approach to OER

Part III begins to transition from exposure to interaction by providing an opportunity for participants to actively engage with OER through the evaluation of Open Textbooks. This session of the Open Education Development Series answers the question:

How can I ensure the OER I implement is quality material and supports my learning outcomes/objectives?

Actively engage with evaluative criteria and tools to complete a textbook review in this part of the Open Ed Development series.

Part IV: Putting it All Together: Adopting and Integrating Existing OER

Part IV Overview A Facilitated Application of Knowledge

Part IV focuses on the application of OER knowledge through the evaluation, adoption, and integration of existing OER materials. This part of the Open Education Development Series answers the question:

How can OER be effectively integrated into my online course?

Actively engage with OER through the evaluation, adoption, and integration of existing OER materials.

Part V: Putting it All Together: Creating and Publishing your own Textbook

Part V Overview A Facilitated Application of Knowledge

The final part of the Open Education Development Series is a culmination of Parts I-IV, resulting in the design, creation, and publication of an Open Textbook. Part V is a celebration of Open Education with authentic contributions to the open community.

This final section of the Open Education Development Series answers the question:

How can I create and publish my own open textbook in an organized, structured, and supported manner?