A Study of STEM Usage and Perceptions of OER at a Large Research University
OER must be taken into consideration . If the material is not easily accessible , then the user will be reluctant to use the material . Assessment of OER and usage statistics may also prove challenging . Libraries must develop a consistent policy statement on how OERs are marketed and supported at their institution and within the library . They must seek out the partner with departments or faculty who are currently using OERs or support their use assess performance / usage measures through case studies .
Implications and Strategies
Libraries should support the higher education initiative to reduce the price of textbooks and research materials . To accomplish this , libraries should make OER available for courses and research , where applicable , and promote the use of OER as supplemental resources for curriculum support . Libraries should strive to list OER , in any format , in the library catalog or collections that can be easily searched . When libraries support the OER initiative , there may be a benefit to collaborate more closely with faculty to discover the value of OERs in higher learning . In one case , we worked with a professor who wanted to include only open textbooks and reading material for her new course .
Here are a few considerations :
• Does the campus community ( librarians , students , faculty , and researchers ) know about OER ? If not , develop a marketing and branding campaign .
• Do faculty and students know how to access OER through your library catalog ? How are these materials cataloged ? Are they easily accessible and easily searchable ?
• What are the institutional goals ( current or in the process of ) to promote awareness of OER ? Does the library include OER in their collection management , technical services , or public services goals and objectives ? Are these goals / objectives supportive of the institutional goals ? How can the library play a role in curriculum and research support at the institutional level ?
• If librarians are involved in OA / OER collections , which collection areas are of the most significant interest ? How can collection policies be developed based on a just-intime approach ?
Conclusion
This survey attempted to better understand how the UF STEM faculty and graduate students / postdocs perceive their knowledge and use of OER in the classroom and research activities . Based on the results , the respondents recognized the importance of OER . They used these materials in research / scholarly activities and instruction , but not as a primary or only source of knowledge . There is still a big part of the faculty and student community unaware of OER content and access . The majority of respondents do not know that the libraries offer OER collec-
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