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

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

DOERS Student Findings: Devise Communication
Area	Finding	Significance	Future Work
Student Familiarity with OER	85% familiar: 15% unfamiliar	Limited significance: current filters are labeled "Free Textbook" and "Low-Cost Textbook." We also use this same terminology when talking with students about OER.	Determine if textbook filter labels are clear.
Student Ease of Finding Free Textbook and Low-Cost Textbook Courses	78% find it somewhat or very easy to locate free or low-cost textbook courses at UTSA; 9% report difficulty.	Filters that are easy to find will be used more. While students report finding free textbook courses as easy, these steps were displayed just prior to asking this question. 94% of students were not aware of the filters prior to the survey. Many students shared feedback for improvement.	Streamline finding; improve visibility and promotion.
Student Awareness of Free Textbook and Low-Cost Textbook Courses	94% were unaware of UTSA's textbook filters	If students are not able to find these courses, UTSA is not doing all that it can to support college affordability, student success, and retention.	Streamline finding; improve visibility and promotion.
Where Students Look to Find Course Textbooks	Where students look for required textbooks prior to Day One: 30%: Bluebook/Simple Syllabus; 27%: Wait for the first class day; 14%: Class schedules; 13%: myUTSA; 13%: Bookstore; 2%: look somewhere else	Knowing where students look for required textbooks is helpful for improving visibility of textbook filters.	Increase textbook and OER visibility in Simple Syllabus, the Class Schedules, myUTSA, and the bookstore. Communicate clearly to students.

DOERS Faculty Survey Findings: Devise Communication
Area	Finding	Significance	Future Work
Faculty Textbook Decisions	Individual Instructors have the most influence; Course Coordinators and textbook committees play a role in Core Curriculum	Individual faculty have autonomy with textbook decisions for some courses but not others.	Plan to present to and meet with individual instructors, Course Coordinators, and Textbook Committees depending on departmental structure.
Faculty Familiarity with the term OER or open educational resources	83% were familiar with the term "Open Educational Resources." 17% were not.	Provides a baseline for training and communication.	Communicate benefits of OER for students and faculty.
Faculty Awareness of OER and OER Use Cases	A majority (84%) of respondents have a solid understanding of OER, while a smaller portion (16%) have limited or no awareness, indicating room for targeted outreach and education.	Provides a baseline for training and communication.	Communicate benefits of OER for students and faculty.
Faculty OER Use	59% (37) have not used OER in their courses; 41% (26) have used OER in their courses	While a good number of faculty respondents are adopting OER, more than half are not.	Focus on student affordability and faculty OER benefits as selling points when communicating about OER to UTSA faculty..
Faculty OER Depth of Integration	Faculty who use OER are integrating it into multiple courses	UTSA faculty are exhibiting a growing commitment to OER.	Expect repeat visits from faculty that adopt OER; create a communication structure to support these champions.
Faculty Departmental OER Perceptions	Most faculty believe other faculty in their academic department perceive OER either neutrally or favorably (55%), with no respondents reporting very unfavorable perceptions. However, a notable portion is uncertain or unaware of departmental sentiment.	The majority of faculty are open to OER, but some may be hesitant.	Incorporate student affordability and faculty flexibility as selling points in communications with faculty.
Faculty OER Quality Perceptions	While many respondents are unsure about OER quality, those who have evaluated it mostly rate it as acceptable to good, with relatively few reporting poor or very poor quality.	The majority of Core Curriculum faculty are unsure of OER quality, but most rate it as acceptable or good.	Share examples of OER written by experts as a selling point.
Faculty Most Valued Textbook Attributes	Faculty prioritize accuracy, clarity, and appropriateness for course level when evaluating educational resources.	Knowing what textbook attributes faculty find most valuable will help us find OER that meet those criteria.	Share OER that are accurate, clear, appropriate for course level with faculty.
Faculty Importance of UTSA Leadership Support	62% of faculty respondents consider support from UTSA leadership to be a top-three priority.	UTSA faculty value the support of UTSA leadership when adopting OER.	Work with UTSA Leadership to devise communication around the importance of OER and to recognize faculty adopters.
Faculty Most Valued Recognition	Performance evaluation, recognition by Department Chair, and recognition by UTSA Leadership are the most valued types of recognition.	Faculty want to be recognized for OER work in the performance evaluation, by their Department Chair, and by UTSA Leadership.	Devise communication strategies for OER recognition at both the Department level and at the UTSA Leadership level.
Faculty Improving OER Support	Generous Funding is the most frequently selected 1st priority (24 responses). Finding Support is also highly valued, with 18 responses for 1st and 19 responses for 2nd priority. Support Adapting/Tailoring garners significant attention in the 2nd priority (17 responses).	We must communicate clearly with faculty about OER funding opportunities and UTSA support for finding OER as well as UTSA support for adapting and tailoring OER.	Devise communication around OER funding, OER finding support, and support adapting/tailoring OER.

Student Familiarity with OER

A large majority of respondents (85%) were unfamiliar with the term Open Educational Resources prior to the survey, indicating a significant awareness gap.

Student Ease of Finding Free Textbook and Low-Cost Textbook Courses

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

Student Awareness of Free Textbook and Low-Cost Textbook 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.

Where Students Look to Find Course Textbooks

The most common source for textbook information is UTSA Bluebook/Simple Syllabus (30%), followed closely by students who wait until the first day of class (27%).

Textbook Decisions

Individual Instructors have the most influence; Course Coordinators and textbook committees play a role in Core Curriculum.

Faculty Familiarity with the term OER or open educational resources

83% were familiar with the term "Open Educational Resources." 17% were not.

Faculty Awareness of OER and OER Use Cases

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

Faculty OER Use

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

Faculty OER Depth of Integration

Faculty who use OER are integrating it into multiple courses.

Faculty Departmental OER Perceptions

Most faculty believe other faculty in their academic department perceive OER either neutrally or favorably (55%), with no respondents reporting very unfavorable perceptions. However, a notable portion is uncertain or unaware of departmental sentiment.

Faculty OER Quality Perceptions

While many respondents are unsure about OER quality, those who have evaluated it mostly rate it as acceptable to good, with relatively few reporting poor or very poor quality.

Faculty Most Valued Textbook Attributes

Faculty prioritize accuracy, clarity, and appropriateness for course level when evaluating educational resources.

Faculty Importance of UTSA Leadership Support

62% of faculty respondents consider support from UTSA leadership to be a top-three priority.

Faculty Most Valued Recognition

Performance evaluation, recognition by Department Chair, and recognition by UTSA Leadership are the most valued types of recognition.

Faculty Improving OER Support

Generous Funding is the most frequently selected 1st priority (24 responses).
Finding Support is also highly valued, with 18 responses for 1st and 19 responses for 2nd priority.
Support Adapting/Tailoring garners significant attention in the 2nd priority (17 responses

Distinguish OER from other types of learning materials: define what Creative Commons means
Providing examples of successful OER use in specific disciplines to help faculty feel more confident and supported.
Communicate clear points of contact that faculty can reach out to for support
Share how the Library Reading List supports OER adoption
Greater communication around UTSA textbook filters, UTSA OER Reporting Process