November 2022 Newsletter
Greetings! As the Open Educational Resources Liaison for our college, it is my responsibility to share communications from the Academic Senate for California Community Colleges (ASCCC) Open Educational Resources Initiative (OERI) with you. Please read on to learn about upcoming events and opportunities that are open to all.
If I can assist you as you consider OER or answer any OER related questions, please let me know.
Regional LibreTexts Workshops
In partnership with LibreTexts, the ASCCC OERI is pleased to announce the Fall 2022 regional LibreTexts Workshops. The workshops will showcase the ADAPT and LibreStudio platforms sponsored by the California Education Learning Lab as free homework assessment platforms for all California instructors and students. We will demonstrate how instructors can use ADAPT to augment existing and newly constructed OER textbooks with summative exercises and embed them in Canvas and LibreTexts textbooks.
Discussions will demonstrate how the empowers faculty to build and use existing questions in multiple modalities: (1) formative vs. summative, (2) autograded vs. open-ended grading, and (3) embedded in Canvas or textbooks. Workshop participants will learn how to build autograded questions based on four technologies - H5P, WebWork, IMathAS, and native (QTI) - that can be used interchangeably to allow for maximal impact. We will introduce the for construction, storage and distribution of H5P assessments. Participants will be able to join LibreStudio to create and share H5P assessments, review the H5P of other authors, and build/join a community within Studio.
Registration is now open for the Northern California workshops. Registration for the Southern California workshops is coming soon. The tentative dates are December 2 and December 3, 2022. These day-long workshops (9:00 am 鈥 3:00 pm) are free.
OERI, the Zero Textbook Cost (ZTC) Program, and You
Curious to learn what is happening with the $115 million ZTC funds? The OERI is actively tracking all things ZTC. Access the page () to find all the latest information about Zero Textbook Cost (ZTC) degrees and related textbook affordability requirements. You鈥檒l find archives of various ZTC-related presentations on this page and in the . Consider attending an office hour if you have questions or want to learn more.
Fridays, 9:00 am 鈥 10:00 am - ZTC Program Weekly Office Hours
Chancellor鈥檚 Office weekly office hours for ZTC Program questions.
OERI Seeking Discipline Leads
The ASCCC OERI is recruiting faculty to support our OER advocacy efforts by serving as Discipline Leads during the 2022-2023 academic year. Each Discipline Lead will serve as a resource for their discipline colleagues and typically host at least one virtual event each term. Any additional tasks of each Discipline Lead will be determined by the status of OER in the discipline. Discipline Leads receive a stipend of $500 at the end of each term upon completion of their specified tasks.
We are currently recruiting Discipline Leads for the following disciplines:
- Computer Science
- Counseling
- Education
- Film, Television, and Electronic Media
- Geography
- Music
- Social Justice Studies
Interested faculty should see for more information and application instructions.
OERI Basics
This month the OERI is pleased to offer a two-part series designed to introduce the new OER user to OER and the basic considerations involved with OER use and curation. While Part I is not a prerequisite for Part II, a baseline understanding of OER, an awareness of Creative Commons licenses, and foundational knowledge of accessibility will be presumed in Part II.
Thursday, November 10, 2:00 pm 鈥 3:30 pm
- OER Basics Part I: Demystifying, Finding, and Using Open Educational Resources
- Are you new to Open Educational Resources (OER) or need a refresher? Join us to learn about OER, how to license your own OER, and how to use OER in your courses. There will be opportunities to ask questions on all OER topics throughout the webinar.
Thursday, November 17, 2:00 pm 鈥 3:30 pm
- OER Basics Part II: Licensing and Accessibility 鈥 Using Open Educational Resources (OER) and Ensuring OER are Usable
- Understanding Creative Commons licensing is critical when creating OER and accessibility is always important when developing content. In this interactive webinar we鈥檒l explore the nuances of the various Creative Commons licenses, discuss when resources can be mixed, and explain the difference between a remix and a collection. We will also share the OERI鈥檚 Accessibility Checklist. The Checklist was created to ensure that OER developers are addressing accessibility fundamentals during the development process. Ample time will be provided for questions and discussion.
OERI Events 鈥 November OERI Friday Forums
The OERI Friday Forums will be held from 10:30 am 鈥 11:30 am on the 1st and 3rd Fridays of the month, provided there are no scheduling conflicts (e.g., a holiday). These webinars are recorded and archived. The ASCCC OERI will provide automated captioning for all webinars. If you would like to request live human closed-captioning for any of our offerings, please contact us by e-mail at least 10 business days in advance.
OERI Friday Forums are intended for a diverse audience. Please share with your colleagues. We hope you will join us 鈥 all are welcome!
Friday, November 4, 10:30 am 鈥 11:30 am
- Textbook Transformation Project - How Chaffey College Created a Movement
- Chaffey College's Textbook Transformation Project has created a cultural shift in supporting student generational success and achievement. With faculty support, universal design for learning, and equity at the forefront of their approach, OER Co-Liaisons Emilie Koenig and Elizabeth Encarnacion share how they built coalitions across campus to support a 5-year plan to establish ZTC degrees.
Friday, November 18, 10:30 am 鈥 11:30 am
- The Role of Open Educational Resources (OER) and Open Pedagogy in Equitable Assessment
- In this webinar, three college faculty will describe their journey toward more equitable grading practices by implementing principles of ungrading and standards/skill-based grading while using OER. The aim is not to present a one-size-fits-all approach. Rather, each instructor will outline what they discovered was the best application for their own unique course structures while also establishing the necessity of using OER and exploring open pedagogy.
OERI Discipline Lead Events 鈥 November 2022
The are hosting several conversations and webinars during the fall term. These events are intended for discipline faculty and those who have an interest in the discipline as supporters or advocates. A 鈥渃onversation鈥 is an informal discussion of a specific topic and will not be archived. Webinars will be recorded and archived. The ASCCC OERI will provide automated captioning for all webinars. If you would like to request live human closed-captioning for any of our offerings, please contact us by e-mail at least 10 business days in advance.
Thursday, November 3, 12:00 pm 鈥 1:00 pm
Meet the Administration of Justice Open Educational Resources (OER) Authors
- Please join us to hear directly from some of our very own California community college faculty colleagues who have created OER. Our authors will share some of their works (OER textbooks, Canvas courses, etc.), how they broke into the OER creation world, and tips/trick for you to use as well.
Friday, November 4, 9:00 am 鈥 10:00 am
Biotechnology Open Educational Resources (OER) "All I need is you ..."
- Join us to discuss the status of Biotechnology OER and determine what is needed for the future. All ideas and comments are welcome.
Friday, November 4, 11:30 am 鈥 12:30 pm
What's new in Spanish Open Educational Resources (OER)
- Come and learn about what is new in Spanish OER. During our time together, we will also investigate homework system ideas in LibreStudio (H5P) and ADAPT. Questions and comments are welcomed and encouraged.
Friday, November 4, 12:30 pm 鈥 1:30 pm
OER for Literature and Creative Writing Show and Tell
- Heather Ringo, author of Writing and Critical Thinking through Literature, and Sybil Priebe, author of Write or Left: An OER Textbook for Creative Writing Classes, will share the approaches they've taken in shaping and teaching from their texts. Anna Mills will give an overview of other literature and creative writing OER, and participants will be invited to share favorites and suggest improvements and additions.
Friday, November 4, 1:30 pm 鈥 2:30 pm
Discipline Conversation: Hospitality Management Open Educational Resources (OER) Materials
- Join us for a discussion of available OER for hospitality management, how well the OER cover C-ID topics, and how existing gaps may be filled by additional resources. We will also explore what OER are needed for other Hospitality Management TMC/C-ID courses. Come ready to share your ideas and thoughts.
Wednesday, November 9, 1:00 pm 鈥 2:00 pm
Smarthistory's Reframing Art History Open Educational Resources (OER)
- Dr. Lauren Kilroy-Ewbank, Dean of Content and Strategy for , will discuss the new Reframing Art History project, for which she serves as general editor, and will give a behind-the-scenes look at new developments currently underway with this innovative "textbook" project.
Wednesday, November 9, 2:00 pm 鈥 3:00 pm
What's new in Early Childhood Education (ECE) Open Educational Resources (OER)
- This webinar will provide an overview of the what's new this year in ECE OER including a deeper dive into brand new Infant and Toddler Development and Care comprehensive resource. Join us to investigate the new and exciting possibilities for ECE OER.
Thursday, November 17, 10:00 am 鈥 11:00 am
Advanced Training in MyOpenMath
- While MyOpenMath (MOM) has many course-specific resources to choose from, faculty often want to customize these resources for their own department's needs. In this webinar, we will explore how to author MOM questions, modify existing questions, and investigate the many available settings for assignments. We will also look at questions involving graphs and equations, as well as reflect on how to provide personalized feedback to students鈥 answers.
Thursday, November 17, 2:00 pm 鈥 3:00 pm
Discipline Conversation: Lessons from the Chemistry OERI Faculty Survey
- In the past few years, the availability and quality of open educational resources in chemistry has changed dramatically. In this conversation, the results of a survey of college faculty in California regarding current adoptions and remaining barriers to OER adoption in chemistry courses will be shared. Participants will generate and consider ideas for creating more opportunities to improve student engagement and outcomes through OER.
Friday, November 18, 9:00 am 鈥 10:00 am
Open Educational Resources (OER) and Sociology - What Do We Want to See?
- As sociology faculty, what OER are you using, what OER would you like to see, and
what is needed to entice more sociology faculty to adopt OER? What can the OERI do
for you? Please join this wide-ranging conversation about all things sociology and
OER. Please come with questions, concerns, suggestions, or simply curiosity.
Friday, November 18, 11:30 am 鈥 12:30 pm
Geography Open Educational Resources (OER) Review and Needs Assessment
- Join us to discuss the status of Geography OER, identify existing gaps, and determine what is needed for the future. All ideas and comments are welcome.
Monday, November 21, 3:00 pm 鈥 4:00 pm
Free Resources That Aren't Textbooks: Classic Works and Other Tools for Teaching Philosophy
- In this conversation, we will share and discuss what non-textbook materials, such as classic works that are in the public domain, free videos, and logic tools, are available to supplement the adoption and use of OER textbooks in philosophy. Please come with questions, concerns, and suggestions.