A Shared Journey to Make Science Accessible in the Division of Chemistry and Biochemistry

Abstract

This presentation will discuss how we have successfully incorporated Open Education Resources and Practices (OER and OEP) in various science courses. OER was first implemented in Principles of Physics in the fall of 2014. Since then, we have successfully adapted both OER and OEP in Climate Change: A Human Perspective; Water in a Changing Environment; General Chemistry, and Environmental Chemistry. Each year, we continue to adopt and adapt OER(P) to more courses. The Sciences tend to have many fees associated with classes. For instance, traditional books retail around $100, and there are laboratory fees for the students. Therefore, we have mainly adapted both OER and OEP to remove financial roadblocks for our students, and this effort is ongoing to include other subjects. As a result, we have collectively saved over $150,000 for our students and their families. In this presentation, we will share our journey in OER(P), including personal experiences, challenges, benefits, and plans for the future. In addition, topics will cover how OER(P) provides opportunities for course content to be relevant and include up-to-date research. We also describe how OER provides an equitable platform for all learners from diverse backgrounds and how OEP fosters undergraduate research that benefits the community.