Assessing the OER & Textbook Experience at UTSA

Please share your honest perceptions of the OER you have seen for your courses/discipline.

Overall Themes

• There is cautious interest in OER, tempered by concerns about quality, control, and content availability.
• Faculty are open to exploring OER further, especially if it aligns with their teaching style and student needs.
• Digital accessibility and adaptability are key priorities for both instructors and students.

Initial Perceptions and Hesitations

• One participant admitted to having a bias against OER, assuming it to be lower quality due to its open-access nature and lack of corporate backing.
• Another participant also had limited experience with OER and initially found the available sociology content lacking. However, she found some full courses (e.g., from Rice University) compelling and appreciated the flexibility to select specific lessons.
• Another participant also expressed concern about losing control over course content when using pre-made OER materials.

Positive Experiences and Openness

• One participant shared that she adapts her teaching each semester and values digital platforms (like Vantage and McGraw Hill Connect) for their integration of textbooks and assignments. She finds them affordable, flexible, and student-friendly, especially in a post-COVID learning environment.
• This same participant is open to exploring new digital resources, especially those that align with evolving student preferences.

Student Preferences

• One participant mentioned a student who was frustrated by having to buy a hard copy of an outdated textbook because no digital version was available. The student preferred having everything accessible on a device, highlighting the growing demand for digital-first learning materials.

What criteria do you consider when adopting textbooks for your courses? How do you evaluate textbooks/learning materials for your courses?

Key Criteria for Selecting Textbooks

• Relevance and Timeliness: Some instructors frequently update textbooks to reflect current societal issues, especially in courses like social problems and gender studies.
• Cost: Affordability is a major concern. Faculty aim to select materials that are accessible to students financially.
• Supplemental Resources: Availability of test banks, PowerPoints, and digital tools is important, even if not always used directly.
• Compatibility: Instructors prefer books that align with their existing teaching materials to avoid having to recreate content.
• Clarity and Neutrality: Clear definitions and concept explanations are valued. Some expressed concern about textbooks that include overt political content, which could alienate students.

Challenges

• Time Constraints: Evaluating new textbooks is difficult when book orders are due mid-semester.
• Edition Changes: New editions can disrupt course continuity and require significant rework.
• Lack of Differentiation: Many introductory sociology textbooks follow nearly identical structures, making it hard to find unique or improved options.

General Sentiment

While some instructors stick with familiar textbooks for consistency, others are open to change if it improves relevance, student engagement, or affordability. There’s a shared desire for better tools, more time for evaluation, and materials that balance academic rigor with accessibility.

What are some reasons that UTSA faculty may be hesitant to adopt OER?

• Time and Workload: Faculty expressed that adopting OER requires significant time and effort, especially when transitioning to a new system. Many feel they would need an extended break, like a summer term, to properly explore and implement OER.
• Lack of Exposure: Some faculty had never encountered OER before joining their current institution. Without colleagues using or promoting OER, it simply wasn’t on their radar.
• Perceived Stigma and Bias: There’s a belief that OER lacks the prestige of materials from well-known academic publishers. This bias stems from academic training that often emphasizes traditional, peer-reviewed, and publisher-backed resources.
• Need for Peer Advocacy: Faculty noted that hearing about OER from trusted colleagues could help reduce skepticism and encourage adoption.
• Unfamiliarity and Lack of Support: Some faculty are open to new resources but haven’t had the opportunity to receive personalized guidance or training on OER. In contrast, commercial publishers often provide direct outreach, training, and incentives (like gift cards) to review and adopt their materials.

What do you feel that UTSA could do to better support faculty that adopt OER?

• Comparable Resources: Faculty are more likely to adopt OER if they know it includes the same types of support materials as commercial textbooks—such as test banks, lecture slides, and assignments.
• Clear Communication: Many faculty don’t recall receiving information about OER opportunities. They suggested:
  • Targeted emails by discipline (e.g., “Resources for Sociology”) instead of broad university-wide messages.
  • Direct outreach from colleagues or units already using OER to help spread awareness.
• Librarian Support: Faculty emphasized the value of librarians in helping identify and access OER materials, noting they often have more expertise in this area.
• Hands-On Demonstrations: Some faculty requested step-by-step walkthroughs or live demonstrations showing how to adopt and implement OER in a course.
• Student Testimonials: Hearing directly from students about their positive experiences with OER could help build faculty confidence and interest.

Reasons for Faculty Hesitation

• Time and Workload: Faculty noted that adopting OER requires significant time to explore, evaluate, and integrate into courses—something difficult to manage during the academic year. Many would only consider it during extended breaks like summer.
• Lack of Familiarity and Exposure: Several participants had never encountered OER until recently and were unaware of colleagues using it. This unfamiliarity contributes to hesitation.
• Perceived Elitism and Stigma: There’s a bias in academia toward traditional publishers and a perception that OER lacks the prestige or quality of materials from well-known academic presses.
• Concerns About Resources: Faculty worry that OER may not come with the same robust instructor resources (e.g., test banks, PowerPoints, lecture notes) that commercial publishers provide—resources that save time and enhance teaching.
• Desire for Control and Customization: Some instructors are hesitant to adopt pre-made materials because they prefer to maintain full control over course content and structure.

Suggestions for Institutional Support

• Compensation for Faculty Time: Offering stipends or incentives (e.g., gift cards) for reviewing or adopting OER could encourage more faculty to engage with these materials.
• Targeted Communication: Faculty prefer personalized, discipline-specific emails over broad university-wide announcements. Targeted outreach increases the likelihood of engagement.
• Librarian Support: Librarians are seen as valuable allies in identifying and navigating OER options. More collaboration with them could ease the transition.
• Hands-On Demonstrations: Faculty requested clear, step-by-step demonstrations of how to adopt and implement OER in a course, including what tools and processes are involved.
• Peer Advocacy and Testimonials: Hearing from colleagues who have successfully used OER—and from students who benefited—could help reduce skepticism and build trust.
• Future Curriculum Considerations: Some faculty are concerned that upcoming changes in departmental oversight of textbook selection may limit their ability to choose materials freely, making OER a more appealing long-term option.

What ideas do you have for recognizing faculty that adopt OER? How would you like to be recognized for adopting OER?

General Sentiment on Recognition

• Most faculty expressed that they don’t need formal recognition for adopting OER. Their primary motivation is to support students, especially by reducing financial barriers to course materials.

Ideas for Meaningful Recognition

• Course Evaluations: One suggestion was to add a question to student evaluations or annual faculty reviews that highlights the accessibility and affordability of course materials. This could serve as a form of recognition and validation of faculty efforts.
• Student Feedback: Some faculty noted that students often express appreciation—especially in qualitative comments—when materials are free and accessible.
• Symbolic Recognition: Lighthearted ideas like a “Gold Star” designation or badge for OER adopters were mentioned as fun, informal ways to acknowledge participation.

Concerns and Considerations

• Lack of Resources: Some faculty are hesitant to adopt OER due to concerns about missing instructor resources (e.g., test banks, lecture slides, discussion questions) that are typically provided by commercial publishers.
• Support for Transition: Faculty emphasized the need for clear, targeted communication and support from the university—such as librarian assistance, discipline-specific outreach, and step-by-step guidance on how to implement OER.

Student-Centered Motivation

• Ultimately, faculty emphasized that the real reward is making education more accessible. When students don’t have to worry about textbook costs, they’re more likely to succeed—and that’s the most meaningful outcome for many instructors.

What are some challenges that you have had adopting textbooks overall in your courses?

Key Challenges with Textbook Adoption

• Technical Issues with Digital Platforms: Some faculty experienced problems with platforms like Vantage and Connect, including integration issues with the learning management system (LMS), grade syncing failures, and general usability frustrations. These issues led some to stop using the platforms altogether.
• Desire for Control: Faculty prefer to manage course materials independently to avoid relying on external systems or support when problems arise.
• Bookstore and Ordering Problems: Several mentioned difficulties with the university bookstore, including incorrect orders or book requests being overlooked entirely. Some students also lacked experience purchasing textbooks, creating additional barriers.
• Early Adoption Deadlines: A major concern was the requirement to submit textbook adoptions six to seven months in advance—often during the busiest parts of the semester (e.g., midterms). Faculty felt this timeline was unnecessarily early and poorly communicated.
• Lack of Communication: Many faculty reported not receiving reminder emails about adoption deadlines, leading to confusion and missed submissions.

• Faculty expressed frustration with the textbook adoption process at the university:
  • Early deadlines (often mid-semester) are poorly timed and not well-communicated.
  • Lack of reminder emails leads to missed deadlines.
  • Bookstore issues include incorrect orders or no orders being placed at all.
  • Some students are unfamiliar with how to purchase textbooks, creating additional barriers to acces

What are some challenges that you have had adopting OER in your courses?

• One faculty member shared difficulties integrating OER course materials (specifically from Rice University’s OpenStax) into Canvas. There was no direct way to import quizzes or exams, requiring manual copy-pasting of content—an extremely time-consuming process.
• This lack of seamless integration was seen as a major barrier, especially when compared to commercial platforms like Vantage or Connect, which offer easy-to-use test banks and automated tools.

What are some ways UTSA can better support UTSA student awareness of required textbooks prior to Class Day One?

Faculty Suggestions to Improve Awareness

• Direct Communication: Faculty believe students are more likely to pay attention to emails from their professors than from the university. Some already email syllabi or textbook info before the semester starts.
• Visual Aids: Including a picture of the textbook cover in the syllabus helps reduce confusion and incorrect purchases.
• Automated Notifications: A suggestion was made to have UTSA automatically email enrolled students textbook details once adoptions are submitted.
• Earlier Access to Syllabi: Some faculty delay publishing syllabi until just before classes begin. Making this information available earlier could help students plan better.

Challenges with the Bookstore

• Students often purchase the wrong edition or wrong courseware through the bookstore, leading to refund issues and delays.
• Faculty often recommend students buy directly from publishers to avoid these problems.

OER Advantages

• OER materials are immediately accessible via a link, eliminating bookstore issues and early adoption deadlines.
• Faculty noted that OER could reduce confusion and improve equity by ensuring all students have access from day one.

What are some ways UTSA can better support textbook affordability for UTSA students?

• Faculty were surprised that only a small percentage of students defined “low cost” as $0. Most students preferred textbooks priced under $50, challenging the common faculty assumption that under $100 is acceptable.
• Students often find free versions of textbooks online, even if unofficial, highlighting their resourcefulness and the importance of affordability.
• Faculty acknowledged that textbook costs can influence students’ course choices and that affordability is increasingly critical due to rising tuition and fees.
• There was interest in hearing more directly from students about their experiences with OER.

Prior to today, were you aware of UTSA’s Free Textbook and Low-Cost Textbook filters, shown below?

One of the four faculty participants were aware of the textbook filters.

Prior to today, how familiar were you with the UTSA OER reporting process?

• Some faculty were unaware of the reporting process or the course filters (e.g., “Free Textbook,” “Low Cost Textbook”) available to students during registration.
• One faculty member noted that the reporting process wasn’t overly cumbersome, though others agreed it could be streamlined.
• The conversation highlighted a need for better communication and outreach to ensure faculty know how to report OER use.

Are there any other experiences, successes, challenges, or resources related to textbooks or OER that you’d like to share?

Faculty Suggestions for Improvement

• Centralized Resource Hub: Faculty suggested creating a subject-specific database of OER materials—similar to OpenStax—where instructors can easily browse and select resources by topic (e.g., gender studies, sociology).
• Canvas Integration: A major pain point is the lack of seamless integration between OER platforms and Canvas. Faculty want the ability to easily import quizzes, exams, and course packs, similar to commercial platforms like Connect or Vantage.
• Simplified Discovery: Searching for quality OER materials online is time-consuming. A curated, UTSA-hosted repository would save time and improve adoption.

Closing Remarks

• Faculty appreciated the opportunity to share feedback and expressed interest in continued support and communication.
• UTSA staff acknowledged the challenges and committed to following up with resources and improvements based on the discussion.