(Charleston, IL) – Eastern Illinois University has announced that its “OER@EIU” initiative has received grant funding from the Illinois State Library. This award will support the development and implementation of Open Educational Resources (OER) in 16 courses across the University. The grant helps replace traditional commercial textbooks and materials. The new resources not only provide an alternative to expensive course materials, but through OER, professors enhance teaching by customizing materials to fit the course objectives, contribute to academic innovation, promote global access to education, and support collaboration and continuous improvement through open sharing and feedback.
“We are thrilled to have received this grant, which will have a direct and positive impact on our students,” said Dr. Michael Gillespie, Director of EIU’s Faculty Development and Innovation Center (FDIC) and Professor of Sociology, who serves is a Co-Principal Investigator (Co-PI) for the grant. “By adopting Open Educational Resources, we can enhance innovation and accessibility in the classroom, connecting our learners with high-quality, openly available materials that can be tailored to the unique instructional needs of our faculty or their specific curriculum.”
The shift to OER is expected to benefit an average of 43.3 course sections per year, impacting 1,079 EIU students annually. The retail cost of the replaced commercial content would have been, on average, $102,994 per year. The OER materials will vary by course and come in the form of textbooks, podcasts, videos, recorded interviews, theatrical performances, and other media. Additional OER course content under this program will include lecture materials/slides, test banks, quizzes, assignments, learning activities, case studies, and facilitator’s handbook.
Aimee Janssen-Robinson, assistant professor in the Department of Public Health and Nutrition, emphasizes the significance of OER in education: “Public Health is a constantly changing and by using an OER textbook we can update it with more current data and information. OER can be updated and revised easily, allowing educators to keep course content current and relevant. This adaptability can inspire creative assignments and projects that engage students more effectively.”
Over the 2024-2025 academic year, participating faculty will develop and implement OER in their courses. These materials will be refined based on classroom experiences, instructional design consultations, and peer evaluations.
The OER@EIU initiative will provide comprehensive support to faculty throughout this process from EIU’s Booth Library and the FDIC. A faculty learning community will be established, and instructional design consultations, proofreading and editing support, and guidance on copyright and fair use will be available. Faculty will also receive stipends totaling $5,000 per course for their work in developing and sharing OER.
Once finalized, the OER will be openly shared online, contributing to the global collection of freely available educational resources. Per Brian W. Keith, Dean of Booth Library and the other Co-PI, “As a result, the work of EIU faculty will expand access to quality education for learners worldwide, reduce barriers to educational resources, and promote equity by offering free and adaptable materials. OER helps bridge the gap between wealthy and under-resourced educational systems, making learning more inclusive and accessible for all.”
EIU prepares students to accomplish their life goals through a combination of quality academics, personal relationships, and both on-campus and online learning opportunities. For more information about Eastern Illinois University, including its broad array of academic and career readiness programs, or any of EIU’s other community-based services and opportunities, visit eiu.edu or call EIU’s public information office at (217) 581-7400.