Jenny Ceciliano Dissertation Defense
Stefanie Randol
In partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Education in Educational Leadership: Postsecondary Education, Jenny Ceciliano defends her Dissertation, Tuesday, June 4, 2024, 2:00-4:00pm.
The public may view a recording of the presentation following the defense here. Current PSU students, alumni, and faculty may request the Zoom location and password from sra...@pdx.edu.
Committee: Karen Haley (Chair), Micki Caskey, Linnea Spitzer, Kathrin Theumer
Title: Adopting OER Course Materials: Instructor Experiences
ABSTRACT
Traditional commercial textbooks used in postsecondary courses are often problematic due to their rigidity, tendency to mirror the dominant culture, and the substantial cost imposed upon students (Lambert & Funk, 2022; Junkala et al., 2022; Wu, 2022). Although replacing these texts with open educational resources (OER) can facilitate more equitable and inclusive pedagogical practices while removing a significant expense, there has been insufficient research surrounding instructors’ experience of transitioning from a commercial textbook to OER course materials (Bagar-Fraley, 2022; Werth & Williams, 2022). Through semi-structured interviews with nine postsecondary instructors who teach with OER course materials, this basic qualitative study explores the experience of that transition. The findings indicate that adopting OER is a challenging and complex endeavor, and that the advantages associated with OER extend far beyond the cost savings for students. Transitioning from commercial textbooks to OER can improve student retention and ensure more equitable access to course materials. Teaching with OER materials can facilitate instructors’ efforts to engage their students in transformative learning experiences through incorporating multiple perspectives, teaching more inclusively, and enhancing student engagement. Notably, when institutions support engagement in OER work, faculty outcomes can include improvement in job performance, job satisfaction, and retention. Thus, the results of this study have significant implications for faculty who are using or considering OER, as well as for institutional leaders and decision-makers who may shape support for OER initiatives.
To congratulate this doctoral candidate, you may contact her at: ceci...@pdx.edu
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