Open Education 2016

What is the status of open education initiatives at Virginia two- and four-year institutions? Is infrastructure in place to support faculty who are interested in course redesign using open educational resources (OER)? Are there common obstacles that impede or prohibit OER adoption?



The State Council of Higher Education in Virginia (SCHEV) wanted to find out more about these and other issues affecting the introduction and growth of open education at member institutions. Consequently, SCHEV's Open Virginia Advisory Committee (OVAC) developed and distributed a survey to members in January 2016. Seventeen institutions were initially contacted, with response data currently being collected and evaluated. Here are some preliminary results.



Interest in OER is pervasive, although the stage of institutional programs varies widely, with the Virginia Community College System serving as a model for 4-year institutions. As the predominant learning management systems used, Blackboard and Canvas allow faculty to share learning materials seamlessly at their institutions. Moreover, instructional design support is readily available to faculty who are integrating OER into their courses.



Nevertheless, the lack of 1) policies addressing OER, 2) demonstrable high-level administrative support, and 3) integration into institutional strategic plans are examples of the greatest challenges to institution-wide, not to mention state-wide, movement toward real growth in open resources to replace expensive learning materials. The detailed findings of the OVAC survey of two- and four-year institutions in Virginia will be presented during this talk, as will legislation affecting open education that has been introduced in the Virginia Assembly. Representatives of two- and four-year institutions will share their perspectives and answer questions.