In this Panel Discussion: Taking the form of the student’s point of view, the future of education will heavily rely on OER. So, how can we increase the adoption and use of OER within our educational institutions? The answer may lie within the students who attend these institutions. With this being said, how can we garner student support and build self-advocacy for OER with these learners? The answer seems so simple; no student wants and some simply cannot afford to pay the high costs of textbooks. Yet, affordability is only one thing to build support structures on, another would be to have students self-advocating for it siting quality, accuracy, currency and relativity. Student awareness and self-advocacy will be the main focus of the panel. The panel will be facilitated by an Instructional Designer and include the Student Body President, Vice President, and the current/previous Secretary of Academic Affairs from Boise State University. The audience will be able to engage with not only an expert on the topic of OER, but also student leaders who are advocating for use of OER and looking to share an exchange of ideas to boost OER adoption no matter campus size, location, or even instruction focus. The panel will discuss how OER can be more accurate, up-to-date, and relative -- allowing the students to be engaged in a more precise exchange of information within a given course. They will also highlight how adding OER awareness to the class registration process is expected to increase the number of courses offering OER versus traditional course materials.
Outcomes: -Attendees will be able to compare what is happening at their institution with that of Boise State and its Associated Students Body Government with regards to OER. -Attendees will see how student awareness of OER at Boise state is being be built and see the plans for maintaining awareness year to year. -Attendees will be able to address specific challenges around OER through the perspective of student. -Attendees will learn what ASBSU is currently doing and planning to do with regard to further OER at Boise State University. -Attendees will gain a greater understanding of the student leaders role in moving OER forward, working with faculty and administration.
