Document Type

Chapter

Journal/Book Title/Conference

Open Educational Resources for and as Assessment

Editor

Eliana Elkhoury, Jako Olivier, and Travis N. Thurston

Publisher

Utah State University

Publication Date

2025

First Page

27

Last Page

50

Abstract

The high cost of course materials is a barrier for many students, and traditional assessments often fail to inspire engagement. To address these challenges, NC State University Libraries promotes open course materials and open-enabled practices. Since 2014, the Alt-Textbook Project has helped faculty incorporate Open Educational Resources (OER) into their syllabi, reducing textbook costs and supporting innovative educational approaches. This effort was enhanced with the Open Pedagogy Incubator, a multi- semester program bringing together librarians and interdisciplinary faculty to redesign courses around open- pedagogical practices. Dr. McKenney, an incubator participant, redesigned her advanced undergraduate course on Applied Ecology (AEC 400) to use OER as assessments. She developed assignments that helped students practice science communication skills and create learning materials, contributing to an openly licensed digital textbook. Open- ended prompts empowered students to explore topics of personal interest, increasing motivation. The textbook framework encouraged students to reflect on their learning and identify gaps for future students to address. By making student works publicly accessible, The Open Pedagogy (OP) framework also motivated high-quality work thereby benefiting current and future students, as well as a broader audience. In Applied Ecology, OP helped students relate their coursework to global and local challenges, aligning with NC State University’s land grant mission and supporting the development of global citizens.

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