Penn State Berks will participate in Penn State?s first Open Educational Resources (OER) Summit on Wednesday, March 23, 2016, from 8:30 a.m.?12:30 p.m. in the Thun Library, room 145. This University-wide summit aims to educate participants about OER, share updates from the provost-charged OER task force, and showcase Penn State faculty examples of OER in practice.
The real-world outcomes that can benefit students as a result of using high quality Open Textbooks (a type of OER) include: increased use of textbooks by students in a course; more money in students' pockets to spend on other educational expenses and smaller student loans; and enhanced engagement with course materials, leading to better student learning outcomes and success.
Nicole Allen, Director of Open Education for the Scholarly Publishing and Academic Resources Coalition (SPARC), will offer keynote remarks. Allen is considered one of the leading experts on college textbook costs and an established leader in the OER movement. She has worked with college students on OER grassroots campaigns, including a cross-country "Textbook Rebellion" tour to dozens of college campuses, and has urged thousands of professors to sign a commitment toward adopting open textbooks.
Next steps for OER at Penn State will be addressed via updates on and futurecasting of Provost Nick Jones? Penn State OER Task Force. Task force members were charged in February 2015 to develop approaches for systemically implementing OER to support teaching and learning and also contribute to President Eric Barron?s agenda for student access and affordability. The task force is chaired by Barbara I. Dewey, dean of University Libraries and Scholarly Communications.
During the Summit?s ?Showcase of OER Champions? session, five early adopters will describe their efforts to reduce costs and make course materials more available.
Following the simulcast summit, Penn State Berks will have a breakout planning session to discuss how OER can benefit the college community. Members of the college community are invited to attend any portion of the summit.
To register for this event at Penn State Berks, visit:
For more information about open educational resources at Penn State Berks, contact John Shank, head librarian, Penn State Berks Thun Library at (610)-396-6341 or via email at [email protected].