OER Academy Reflection: My goals and plans for OER effort in my field.
by June Levitt 2 years, 5 months agoFirst, thank you for OERTX and OER Academy's excellent program for the state-wide OER effort. It is encouraging to learn the guidance and support available in the state of Texas.
Many of my students are working to support their living and academic effort. I have observed my students fighting against financial obstacles to continue their higher education studies. I teach future Speech-Language Pathologists (SLPs) in undergraduate upperclassman and graduate school subjects. Textbooks are expensive. Reducing the costs of study materials would help rising SLSs progress toward their certification without interruptions due to financial setbacks.
I developed my first OER textbook with my collaborators in 2020, shortly after the COVID-19 Pandemic began. Since then, I have developed two more OER textbooks. My goal is to transition all my five science courses to OER to make education accessible for all. Specifically, I plan on developing two more OER textbooks and continue refining the OER textbooks I have published.
The current OER effort is generally on the core curriculum subjects. Beyond the core curriculum phase, it is vital to provide paths to complete college and graduate courses. My effort is one of these steps to support future SLPs with OER materials. If and when any grant programs become available toward non-core curriculum OER effort, I am eager to apply. I can work on the OER textbook within the work unit hours with such grant programs instead of using my weekend and "after 5" hours.