In Spring 2021, our group applied to the Institute on Open Educational Resources, hosted by the American Association of Colleges and Universities (AAC&U). We were accepted!
In July 2021, we attended the two-day Institute’s Kick-Off, where had the chance to learn about what other institutions and faculty are doing regarding OER. We also received advice from university leaders about how to evoke change on our campus. We left the kick-off with the draft of an action plan.
Since that time, we have been exploring how best to grow the OER movement on Wesleyan’s campus. Part of what we have realized through our discussions and research is that we need to have a better understanding of what our students currently do. When do they buy books and other course materials and when do they avoid doing so? Why? What other supplementary resources do they seek out, often without the explicit recommendation of their professors?
