Session 1L | Too Legit to Quit: Five Recommendations for Creating Sustainable Institutional-level OER Programs

Abstract

Despite the growth of OER development funding and programs, institution-level OER development has been underrepresented in the existing literature on OER sustainability, particularly on faculty OER developers who engage in this work. In this session, I will present key findings from a recent study that explored institutional and intrinsic factors that contribute to faculty members’ decision to engage in OER production. Findings from this research align with existing literature on main benefits, incentives, and challenges tied to OER development. However, this study also established a more nuanced understanding of how institutional context (through the lens of legitimacy) and personal motivators impact a faculty member’s decision to develop OER. Based on these findings, I will share five recommendations to promote sustainable institution-level OER development. Participants will be provided with resources for strategic planning to better communicate the benefits of OER, to better address perceptions and challenges of OER development, and to clarify how OER development fits within established institutional processes and behaviors in order to create more sustainable programs.