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Open Educational Resources (OER) @ Drake

This guide is an introduction to Open Educational Resources (OER): what they are, where to find them, and how to use them in courses. Please contact Teri Koch, teri.koch@drake.edu, 271-2941 with any questions or to learn more.

GEER Grant-1 Overview

Governor's Emergency Education Relief (GEER)

GEER grant-1 for the Iowa Private Academic Libraries (IPAL)

•$254,000 in funding
•Projects to be completed during fall 2021 and spring 2022
•Awarded grants to 62 faculty projects at 18 Iowa private colleges & universities. 
 Grants awarded to enhance teaching & learning by integrating OER into teaching.
•Award types include Adoption, Remixing, Support Materials, Course Redesign, and OER creation.
•Award amounts range from $500-$10,000
All projects must complete a “Project Report form” indicating how they achieved the objectives of their grant request in order to receive funding. 

Drake Faculty who Received GEER Grant-1 awards

Drake faculty received three GEER Grant-1 awards:
•Dan Connolly (CBPA). $925. Fall 2021. Adoption.
•Piloting OER in a Capstone Course Project (BUS195)
•Kelly Bruhn (SJMC). $2000. Fall 2021. Remixing.
•Strategic Planning for Communication Professionals Project (JMC149) Strategic Communication Planning
•Eric Manley (A&S). $5000. Spring 2022. Course Redesign.
•Redesigning “Introduction to Computer Science II” using Open Resources

GEER Grant 2021

Grant Information & Award Levels

Participating Institutions

Proposal Evaluation Rubric

 

In February 2021, the Iowa Department of Education Governor’s Emergency Education Relief (GEER) Fund awarded Cowles Library and other members of the Iowa Private Academic Libraries (IPAL) consortium with a $254,650 grant. These funds will support open education resource (OER) initiatives at private colleges and universities across the state of Iowa.

As a qualifying IPAL member, Drake University can apply for funds from this grant. The grant is structured to award various types of projects:

Award Type Award Range Requirements
Adoption    $500 - $1,000 Use an existing open textbook or library licensed material for a course with no editing and minimal course adaptation required.
Remixing    $750 - $2,000 Adapt, update, combine, or improve existing OER or library licensed material to replace a currently used textbook. 
Support Materials    $1,000 - $3,000 Develop test bank questions, teaching support materials, quizzes, interactive learning aids, or other support materials for existing OER or library licensed material.
Course Redesign Up to $5,000 Redesign a course around the use of OER or library licensed material.
OER Creation Up to $10,000 Create an original OER to be used in a course and shared under an open license.

Grant Deadlines

There will be 2 rounds of competitive grant awards:

Date Activity
April 2021 Issue call for proposals for Fall 2021 semester.
June 1, 2021 Submissions due for Fall 2021 proposals.
July 1, 2021 Announce funded projects for Fall 2021.
October 2021 Checks disbursed for Fall 2021 projects.
November 1, 2021 Submissions due for Spring 2022 proposals.
December 1, 2021 Announce funded projects for Spring 2022.
March 2022 Checks disbursed for Spring 2022 projects.

Why consider applying for an IPAL OER grant?

Grants Description

IPAL OER grants provide faculty with opportunities to enhance teaching and learning by integrating Open Educational Resources (OER) into their teaching. OER are defined as “teaching, learning, and research resources that are free of cost and access barriers, and which also carry legal permission for open use.” The open licenses under which these items are released allow users to create, reuse, and redistribute copies of the resources, which can include anything from textbooks to lab books, videos, and interactive course modules.

Why Should You Apply?

Have you noticed:

  • An increase in the price of your required course textbook?
  • Your current text doesn’t cover all content equally well?
  • Students have not purchased the required textbook for your course?
  • Students have dropped your course due to the cost of a textbook or access code?

If you answered yes to any of these questions, your students’ success and retention may be affected. Recent studies have shown that the cost of textbooks has become a significant barrier to student success. The goal of the IPAL OER grants program is to encourage instructor experimentation and innovation in finding new, better, and less costly ways to deliver learning materials to students by using Open Educational Resources. 

Who Is Eligible to Apply?

To be considered for this grant, proposals must meet the following criteria:

  • Proposals must be submitted by a Drake University employee with teaching responsibilities.
  • Proposals include the intent to use an Open Educational Resource in a credit-bearing course.
  • Projects must include a detailed and realistic plan for completion.

How Do I Apply?

There are two funding rounds; applications for the first round are due by June 1, 2021. Another round of funding will be available in the fall.

Please fill out the application no later than June 1, 2021. Applications submitted after the deadline will be held for consideration in the fall.

       June 1, 2021-->Submissions due for Fall 2021 semester.

       November 1, 2021-->Submissions due for Spring 2022 proposals.
 
 

What Are the Expectations of a Grant Recipient?

Projects must be completed and proposed resources must be used in a course within the 2021-22 academic year.

Additional Resources

Questions?

If you have any questions about this grant or the application process, you can direct your questions to Teri Koch, Collection Development Librarian at Cowles Library: teri.koch@drake.edu or Andrew Welch, Discovery & Technology Librarian at Cowles Library: andrew.welch@drake.edu

*This form was adapted from “OpenHawks” at the University of Iowa.