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    Open Educational Resources for Faculty


    This guide is a pathway to help faculty find and use quality educational resources for their courses and links to many curated OER resources.

    What are Open Educational Resources? 

    Open Educational Resources (OER) are teaching and learning materials that you may freely use and reuse at no cost, and without needing to ask permission. Unlike copyrighted resources, OERs have been authored or created by an individual or organization that chooses to retain few, if any, ownership rights. -OER Commons 

    Why Use OERs?

    • Lower the cost of higher education and save students money.
    • Provide equitable access to instructional materials.
    • Find innovative ideas, activities, and resources posted by instructors globally.
    • Find textbooks that are peer-reviewed and frequently updated.

    How Can the Library Help?


    Here are some highlighted courses and their corresponding open textbooks from The University of Wisconsin Milwaukee (UWM) that closely match courses at GC. This comparison has been carefully evaluated by GC librarians. If you have any questions or are interested in integrating Open Educational Resources (OER) into your courses, please reach out to the Director of Library and Learning Resources

    Featured UWM Courses Using Open Textbooks and GC Course Comparisons

    GC Course Description: PSYC 2301 General Psychology | Credits: 3 | Prerequisites: TSI Satisfied in literacy |

    A survey of the major topics in psychology topics, theories, and approaches to the scientific study of behavior and mental processes.

    UMW Course Description: PSYC 101 Introduction to Psychology | Credits: 3 | Prerequisites: None |

    The scientific study of behavior.

    This course has used an open textbook for 14 semesters. 

    Psychology Openstax Book Cover

    • Open Textbook used: OpenStax Psychology
    • 6,139 students
    • Replaced $170 textbook
    • Total student savings of $1,043,630

     

    GC Course Description: SPCH 1315 Public Speaking | Credits: 3 | Prerequisites: TSI Satisfied in literacy | Application of communication theory and practice to the public speaking context, with emphasis on audience analysis, speaker delivery, ethics of communication, cultural diversity, and speech organizational techniques to develop students’ speaking abilities, as well as the ability to effectively evaluate oral presentations

    UWM Course Description: COMMUN 103-Public Speaking | Credits: 3 | Prerequisites: None | 

    Principles of public address in informative, persuasive, and special occasion situations with emphasis on the theory, composition, and presentation of speeches.

    This course has used an open textbook for 7 semesters in some sections. 

    'Stand up, Speak Out'  book cover

    • Stand up, Speak Out  is a remix of an already existing open textbook, written and edited by UWM communication faculty
    • 1,950, students
    • Replaced $66 textbook
    • Total student savings of $109,780

     

    GC Course Description: EDUC 1300 Learning Framework | Credit: 3 | Prerequisites: None | 

    A study of research and theory in the psychology of learning, cognition, and motivation, factors that impact learning, and application of learning strategies. Theoretical models of strategic learning, cognition, and motivation serve as the conceptual basis for the introduction of college-level academic strategies.

    Students use assessment instruments (e.g., learning inventories) to help them identify their strengths and weaknesses as strategic learners. Students are ultimately expected to integrate and apply the learning skills discussed across their academic programs and become effective and efficient learners.

    Students developing these skills should be able to continually draw from the theoretical models they have learned. (Cross-listed as PSYC 1300)

    UWM Course Description: Education Psychology | Pathways to Success at UWM | Credits: 3 Hours | Prerequisites: None |  Provides students with knowledge of and connection to campus resources, helping with study skills and time management to be successful at UWM.| May not be retaken for credit. 

    This course has used an open textbook for 2 semesters. 

    • Open Textbook used: College Success
    • 427 students
    • Replaced $124 textbook
    • Total student savings of $52,948

    GC Course Description: HIST 1301 United States History I | Credits: 3 | Prerequisites: TSI Satisfied in literacy |

    A survey of the social, political, economic, cultural, and intellectual history of the United States from the pre-Columbian era to the Civil War/Reconstruction period. United States History I includes the study of pre-Columbian, colonial, revolutionary, early national, slavery and sectionalism, and the Civil War/Reconstruction eras. Themes that may be addressed in United States History I include: American settlement and diversity, American culture, religion, civil and human rights, technological change, economic change, immigration and migration, and the creation of the federal government.

    UWM Course Description: American History: 1607 to 1877 (History 151) | Credits: 3 | Prerequisites: None | 

    Survey of American social, political, and economic development to 1877.

    This course has used an open textbook for 1 semester

    U.S History Openstax book cover

    • Open Textbook: U.S. History 
    • 21 students
    • Replaced $100 textbook
    • Total Savings of $2,100

    Open Textbook and Open Educational Resource Adoption Project

    The University of Wisconsin Milwaukee Libraries and Center for Excellence in Teaching and Learning (CETL) leads an Open Textbook/Open Educational Resource Adoption Project that impacts 12,056 students and has saved students $1,666,173!-University of Milwaukee Center for Excellence in Teaching and Learning