SPARC Projects

Connect OER

Open Education

The University of Tennessee - Knoxville

Knoxville, TN, United States
Official Website • @UTKnoxville

Type: Public 4-Year, Research University
Annual Enrollment: 30,386

  SPARC Member  

OER Webpage
OER LibGuide

Overview

Faculty at the University of Tennessee (UT) have created and adopted OER for many years; however, data on adoptions and creations were not gathered in one place until joining the Open Textbook Network in 2016. The University Libraries worked with the Student Government Association (SGA) to raise awareness and promote adoption beginning in 2015.

Since that time, the Libraries have worked with many campus stakeholders and organized several ongoing efforts to bring attention to OER and increase OER adoptions, especially open textbook adoptions. Partners have included students, university administration, faculty, the teaching and learning center, and the VolShop, a UT-owned and operated bookstore.

Successes include the establishment of the annual SGA Open Education Awards, an awareness campaign/$1 Million Challenge for open textbook adoptions from the Office of the Provost and SGA (2017-18), and the formation of the Open Textbook Working Group, with members including librarians, instructional designers, and lecturers. The University Libraries and Office of Information Technology has also offered grants to allow faculty to create open educational resources.

Campus Details

Campus Entities Most Active in Efforts Advancing OER:

Library Departments Active in Efforts Advancing OER:

Academic Subjects With Greatest OER Traction:

Mechanisms to Support OER Included in the Following:


OER Programs

Open Textbook Working Group

The University Libraries coordinates the Open Textbook Working Group. The working group includes librarians (one of whom liaises with the Dean of Libraries' Student Advisory Committee), instructional designers from the Office of Information Technology, lecturers, the Director of Online Learning in the office of Teaching and Learning Innovation, a coordinator in the office of the Dean of Students. The group helps support the Student Government Association's annual Open Education Awards, the Libraries' annual Open Education Trailblazer Award, and the campus OER mini-grant program.

Program Type:

Duration: 03/2017 - Present

Program Webpage: https://www.lib.utk.edu/scholar/open-educational-resources/

Scope: OER (open course content)

Primary OER Strategy: OER Awareness

Secondary OER Strategies: OER Adaptation, OER Adoption, OER Publication

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Source of Program Funding:

Incentives Offered by the Program:

UT Open Textbook/OER Grant Program

The Open Textbook/OER Grant Program is intended to help incentivize adoptions and adaptations of OERs and, in particular, free, openly-licensed textbooks to 1) save students money and 2) improve the teaching and learning experiences of both instructors and students.

Program Type:

Duration: 05/2018 - Present

Program Webpage: https://www.lib.utk.edu/scholar/ot-oer-grant-program/

Scope: OER (open course content)

Primary OER Strategy: OER Adoption

Secondary OER Strategies: OER Adaptation, OER Awareness, OER Pedagogy, OER Publication

Unit Housing the Program:

Program Partners:

Source of Program Funding:

Total Program Funding to Date: $ 10,000

Total Student Savings to Date: $ 22,800

Incentives Offered by the Program:

Conditions: Recipients are encouraged to openly license and freely share resources created or adapted

Total amount of incentive grants awarded to date: $ 10,000

Total number of incentive grants awarded to date: 7

Typical amount of each grant: $ 1,400

OER Tracking Project

The Libraries ask and/or encourage faculty to self-report OER adoptions, adaptations, and creations. Various annual campaigns attempt to increase the number of faculty reporting their data.

Duration: 04/2016 - Present

Program Webpage: https://libguides.utk.edu/openedleaders

Scope: OER (open course content)

Primary OER Strategy: OER Awareness

Secondary OER Strategies: OER Adaptation, OER Adoption, OER Pedagogy

Unit Housing the Program:

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Links:
Other Resource

Student Government Association Open Education Awards

The Student Government Association (SGA) at the University of Tennessee has partnered with the University Libraries to establish an annual award for instructors OER Logo who create, adapt or use Open Educational Resources (OERs) in their classrooms.

These awards (up to three per academic year) recognize faculty and lecturers whose exemplary use of quality OERs promote and contribute to a culture of openness and knowledge sharing. In doing so, instructors increase student access to course materials, lessen the financial burden on students and their families, and mitigate the overall cost of receiving an education.

Duration: 12/2017 - Present

Program Webpage: https://www.lib.utk.edu/scholar/services/scholarlycomm/sga-open-educator-award/

Scope: OER (open course content)

Primary OER Strategy: OER Awareness

Secondary OER Strategies: OER Adaptation, OER Adoption, OER Pedagogy

Unit Housing the Program:

Program Partners:

Source of Program Funding:

Total Program Funding to Date: $ 2,250

Incentives Offered by the Program:


Point of Contact

Rachel Caldwell
Scholarly Communication Librarian
@TheLibIsOpen