Creating an OER Awareness Campaign that Works

Rapid increases in the price of textbooks and other learning materials over the past several years have contributed to the rise in costs of attendance at colleges and universities (The real cost of textbooks, n.d.). Exploration of affordable learning materials is increasingly of interest to students and parents, is actively encouraged by legislators, higher education coordinating entities, and influential foundations, and is being pursued by a growing faculty community of practice. When the work is done, how is it shared with the institution at large to truly create momentum and effect change? This workshop will identify key components of an effective Open Education Resources (OER) Awareness Campaign that benefits students and their parents, faculty, staff, and administration. 

While the presenters will share their own experiences creating an institution-wide awareness campaign, the workshop will be devoted to interactivity, including small group discussion, surfacing concerns and challenges, and exploring solutions together. A review of the literature will also be provided where appropriate to broaden perspectives and understanding of the state of the field.

Our plan for participant engagement includes helping participants work through each component of an effective awareness campaign by considering where their institution is now, identifying critical stakeholders, setting short- and long-term goals, and developing an action plan for achieving their goals. At the end of the workshop, participants will have an actionable plan that could be presented to key stakeholders to launch an OER Awareness Campaign that will work. Questions will be encouraged throughout.

Participants will be guided through the process of creating a campus OER Awareness Campaign. Presenters will serve as the facilitators for the planning process, and they will share model program components as they guide participants through the activities.

1. Planning
2. Topic: Assembling a committee
   1. Participant Outcome: Committee sketch identifying key stakeholders and institutional representatives through stakeholder mapping exercise
3. Topic: Strategies for scanning departments and colleges for on-going affordable learning materials activities, including surveying students and faculty about learning materials and their costs
   1. Participant Outcome: SWOT Analysis, with potential questions for a faculty and student survey
4. Development
   1. Topic: Exploring best practices for adoption of an affordable learning materials initiative (e.g., faculty awareness campaign)
   2. Topic: Strategies for engaging faculty and students
      1. Participant Outcome: Communication plan through analysis of audience influence and interest
      2. Participant Outcome: Action plan with short- and long-term goals
5. Implementation
   1. Topic: Leveraging existing interdisciplinary and interdepartmental resources—as discussed in the Planning phase—to create supporting programs and initiatives.
      1. Participant Outcome: Project proposal for an initiative that brings together converging priorities
6. Sustainability
   1. Topic: Determining metrics to measure success and identify gaps
      1. Participant Outcome: A set of metrics, potential data sources, and challenges in accessing the data
      2. Participant Outcome: A sketch for a public dashboard
7. Close
   1. Participant final thoughts and a pledge to next steps at their institution