Assessing the OER & Textbook Experience at UTSA

Presents UTSA student and faculty feedback collected through the DOERS Student Success Through OER Rubric Grant: Fall 2024-Spring 2025

UTSA OER Task Force

Drawing on the leadership and expertise of UTSA faculty, students, staff and administrators, the Open Educational Resources Task Force will support and accelerate institutional efforts to expand the availability and affordability of high-quality, low- or no-cost, cutting-edge and next-generation instructional and learning resources to students.

The Task Force will deliver:

  • Assess awareness and use of OER at UTSA
  • Success metrics for OER usage
  • Prioritized five-year plan to integrate OER more fully in the Core Curriculum
  • Preliminary language around faculty rewards (workload, evaluations, etc.) that colleges could use or adapt
  • Procedures to clearly and comprehensively identify courses that adopt and use OER
  • Opportunities for training UTSA faculty on open education and open pedagogy
  • Communications plan promoting faculty and student awareness of OER
Dean Hendrix
Vice Provost and University Librarian
Co-Chair
Melissa Vito
Vice Provost, Academic Innovation
Co-Chair
August (Gus) Allo
Associate Professor of Instruction, Electrical and Computer Engineering, Faculty Senate Representative
Mark Appleford
Associate Vice Provost for Undergraduate Studies
Claudia Arcolin
Executive Director, Teaching & Learning Experiences, Academic Innovation
Jonathan Brucks
Senior Lecturer, Mathematics
Andrew Dotson
Undergraduate Student, Cyber Security
Eden Ewing
Assessment Coordinator, UTSA Libraries
Christina Frasier
Assistant Professor of Practice, The Writing Program
Paul Gonzalez
Academic Affairs Chair, Student Government Association
DeeAnn Ivie
OER Coordinator & Political Science Librarian, UTSA Libraries
Kim Massaro
Assistant Professor of Practice, Management Science and Statistics
Alan Meca
Associate Professor, Psychology
Gregg Michel
Professor and Assistant Department Chair, History
Rita Mitra
Associate Professor of Practice, Information Systems and Cyber Security Department
Michael Newell
Associate Professor of Instruction, Academic Introduction and Strategies
Debra Peña
Program Director and Associate Professor of Instruction, the Writing Program, Department Chairs Council Representative
Jon Taylor
Department Chair, Associate Dean for Faculty Success, Professor, Political Science and Geography

Heather Trepal
Associate Dean for Academic Programs and Student Success, Professor, Counseling

Dean Hendrix
Vice Provost and University Librarian
Co-Chair
Melissa Vito
Vice Provost, Academic Innovation
Co-Chair
August (Gus) Allo
Associate Professor of Instruction, Electrical and Computer Engineering, Faculty Senate Representative
Mark Appleford
Associate Vice Provost for Undergraduate Studies
Claudia Arcolin
Executive Director, Teaching & Learning Experiences, Academic Innovation
Jonathan Brucks
Senior Lecturer, Mathematics
Andrew Dotson
Undergraduate Student, Cyber Security
Eden Ewing
Assessment Coordinator, UTSA Libraries
Christina Frasier
Assistant Professor of Practice, The Writing Program
Paul Gonzalez
Academic Affairs Chair, Student Government Association
DeeAnn Ivie
OER Coordinator & Political Science Librarian, UTSA Libraries
Kim Massaro
Assistant Professor of Practice, Management Science and Statistics
Alan Meca
Associate Professor, Psychology
Gregg Michel
Professor and Assistant Department Chair, History
Rita Mitra
Associate Professor of Practice, Information Systems and Cyber Security Department
Michael Newell
Associate Professor of Instruction, Academic Introduction and Strategies
Debra Peña
Program Director and Associate Professor of Instruction, the Writing Program, Department Chairs Council Representative
Jon Taylor
Department Chair, Associate Dean for Faculty Success, Professor, Political Science and Geography
Heather Trepal
Associate Dean for Academic Programs and Student Success, Professor, Counseling
Laura Everett
Associate Director, Academic Support Programs
Martin Gallegos
Institutional Research Analyst
Rebecca Luther
Senior Director, Academic Strategic Communications
John Palmer
UTSA Bookstore
Tiffany Robinson
Assistant Vice Provost and University Registrar

Assess Awareness and Use of OER

UTSA DOERS work is in complete alignment with this task force goal. Assessing faculty and student awareness of OER was the overarching goal of UTSA DOERS work. Additionally, the UTSA DOERS grant team sought to understand how students find textbooks overall for their courses and to understand academic department processes for reporting textbook adoptions in order to improve OER transparency and reporting since there is overlap with textbook reporting and OER reporting: many of the same platforms and systems are used.

DOERS Student Findings

OER Awareness

A large majority of student respondents (85%) were unfamiliar with the term Open Educational Resources prior to the survey, indicating a significant awareness gap. Note: We asked this question based on the screen shots found at: UTSA Textbook Transparency: Find Courses with Affordable Textbooks

Ease of Finding OER Courses

A combined 78% of student respondents find it somewhat or very easy to locate free or low-cost textbook courses at UTSA, while only 9% report difficulty.

Awareness of OER Courses 

An overwhelming majority of students (94%) were unaware of how to find UTSA courses with free or low-cost textbooks prior to the survey, highlighting a major opportunity for awareness and outreach.

OER Awareness and Use

OER Awareness

A majority (84%) of faculty respondents have a solid understanding of OER, while a smaller portion (16%) have limited or no awareness, indicating room for targeted outreach and education.

  • 35% (22) are aware of OER and some of their use cases
  • 27% (17) are very aware of OER and how they can be used in their courses
  • 22% (14) are somewhat aware of OER but are not sure how they can be used
  • 10% (6) have heard of OER but don't know much about them
  • 6% (4) are not aware of OER

OER Use Overall

While a significant portion of faculty are using OER (41%), the majority still have not (59%), indicating potential for further outreach, training, or support to increase adoption.

  • 59% (37) have not used OER in their courses
  • 41% (26) have used OER in their courses

OER Adoption

Among faculty who use OER, most are integrating it into multiple courses, suggesting a growing commitment to OER once adoption begins.

  • 39% (9) have used OER in three or more courses
  • 35% (8) have used OER in 1 of their courses
  • 26% (6) have used OER in 2 of their courses

OER Adoption Type

Most faculty who use OER are integrating it as both required and supplemental course material, while 39% use only as required material. A smaller group (17%) uses it only as a supplement. 

  • 43% (10) have used OER as both required and supplemental
  • 39% (9) have used OER only as required material
  • 17% (4) have used OER only as supplemental

Awareness of Textbook Filters and OER Reporting Processes

  • Architecture

    • Most faculty were not aware of UTSA’s Free Textbook and Low-Cost Textbook filters.
    • Only two faculty members were aware of the OER reporting process; others were not.
  • Earth and Planetary Science

    • One faculty member was aware of the textbook filters; two were not.
    • Awareness of the reporting process was similarly low.
    • Feedback: Suggested integrating reporting links and forms into Canvas for better accessibility and visibility, as emails are often missed.
  • Management Science and Statistics

    • Two out of three faculty were not aware of the textbook filters.
    • Two out of three faculty were not aware of the reporting process.
  • Sociology

    • One of four faculty was aware of the textbook filters; others were not.
    • Mixed familiarity with the reporting process.
    • Feedback: Reporting process is not overly cumbersome but could be streamlined.
    • Highlighted need for better communication and outreach to ensure faculty know how to report OER use.

Themes: Improving Student Awareness of Textbooks Prior to Class Day One

  • Early Communication: Faculty emails and announcements are critical.
  • Tools: Canvas and Simple Syllabus are useful but need consistent, early use.
  • Challenges: Student delays, cost concerns, and lack of familiarity with university systems.
  • Recommendations: Mandatory early syllabus publication, improved orientation for freshmen, and better integration of textbook info into Canvas.
Faculty Suggestions for Improving Student Awareness of Required Textbooks Before Day One
Architecture
  • Strategies Used by Faculty:
    • Announcements sent two weeks and one week before semester start with textbook details and purchase links.
    • Detailed email sent day before class to prompt timely ordering.
    • Embedding textbook info in Canvas and using Simple Syllabus for book covers and library links.
  • Challenges:
    • Students often delay purchasing textbooks.
    • Some faculty avoid requiring textbooks due to cost concerns.
    • Canvas design impacts visibility, especially in asynchronous courses.
Earth and Planetary Science
  • Observation:
    • Freshmen often struggle with Canvas and syllabus navigation due to limited orientation.
    • Suggestion: Analyze survey data by student classification to see if upperclassmen navigate resources better.

Management Science and Statistics
  • Suggestions:
    • Make Simple Syllabus publication mandatory at least one week before semester start, even if incomplete.
    • Previously used Bluebook for early syllabus access—now discontinued.
    • Early publication of textbook info would benefit students.
    • Simple Syllabus allows updates anytime, offering flexibility.

Sociology

  • Suggestions:
    • Direct communication from faculty is most effective.
    • Faculty already email syllabi or textbook info before semester begins.

Create a Prioritized Five-Year Plan to Integrate OER into Core Curriculum

The UTSA DOERS team sought to better understand challenges Core Curriculum faculty face when adopting open educational resources. In order to understand how UTSA can grow OER adoption in Core Curriculum courses, we need to learn from Core Curriculum faculty: 

  • Current teaching load
  • Who is responsible for making textbook decisions for Core Curriculum courses
  • Current OER awareness and use
  • OER perceptions 
  • Overall textbook priorities/challenges
  • Support and recognition needed and expected when  adopting OER, including other ideas for recognition and support
  • Barriers to adopting OER

The UTSA DOERS grant team formulated questions around all of these areas on both the Faculty Survey and for the faculty focus groups comprised of Core Curriculum faculty from: Architecture, Earth and Planetary Sciences, Management Science and Statistics, and Sociology. 

Respondents

Of the 71 faculty that responded to the survey, 39 of those faculty indicated that they teach Core Curriculum courses.

Appointment

  • 34 faculty were Fixed-Term-Track
  • 5 were Tenure Track

College 

  • Largest group: COLFA (College of Liberal and Fine Arts) with 28% (11 respondents).
  • Second largest: COS (College of Sciences) at 21% (8 respondents).
  • Third: ACOB (College of Business) at 18% (7 respondents).
  • University College follows with 15% (6 respondents).
  • Smaller groups:
    • HCAP (Health, Community & Policy): 8% (3 respondents)
    • COEHD (Education & Human Development): 5% (2 respondents)
    • KCEID (Engineering & Integrated Design): 3% (1 respondent)
    • Honors College: 3% (1 respondent)
    • Data Science: 1% (less than 1 respondent)

 

Teaching

Courses Taught Fall, Spring and Summer

Teaching loads for Core Curriculum faculty vary significantly across semesters.

  • In Fall and Spring, most faculty teach 4 courses (22 and 19 respectively), indicating a heavy workload during these terms.
  • Spring shows a slightly more balanced distribution, with more faculty teaching 2 or 3 courses compared to Fall.
  • In contrast, Summer has a lighter load overall: the majority teach 1 or 2 courses, and 9 faculty do not teach at all. This pattern suggests that Summer is primarily used for reduced teaching commitments or breaks, while Fall and Spring carry the core instructional responsibilities.

Teaching Load Core Curriculum Faculty
Teaching Load (Courses) Fall Spring Summer
0 0 0 9
1 3 2 13
2 6 8 10
3 5 6 3
4 22 19 1
5 1 4 0
6 1 0 0

OER Awareness

Awareness

A strong majority of Core Curriculum faculty (nearly 4 out of 5) were already familiar with OER, indicating high awareness among the group.

OER Awareness and Use

Over 60% of respondents have moderate to strong awareness of OER, while only a small portion (19%) have little or no awareness.

  • I am very aware of OER and how they can be used in my courses – 32% (12 respondents)
  • I am aware of OER and some of their use cases – 29% (11 respondents)
  • I am somewhat aware of OER, but I am not sure how they can be used – 21% (8 respondents)
  • I have heard of OER but don’t know much about them – 11% (4 respondents)
  • I am not aware of OER – 8% (3 respondents)

OER Adoption

Usage of OER is nearly evenly split, with slightly more respondents (just over half) reporting they have not used OER in their courses.

Number of Courses

Most respondents who use OER incorporate them into multiple courses, with 41% using OER in three or more courses. The remaining users are evenly split between using OER in one or two courses.

OER as Required and Supplemental

Most faculty who use OER incorporate them as both required and supplemental materials (47%), while a slightly smaller group uses them only as required resources (41%). Very few use OER solely as supplemental (12%).

OER Perceptions 

Departmental

Most respondents perceive faculty attitudes toward OER as neutral or favorable (59%), while unfavorable views are relatively low (14%). A notable portion (22%) are unsure of their department’s stance.

Quality Perceptions

Most respondents either rate OER as good or acceptable quality (56%) or are unsure (31%). Very few consider OER to be poor or very poor quality (12%), and only 3% rate them as high quality.

Textbook Attributes 

Respondents value Content Accuracy and Clarity most highly, followed by Adaptability and Appropriateness for Level. Accessibility and supplementary materials are considered less critical but still relevant.

Support and Recognition

UTSA Leadership

Support from UTSA leadership is generally considered a mid-level priority, with most respondents ranking it 3rd or 6th. Very few see it as the top priority (11%).

Recognition

Faculty most strongly prefer recognition through Performance Evaluation, followed by acknowledgment from UTSA Leadership and Department Chairs. Recognition via newsletters is least prioritized for top ranks but dominates the 5th Priority category.

Improve Support

Faculty most want Finding Support and Generous Funding as top priorities for OER adoption. Technical help like LMS integration and adaptation support are mid-level needs, while tutorials and student involvement rank lowest.

Other Ideas

  • Resource Accessibility & Organization

    • Provide more OER resources accessible to students.
    • Create a list or repository of OER materials tailored to departments and sorted/tagged for easy use.
    • Improve librarians’ knowledge and guidance on OER resources.
  • Training & Guidance

    • Offer online tutorials and guidance from colleagues.
    • Provide support in finding high-quality, specialized OER for upper-division classes.
  • Course Release & Time

    • Allow course release time for faculty to create or adapt OER.
    • Address challenges for tenure-track faculty who lack time to develop OER.
  • Technical & Financial Support

    • Fund software engineers to help integrate OER into LMS and maintain servers.
    • Offer financial support for OER adoption and development.
  • Quality & Relevance

    • Ensure OER materials are current and relevant, especially for fast-changing fields.
    • Provide multiple sources for each topic to allow comparisons.
  • Communication & Awareness

    • Share videos or updates on OER during summer.
    • Help faculty know what resources exist for their area of instruction.
  • Student Involvement

    • Encourage student involvement in OER creation or adaptation.

Textbook Challenges Overall 

Faculty face a mix of structural, financial, and pedagogical challenges when adopting traditional textbooks, including high costs, outdated content, technical issues, and rigid adoption processes. These barriers often lead instructors to rely on multiple resources, library materials, or custom modules instead.

Interdisciplinary Gaps

  • Difficult to find a single textbook that covers interdisciplinary subjects (e.g., healthcare design combining architecture, psychology, public health, and policy).
  • Faculty often pull content from multiple expensive books but avoid requiring students to purchase them.

Lack of Suitable Options

  • Many textbooks feel outdated or fail to meet course needs.
  • Rapidly evolving topics (e.g., climate change, fossil record research) make textbooks quickly obsolete.

Reading Level & Visual Quality

  • Hard to find textbooks that match student reading levels while offering high-quality visuals, especially color images in architecture, which increase costs.

Cost Barriers

  • Textbooks are expensive (e.g., $70–$75 for paleontology).
  • Students struggle to afford platforms like Cengage/WebAssign.
  • Suggestion: Provide classroom sets to reduce costs.

Library Access Limitations

  • UTSA library cannot provide multi-user access to most commercial textbooks (often limited to 3 users), making them impractical for large classes.

Time Constraints & Adoption Process

  • Evaluating new textbooks is difficult when adoption deadlines fall mid-semester.
  • Deadlines are early (6–7 months in advance) and poorly communicated.
  • Lack of reminder emails leads to missed submissions.

Edition Changes

  • New editions disrupt course continuity and require significant rework.

Technical Issues

  • Problems with digital platforms (e.g., Vantage, Connect) include LMS integration failures and grade syncing issues, leading some faculty to abandon them.

Desire for Control

  • Faculty prefer managing course materials independently to avoid reliance on external systems.

Bookstore & Ordering Problems

  • Incorrect or missing orders and students’ unfamiliarity with purchasing textbooks create additional barriers.

Pedagogical Concerns

  • Introductory sociology textbooks lack differentiation.
  • Quantitative courses face challenges with textbooks trying to cover too many tools (Minitab, SAS, R, Excel), diluting depth.
  • Faculty prefer focusing on Excel as the most practical tool for students entering the workforce.

Most Valued Textbook Attributes

Faculty value textbooks that are clear, relevant, visually engaging, scholarly, affordable, and adaptable, with strong alignment to course goals and supplemental resources for teaching efficiency.

Accessibility and Readability

  • Easy for students to read and understand.
  • Short chapters, clear summaries, and engaging visuals to enhance comprehension.

Relevance and Alignment

  • Must align with course goals and complement lectures or studio work.
  • Ability to connect with concurrent learning in other courses.

Scholarly Depth and Detail

  • Detailed, expert-written content for advanced courses.
  • Vetted by academic publishers for credibility.

Visual Appeal and Interdisciplinary Content

  • High-quality visuals, especially for design-related courses.
  • Inclusion of interdisciplinary perspectives (e.g., policy, architecture).

Relevance and Timeliness

  • Updated regularly to reflect current societal issues and evolving topics.

Cost and Affordability

  • Financial accessibility for students is a major priority.

Supplemental Resources

  • Availability of test banks, PowerPoints, and digital tools for teaching support.

Compatibility

  • Should integrate smoothly with existing teaching materials and LMS platforms.

Clarity and Neutrality

  • Clear definitions and explanations.
  • Avoidance of overt political bias to maintain inclusivity.

OER Perceptions

Faculty show cautious interest in OER, balancing enthusiasm for cost savings and adaptability with concerns about quality, availability, and technical support. There is optimism for future improvements, especially in specialized fields.

Limited Availability and Quality Concerns

  • Architecture faculty noted a lack of high-quality, discipline-specific OER, especially for architectural history.
  • Existing resources often feel superficial or misaligned with teaching needs.
  • OpenStax for statistics was described as outdated, error-prone, and missing key topics like ANOVA and regression.
  • Concerns about quality and comprehensiveness compared to commercial textbooks were common.

Successful Use Cases

  • Some faculty successfully used OER in introductory courses, curating materials from multiple sources and leveraging grants.
  • Positive example: creating a custom Pressbook for geology courses, embedding chapters into Canvas for easy access.

Alternative Resources

  • Faculty often rely on free library resources (e.g., Think Like an Architect), even if not technically OER.
  • Internet Archive and Canadian-authored OER were considered viable options for certain subjects.

Barriers and Hesitations

  • Time constraints and lack of course release make OER adoption difficult.
  • Large class sizes require automated grading platforms, which many OER lack.
  • Initial bias against OER due to assumptions of lower quality and lack of corporate backing.
  • Concerns about loss of control when using pre-made OER.

Positive Attitudes and Openness

  • Faculty appreciate digital accessibility, adaptability, and affordability.
  • Interest in exploring OER further if aligned with teaching style and student needs.
  • Growing demand for digital-first materials from students.

OER Challenges

Faculty are interested in OER but face barriers related to time, technical integration, quality, and scalability. While affordability is appealing, logistical and pedagogical challenges slow adoption.

Limited Experience

  • Some faculty have not yet adopted OER and want to learn from others’ experiences.

Technical Barriers

  • Students face access issues with library-linked videos when off-campus due to login requirements.
  • Difficulty integrating OER into LMS (e.g., Canvas) — quizzes and exams require manual copy-pasting, which is time-consuming.
  • Lack of seamless integration compared to commercial platforms like Vantage or Connect.

Time and Effort

  • Significant time needed to search, review, and adapt OER to fit course goals.
  • Materials often cannot be used “as-is,” requiring customization.

Relevance and Quality

  • Concerns about finding OER that align with specific disciplines (e.g., architecture).
  • OpenStax for statistics viewed as outdated, error-prone, and missing key topics (ANOVA, regression).
  • Overall perception that OER may lack comprehensiveness compared to commercial textbooks.

Accessibility Requirements

  • Uncertainty about how OER will meet upcoming accessibility standards.

Large Class Sizes

  • Hard to transition fully to OER without automated grading platforms like WebAssign, which many OER lack.

Barriers to Adoption

Faculty are open to OER but hesitate due to time demands, quality concerns, accessibility compliance, and lack of institutional support. Peer advocacy and structured support programs could significantly improve adoption.

Time Commitment

  • Reviewing, selecting, and aligning OER with course content is highly time-consuming—sometimes up to a year.
  • Ongoing updates and accessibility checks add to workload.

Quality and Support

  • Concerns about lack of support materials (e.g., instructor guides, test banks).
  • Uncertainty about OER quality compared to traditional textbooks.

Accessibility Compliance

  • Upcoming Title II requirements create anxiety about ensuring OER meets accessibility standards.

Course Redesign Burden

  • Adopting OER often requires rebuilding lectures, quizzes, and assignments, which is a major barrier.

Perceived Prestige and Bias

  • Some faculty view OER as less prestigious than publisher-backed materials, influenced by academic norms.

Lack of Exposure and Peer Advocacy

  • Many faculty were unfamiliar with OER before joining UTSA.
  • Peer examples and advocacy are seen as critical for reducing skepticism.

Limited Institutional Support

  • Faculty desire grants, training, and technical assistance for OER adoption.
  • Commercial publishers often provide more outreach and incentives than OER initiatives.

Collaborative Solutions Suggested

  • Interest in shared OER development (e.g., faculty-authored textbooks and test banks using Pressbooks).
  • Need for student assistance and dedicated time (e.g., summer term) to implement OER effectively.

Improve Support

Faculty want flexible funding, structured training, peer collaboration, strong library support, and formal recognition to make OER adoption practical and rewarding.

Address Time and Labor Challenges

  • Developing or adapting OER is time-intensive and often uncompensated.
  • Faculty need release time or workload adjustments to manage OER adoption.

Increase Grant Flexibility

  • Allow OER grant funds to be used for stipends, hiring student assistants, and technical tasks like scanning or formatting.

Provide Professional Development

  • Offer training and workshops on finding, evaluating, and implementing OER.
  • Include hands-on demonstrations and clear points of contact for support.

Build Peer Networks and Shared Resources

  • Create knowledge-sharing communities and curated lists of OER by discipline.
  • Encourage peer advocacy and examples of successful OER use.

Enhance Library Support

  • Promote tools like Library Reading List in Canvas for integrating resources.
  • Maintain strong librarian support for locating and accessing OER.

Recognition and Incentives

  • Formal acknowledgment through faculty evaluations, awards, or university-level recognition.
  • Highlight OER work as innovative teaching.

Comparable Support Materials

  • Ensure OER includes test banks, lecture slides, and assignments similar to commercial textbooks.

Improve Communication

  • Send targeted emails by discipline and reminders about OER opportunities.
  • Share student testimonials to build faculty confidence.

Recognition

Faculty value recognition that is formal, meaningful, and tied to professional development, while emphasizing that the greatest reward is improving student access and success.

Formal Recognition

  • Departmental, college, or university-level awards for OER adoption.
  • Suggested categories like “Best Use of OER” or friendly competitions within departments.

Conference Support

  • Stipends or awards to fund travel for OER-related conferences (e.g., Open Education Conference, Open Texas).
  • UTSA’s OER grant program already allows conference presentations as part of funding.

Inclusion in Evaluations

  • Add OER work as a line item in faculty evaluations (Digital Measures).
  • Consider OER adoption in promotion and tenure reviews.

Institutional Acknowledgment

  • Recognition through existing structures like University Excellence Awards.
  • Symbolic recognition ideas (e.g., badges or “Gold Star” designations).

Student-Centered Feedback

  • Highlight OER efforts in course evaluations or through student testimonials.
  • Emphasize affordability and accessibility benefits for students.

Equity Considerations

  • Ensure recognition does not disadvantage faculty in disciplines with limited OER availability.

Develop Preliminary Language Around Faculty Rewards Adaptable/Adoptable by Colleges

Create Procedures for Marking OER and Low-Cost Textbook Courses

Develop Opportunities for Faculty Training on OER/Open Pedaogy

Create a Communication Plan for Raising Faculty and Student Awareness of OER