Session 3D | Supporting Inclusive Classrooms with an OER Instructor Learning Community

Abstract

In 2021, UT Austin’s OER Working Group received a microgrant from the campus Center for Teaching & Learning to develop and facilitate an instructor learning community (ILC). The ILC, titled “Fostering Inclusive Classrooms with Open, Free & Affordable Course Materials,” positioned OER as tools for fostering equity and inclusion in the classroom. Instructors who participated in the six-week ILC learned about finding and evaluating OER and other no-cost materials, open licensing and copyright basics, best practices for creating accessible and culturally responsive materials, and more. Participants also completed assignments that included sharing OER they created and a course map to organize OER they found to replace or supplement commercial course materials. In this session, attendees will learn from the three librarians who developed the ILC about the process of designing the curriculum, the organization and facilitation of the community, the recruitment and selection process of participants, and what they learned through the experience. They will also share resources they developed and adapted, including presentations, homework assignments, and more in a Canvas Commons course.