Why Jackson chooses open: equity, customizability, and impact
The interview series “Why We Choose Open: OER Stories” invites VCU community members to share why they use, adapt or create Open Educational Resources (OER) and what impact that work has on their students, teaching experiences, and/or career.
Faculty: Dr. Holly Jackson, School of Business
Resource: Foundations of Business, 2nd Ed, an OER textbook for BUSN201, Foundations of Business at VCU. Funded by a 2022 Affordable Course Content Award
Estimated annual student savings: 42,000
Average number of VCU students impacted annually: Generally we have around 200-300 students enrolled each semester, and this course is held both in the spring and the fall. Enrollment does fluctuate, but I think a safe bet would be 500+ students a year.
Briefly describe your project. Business Foundations was created for use in Virginia Commonwealth University’s BUSN 201, Foundations of Business. In this course, students study basic foundational concepts of business environments, as well as business functions and practices. The content of this text, and the course, strives to also build awareness of corporate social responsibility and ethical business behavior. The practical application of the concepts gained in this course, and through this text, also assists students in gaining an integrated awareness of business, while practicing analytical skills needed for their advanced business courses and careers.
What motivated you to make the switch to open and affordable course content? Honestly the person in the position before me started on the project, so I picked it up when I came into the role. It was an easy decision to make because an Open Educational Resource (OER) textbook can increase equity in access for the course(s) it supports.
How have you been impacted by your use of OER? I have appreciated the opportunity to create something that could be used by students even after they take the course. I also appreciate that finances do not play into the decision to have the textbook available to them during the semester. In another course that I teach, I work with students every semester that try to avoid buying the text, or fall behind in the course because they are not prepared to purchase the text right away. I don’t want that to be a decision that the students make, as it can impact how much they take away from the course.
What functionality has OER brought to your resource or course that was missing prior to the switch? When you have a textbook that is for-purchase, you can’t make adjustments to the text to align with what you are teaching, school initiatives, etc. In the case of the OER text however, I have updated the text each year to align with course changes, school-wide initiatives (e.g. concepts that align with Institute of Transformational Leadership), and efforts to create an inclusive atmosphere (e.g. updates to ensure more inclusive language/images/structure). This has made it a great tool for students that not only compliments their learning to the highest degree, but it allows them to understand how the concepts relate to what they are currently living and seeing within our VCU community.
Do you have any guidance for other faculty considering the switch to open and affordable course content? Don’t be overwhelmed by the idea! There are resources to support the project throughout, and Abbey is an amazing support as you work to figure things out – before, during and after the text is released. It becomes a working document that compliments and aligns with what you feel is important for students to learn, and it allows every single student to come into the course with the same resources available to them. In this way, it can alleviate stress for you and them. And while you will not receive royalties for the end result, there are funds out there to help support you as you develop the work. Sometimes our greatest legacy will not be measured by how much money we made, but the impact that we have made on those that we have helped to grow.
Learn more about OER in the VCU Community
Open Educational Resources (OER) are teaching and learning materials that are free to access online and shared with open licenses that allow for unrestricted use, retention, sharing and editing by faculty and students. OER can be any type of teaching or learning materials, including textbooks, images, videos, slide decks, assessments, syllabi, and whole courses.
VCU Libraries’ Open and Affordable Course Content Initiative provides education on textbook affordability and direct support for the adoption, customization and creation of open educational resources, including managing the Affordable Course Content Awards. To learn more or explore the possibility of using or creating OER, visit the initiative’s website or contact Open Educational Resources Librarian Abbey Childs at [email protected].