Teaching and Publishing with OER

Teaching and Publishing with OER was a presentation that was part of Building Bridges: Tools for Open Educational Resources (OER) Advocacy and Collaboration at TCUS Libraries , an online workshop held April 13th, 2021 1:00 P.M. - 4:00 P.M. Eastern Time

Results from a Psychology OER pilot program: faculty and student perceptions, cost savings, and academic outcomes

This case study describes the library’s experience of collaborating with an undergraduate Psychology Department at Touro College to integrate open textbooks into their program. We discuss the pedagogical changes as well as explore the impact of Open Educational Resources (OER) on students’ savings, their academic outcomes and perceptions of OER. Furthermore, we highlight the successes and shortcomings in having the library as a central OER partner. To measure the results, we surveyed students and conducted a faculty survey and a focus group, in addition to analyzing the students’ final grades. This pilot program delivered strong results. The students’ perception was very positive, and faculty’s opinions on the textbooks used were mixed. Some professors felt that the textbook lacked important content, but because of its openness, they added their own content to the book. Students enrolled in OER courses performed better than those enrolled in the same courses using a commercial textbook

Research Development Webinar Series: A Collaboration Amongst Touro College and University System Libraries

This collaboration amongst Touro College and University System (TCUS) libraries began as an initiative of the College Research Council to increase TCUS\u27s research footprint. Specifically, faculty and students needed to develop greater research knowledge and skills. The Library Advisory Committee, one of four subcommittees of the Research Council, recognized the wealth of research taught across the system by individual libraries, and saw this as an opportunity for collaboration

A review of electrical and thermal conductivities of epoxy resin systems reinforced with carbon nanotubes and graphene-based nanoparticles

Epoxy (EP) resins exhibit desirable mechanical and thermal properties, low shrinkage during cuing, and high chemical resistance. Therefore, they are useful for various applications, such as coatings, adhesives, paints, etc. On the other hand, carbon nanotubes (CNT), graphene (Gr), and their derivatives have become reinforcements of choice for EP-based nanocomposites because of their extraordinary mechanical, thermal, and electrical properties. Herein, we provide an overview of the last decade's advances in research on improving the thermal and electrical conductivities of EP resin systems modified with CNT, Gr, their derivatives, and hybrids. We further report on the surface modification of these reinforcements as a means to improve the nanofiller dispersion in the EP resins, thereby enhancing the thermal and electrical conductivities of the resulting nanocomposites

Providing a Powerful Choice: Lessons from a Young OER Initiative

In this talk, the librarians will describe their role in promoting Open Educational Resources (OER), while tapping into the partnership created with the deans, department chairs, faculty members, and one of the provosts of the college. OER ensures equal access to otherwise cost-prohibitive textbooks, but concerns about quality and lack of knowledge about the real costs of commercial textbooks and their effect on students can suppress adoption of OER. To address these concerns, we surveyed the college\u27s faculty members. The faculty survey helped us to assess (i) the decision process behind the selection of educational resources and how satisfied they are with their options; (ii) the proportion of students who purchase required textbooks, as reported by the faculty, and textbook prices; and (iii) potential barriers to adoption of OER. While this first step allowed us to assess OER awareness, we focused our efforts on reaching out to senior administration and faculty in order to promote OER. This particular institution is composed of multiple campuses in multiple states and countries. The results we discuss are the introductory efforts of one campus\u27 initiative in the U.S. From these initial advocacy stages, we will highlight the benefits of having the library as a central partner for OER dissemination, as well as the importance of collaboration across the institution