OER ACE grants
OER ACE: Adopt, Create, Extend Open Educational Resources
Introduction
The OER ACE grants aim to support UWindsor faculty and staff to adopt, create, and extend open educational resources and open pedagogies, which will contribute to the reputation of the institution, and recruitment and retention of students.
In addition to enabling significant cost savings to students, these grants will help faculty gain experience and expertise in selecting, adapting, and creating open resources that are tailored to meet UWindsor students' needs. Faculty will also gain awareness of the values and practices associated with open pedagogy and a critical appreciation of the reciprocal relationship between pedagogy and evolving OERs.
Projects may focus on one or more for-credit courses, or may provide resources more broadly to the university community and beyond to increase impact of the funding.
Call for proposals
Proposals are invited for projects that aim to adopt, create, or extend (adapt) Open Educational Resources (OERs) for use in courses delivered in any format (including open courses and new courses not yet developed), as well as projects outside for-credit courses (see FAQs for a list of example projects). For the purpose of these grants, adopt, create, and extend mean the following:
- Adopt: Replace the course textbook or other proprietary learning resource content with existing open educational resources (preferably peer reviewed academic resources such as those in the eCampus Ontario Open Textbook library)
- Create: Design, write or otherwise create new resources to support your intended learning outcomes, and share those learning resources publicly as openly licenced OERs (e.g. using a Creative Commons Licence)
- Extend: Extend or adapt existing open educational resources for your context (e.g. extend the functionality of existing open resources by adapting an open textbook to your context, creating ancillary resources for an existing open textbook, modifying open courseware, compiling a series of resources into a coherent set, etc.)
Projects that support indigenisation of the curriculum, address issues of reconciliation, diversity, equity, internationalization, or which are targeted to support and improve outcomes for underserved or diverse groups are particularly encouraged to apply. Interdisciplinary or collaborative proposals are also encouraged. Proposals that are not associated with a for-credit course, but which will impact students through the three R’s of reputation, recruitment, and retention are also encouraged.
A total of up to $50,000 is available in 2019/20 to support the adoption, creation, and extension of open educational resources for use in UWindsor courses. Funding can be requested in two categories:
Creation of new open educational resources: Up to $7,500 over 12 months
Adoption and/or extension of existing open educational resources: Up to $5,000 over 12 months
Eligibility for funding is open to:
- faculty/ancillary academic staff/sessional lecturers/librarians with tenure/permanence (including deans, and chairs)
- faculty/ancillary academic staff/librarians on tenure/permanence track
- limited faculty/AAS/librarians provided their appointment extends for the term of the project
- professional staff may also apply if their project meets the requirements
All projects will be expected to demonstrate and achieve the following:
- a clear set of intended outcomes that are achievable within the constraints of the funding and timeframe, and which are aligned with the learning outcomes of the course (learning outcomes for the course should be included in the application)
- must include students as partners/collaborators in the project e.g. co-creating curricula and resources, providing feedback, reviewing materials
- a detailed timeline that lays out achievable milestones, and which includes an implementation plan
- a detailed budget that sets out the use of funds (see budget template)
- a clear plan for evaluating the project against its intended outcomes
- a sustainability plan for the project/course/program beyond the life of the project funding
- support of your dean and department chair/director
- present at a teaching and learning event/conference/workshop (national, provincial or institutional)
- project teams/project members are strongly encouraged to undertake professional development in online/open course design and development (offered through the Office of Open Learning)
- proponents of all successful projects will be expected to work with the Office of Open Learning and other appropriate units on campus (e.g. the Leddy Library, CTL, ITS) in the planning and implementation of the project
- all source files used in creating the resource (including any multimedia files) must be made available in an open repository/online to easily enable further remixing and adapting
- exhibit characteristics of quality teaching and learning, innovative pedagogies and/or uses of technology (describe the pedagogical approach you are aiming for)
- encourage the use of activities that embrace open pedagogies
- describe how students will be involved in the design and development of the resource(s)
- provide a preliminary conceptualisation of the resource (e.g. outline of chapters for an open text book, description of resources to be created or adapted)
- document any existing Open Educational Resources to be used (adopted, adapted/extended)
- indicate how the project will be released with an open license, such as a Creative Commons license, which allows others to freely adapt, modify, copy, redistribute and retain a copy of the content
- include a detailed budget documenting the use of the funding requested (budget not to exceed the maximum amount for project type, eligible expenses only included, indication of highest priority expenses, indication of potential staff involvement, direct costs, in-kind support)
- indication of expected impact (e.g. large numbers of students across a program/course, replacing a high cost resource, estimate of cost saving by switching away from proprietary text, making open resources available for an underserved group or disciplinary area)
- demonstrate sustainability and cost-effectiveness
- demonstrate how the resource being created will be contributed back to and impact the broader disciplinary community
Note: Projects that support indigenisation of the curriculum, address indigenous issues, or which are targeted to support and improve outcomes for underserved or diverse groups are particularly encouraged to apply. Interdisciplinary or collaborative proposals are also encouraged. Proposals that are not associated with a for-credit course will be considered, however priority will be given to projects with the broadest impact.
Proposal due date and announcement
Proposals are due by Friday, 15th February. Successful applications will be announced during Open Education Week (4-8 March, 2019).
How to apply and further information
Download and complete the application form for either course-based or non-course-based projects. Email the completed form to Alicia Higgison (higgison@uwindsor.ca)
OOL OER ACE grants 2019, application for Non Course Based grants(Google document download)
OOL OER ACE grants 2019, application for Credit Course Based grants(Google document download)
If you have any questions about the grants, please contact Nick Baker at ext. 4925 or email nbaker@uwindsor.ca