UTSA DOERS Findings Mapped to OER Task Force Goals

The DOERS Collaborative awarded UTSA the Student Success Through OER Grant in 2023. This website aligns DOERS work with the OER Task Force.

Goal: Assess Awareness and Use of OER

DOERS Student Survey Findings: Awareness

Area

Finding

Significance

Future Work
Student familiarity with the term OER or open educational resources 85% were unfamiliar with the term OER.  Limited significance: current filters are labeled "Free Textbook" and "Low-Cost Textbook " Determine if filter labels are clear. 
Student ease of finding Free Textbook and Low-Cost Textbook Courses

78% find it somewhat or very easy to find free or low-cost textbook courses; 9% report difficulty.

 Filters that are easy to find will be used more. While students report finding free texbook 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 UTSA Textbook Filters 94% did not know how to find courses with free textbooks and low-cost textbooks 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.

DOERS Faculty Findings: Awareness and Use

Area

Finding

Significance

Future Work
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

84% have a solid understanding of OER. 16% have limited or no awareness.

 Provides a baseline for training and communication. Communicate benefits of OER for students and faculty.  
Faculty OER Use 41% are using OER. 59% have not used OER.  Provides a baseline for training and communication. Communicate how faculty can find and adopt OER.
Faculty Depth of OER 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 structure to support these champions.
Faculty OER Adoption Type 43% that use OER integrate it as both required and supplemental course material. 39% use only as required material.17% use it only as a supplement.  Faculty are adopting OER as required materials rather than supplementary readings. Anticipate greater commitment to OER as required materials once faculty. Plan robust support to meet demand.
Faculty Awareness of OER Legislation 75% were unaware of OER legislation. Faculty that are not aware of UTSA's reporting process will not report OER adoptions, creating student transparency and OER tracking issues. Improve communication and outreach to faculty about course markings.
Faculty Awareness of UTSA Textbook Filters

68% are unaware of UTSA’s textbook filters.

 Faculty that are not aware of UTSA's reporting process will not report OER adoptions, creating student transparency and OER tracking issues. Improve communication and outreach to faculty about course markings.
Faculty Awareness of UTSA OER Reporting Process 80% are not aware of UTSA's OER reporting process. Faculty that are not aware of UTSA's reporting process will not report OER adoptions, creating student transparency and OER tracking issues. Improve communication and outreach to faculty about course markings.

DOERS Faculty Focus Group Findings

Area

Finding

Significance

Future Work
Faculty Awareness of OER Legislation, UTSA Textbook Filters, and UTSA OER Reporting Process Most of the faculty that participated in the Focus Groups were not aware of the legislation, the filters, or the reporting process. Faculty that are not aware of UTSA's reporting process will not report OER adoptions, creating student transparency and OER tracking issues. Improve communication and outreach to faculty about course markings.

 

Relevant Task Force Subcommittees and Implementation Teams

Subcommittee(s)

Implementation Committee(s)/Plan(s)

All
  • Centralize and simplify OER/low-cost reporting and increase OER visibility for students
  • Address the cost and time requirements of OER development

Familiarity with the term "OER" or "Open Educational Resources"

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. 

Question: Open Educational Resources (OER) are teaching, learning, and research resources that are free for students and that are in the public domain or available under an open license that permits free use, reuse, modification, and sharing with others. OER exist in many formats: textbooks, videos, software, tests, or any other course materials that support student learning and access to knowledge. Before taking this survey, had you heard the term open educational resources as described above? 

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.

Question: Based on the steps explained above, how easy is it to find free or low-cost textbook courses at UTSA?

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.

Question: Before taking this survey, did you know how to find UTSA courses with free and low-cost textbooks? 

 

OER: Familiarity, Awareness, Use, Adoption, and Adoption Type

Familiarity with the term "OER" or "Open Educational Resources"

A majority (83%) of faculty respondents have heard the term "Open Educational Resources"  a smaller portion (17%) have not, indicating room for targeted outreach and education.

Question: Open Educational Resources (OER) are teaching, learning, and research resources that reside in the public domain or that have been released under an intellectual property license that allows for free use, reuse, modification, and sharing with others, including full courses, course materials, modules, textbooks, streaming videos, tests, software, and any other tools, materials, or techniques used to support access to knowledge. Prior to today, were you familiar with the above definition for open educational resources?

Awareness and Use

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.

Question: Select the option below that most closely aligns with your current awareness and use of OER as defined above. 

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.

Question: Have you used OER in your courses?

OER Adoption

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

Question: Complete this statement: I use OER in...

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. 

Question: Select the option below that most closely aligns with your use of OER in your courses.

OER Awareness and Reporting

The majority of faculty that participated in the Focus Groups were not aware of OER legislation, UTSA’s Free Textbook and Low-Cost Textbook fillers, or the process for reporting free and low-cost textbooks

Discussion: Improving Student Awareness of Textbooks Before Class Start

  • Early Communication: Faculty emails and announcements are critical; direct communication from faculty is most effective.
  • Canvas and Simple Syllabus are useful but need consistent, early use.
  • Challenges: Student delays, cost concerns, and lack of familiarity with university systems.
  • Ideas: 
    • Mandatory early syllabus publication at least a week prior to semester start even if syllabi are complete may improve orientation for freshmen and better integration of textbook info into Canvas. Simple Syllabus allows updates anytime, offering flexibility.
    • The DOERS team may want to analyze student responses to finding required textbook by student classification to see if upperclassmen navigate resources more successfully.

Faculty Strategies

  • 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.
  • Many faculty already email syllabi or textbook info before semester begins.

Faculty Challenges

  • Students often delay purchasing textbooks.
  • Some faculty avoid requiring textbooks due to cost concerns.
  • Canvas design impacts visibility, especially in asynchronous courses.
  • Freshmen struggle with Canvas and Simple Syllabus navigation, so the information is not always as visible to them

Improving OER Reporting

  • Reporting process is not overly cumbersome but could be streamlined.
  • Ideas:
    • Integrate reporting links and forms into Canvas for better accessibility and visibility, as emails are often missed.
    • Need for better communication and outreach to improve reporting