Incorporate------Innovate-------Create
WVU Libraries and Teaching and Learning Commons Open Educational Resources
Grant
West Virginia University Libraries (WVUL) and the Teaching and Learning Commons (TLC) are partnering to support the use and development of Open Educational Resources (OER) through a grants program for instructors. The grants goal is to encourage development of alternatives to high cost textbooks, lower the cost of college for students, and support faculty who wish to implement new pedagogical models for classroom instruction, and grant applications which highlight Appalachia-related content or focus are highly encouraged.
The 2023/2024 grant period will open in late spring.
Grant Categories
Grants are given in one of three categories – Incorporate, Innovate, and Create.
Incorporate
Proposals in this category will replace an existing commercial textbook with a no/low or low-cost alternative such that total textbook costs for the course are less than $50.00. Priority will be given to proposals that utilize existing openly licensed materials which impact the largest amount of students. Examples: Use an Open Textbook Network mathematics textbook in Math 121 or an Open SUNY composition textbook in English 609. Range $300.00 - $500.00.
Innovate
Proposals in this category will replace a commercial textbook with an open textbook and use freely licensed materials to bridge the gap in available resources through remix of new and/or existing openly licensed content. Example: Compile an introductory textbook for genetics by incorporating revised openly available works with chapters from an OER Commons textbook and create ancillary materials and homework, or compile an anthology of public domain poetry from Project Gutenberg to replace an edited volume and create your own annotations and assignments." Range $1500.00 - $2500.00.
Create
Proposals in this category will create a new OER where there is currently no sufficient OER available to meet your learning objectives. Examples: Author a new openly licensed textbook or collaborate with students on the creation of a new textbook. Range $2500.00 - $3500.00.
Proposal Evaluation
- Completed submissions will be evaluated by members of the WVU Libraries OER Committee. Awardees will be selected based on the narrative responses to the proposal questions and in accordance with this review rubric.
- Impact of project measured by overall potential saving to WVU students
- Quality and strength of the application and requirements
- Sustainability of the resource beyond initial use
- Innovative teaching/learning activities
Timeline
- Grant Proposal Deadline: April 25, 2022
- Application/Proposal Review: May 2022
- Notification of Winners: TLC "Celebrate" May 11, 2022
- Grantee Course Development and consultations with WVU Library subject liaisons and WVU Teaching and Learning Common Instructional Designers: May 2022 – through August 2022
- Courses Taught: Fall Semester 2022 or Spring Semester 2023
- Course Review/Report: January 15, 2023 or May 15, 2023
Participation Requirements
- Sign/agree to a grant award letter and contract.
- Attend a post award half-day workshop to learn about ways to locate OERs, discuss open licensing and copyright, and answer questions about technological and research support.
- Write a final grant report that includes a narrative summarizing the accomplishments and challenges of your experience using the materials as well as the impact on your teaching and student performance.
- Participate in assessment of the grant program.
- Survey students at the end of the semester in which you utilize the new course materials to assess their experience.
- Deposit any openly licensed materials created, including syllabus, into an appropriate open repository (e.g. the Research Repository @ WVU, Open Textbook Library, OER Commons, etc.).
- License developed materials with an appropriate Creative Commons license of the grantee’s choice.
- Participate in the WVUL/TLC OER Grant Poster Presentation during TLC “Celebrate” May 2023 and deposit posters in the Research Repository @ WVU.
- Participate in assessment of the grant program.
Available Support Resources
- Consultation with a TLC Instructional Designer to discuss options to utilize OER materials in alignment with course objects.
- Consultation with a liaison librarians to assist in finding content, analyzing rights, and more.