Open Educational Resources (OER) are defined in the Texas Education Code, Section 51.451 as “teaching, learning, or research resources that are in the public domain or that have been released under an intellectual property license that permits their free use, adaptation, and redistribution by any person. The term may include full course curricula, course materials, modules, textbooks, media, assessments, software, and any other tools, materials, or techniques, whether digital or otherwise, used to support access to knowledge.”
DigiTex facilitates the creation, adoption, and use of Open Educational Resources across Texas through such services as research, professional development and training, and events. OER has the capacity to contribute to cost savings for students and support learning outcomes, while also helping Texas to meet the goals outlined in its higher education plan, 60x30TX.
PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT & TRAINING
Texas Learn OER
We are pleased to announce the launch of Texas Learn OER, a set of openly licensed modules for faculty, staff, and administrators. We contracted with Carrie Gits, Head Librarian and Library Services OER Team Leader at Austin Community College, to adapt for a wider audience modules she created for ACC as a part of her capstone project for the 2018-19 SPARC Open Education Leadership Program. Texas Learn OER includes information on understanding OER; open licensing, including Creative Commons; finding and evaluating OER; accessibility; adapting, creating, and sharing OER; and OER policy and practice in Texas.
Webinars
DigiTex offers webinars and other professional development opportunities to support faculty, staff, and administrators working in OER policy and practice. Our current series is entitled Hot Topics in Texas Digital Higher Education.
Our first webinar in the series, “OER Course Marking in Texas,” was held on March 4, 2020, 3:00 PM CST. Click here to view the recording.
Another webinar, “Open Texas: State Initiatives to Support OER in Higher Education,” was held on July 15, 2020, 2:00 PM CDT. A recording is available here.
EVENTS
Open Texas 2021
Following on the success of both the 2018 Statewide OER Summit and the 2019 Statewide Open Education Texas Convening, the Texas Digital Library, Digital Higher Education Consortium of Texas, and Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board are launching Open Texas to convene librarians, faculty, administrators, and other open education practitioners and advocates in Texas.
- Held virtually March 11-12, 2021
- Hosted by the University of Houston-Downtown and Houston Community College
- Co-organized by the Digital Higher Education Consortium of Texas, Texas Digital Library, and Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board
Please contact open.ed.texas@gmail.
Registration opens soon!
RESEARCH
In spring 2019, DigiTex partnered with the Institute for the Study of Knowledge Management in Education and the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board to conduct a survey on OER programs, policies, and practices at two- and four-year public and private, non-profit institutions in Texas. Responses from 100 institutions painted a picture of a growing commitment to OER. They also revealed insights into specific priorities, practices, and perceptions surrounding OER across the Texas higher education landscape. A copy of the final survey report can be downloaded here. DigiTex plans to use these data as a baseline for future, bi-annual statewide OER surveys.
RESOURCES
Although not an exhaustive list, the following organizations, repositories, and initiatives provide further information about OER creation, adoption, and use, as well as open licensing.
Community College Consortium for Open Educational Resources
Creative Commons
MERLOT
OER Commons
OER Knowledge Cloud
Open Education Global
Open Textbook Library
OpenStax
Skills Commons
STARLINK
Texas-Specific OER Information & Repository