Mary O’Neill - Education

1) What drove you to make the decision to switch to OERs?

The decision to switch from a purchased textbook to an OER was a "no brainer" for me when planning my course 'OLTD 501-Foundations of Online Learning.’ Dr. Tony Bates’ seminal textbook Teaching in a Digital Age, now in its Second Edition, is the seminal introductory text for online learning. Dr. Bates’ is part of BC’s innovative Open Textbook Project and I am honoured to present his research to my first year graduate students- most of which are practicing teachers themselves. Teaching in a Digital Age: Guidelines for Teaching and Learning [Second Edition] is available as an online open textbook, which you can read online, download to your tablet or computer, or print, either in sections or as a whole— all free of charge.

2) What was the biggest hurdle you overcame?

There truly were no hurdles to implementation. I just share the link with my students via my syllabus and have them choose the download format of choice. I know it brings smiles to faces when our textbook costs are listed as $0! And learners can be assured they are accessing the most current and up-to-date research and content available.

3) Where did you find the most support?

The good folks at BC Campus are provincial champions of the whole OER movement. They are respected advocates for the whole “Open” movement and their services assist all post-secondary instructors with easy implementation for OERs in what seems like an endless list of subject and context areas.

4) Do you have any further thoughts about OERs since making the switch?

Myself and our faculty have been integrating OERs within our OLTD programming for 10 years now. I honestly can’t imagine teaching without this amazing format for knowledge sharing and ease of access for all. I believe that OER’s exemplify “best practice” for all instructors but hold special import for those of us working via online delivery. The medium is indeed the message and Open Education is truly something worth supporting.