By Journal Staff

MARQUETTE — Northern Michigan University’s Lydia M. Olson Library and the NMU Center for Teaching and Learning will host a panel discussion on the topic of open educational resources for faculty, graduate students, local educators and community members. The event is scheduled from 4 to 5:30 p.m. Wednesday in the Olson Library Atrium, with a reception to follow.

The panel will serve as the kick-off event for a two-year pilot program to increase OER use on NMU’s campus.

OER materials are available at little or often no cost and can be used for teaching, learning or research, NMU said in a news release. These resources may include: textbooks, readings, videos, simulations, games and course content such as quizzes/exams, assignments and assessment tools.

The materials are often digital and available to faculty under a Creative Commons or similar usage license. OERs are part of the Open Solutions movement that seeks to ensure that information is freely and fairly available for everyone, NMU said.

“The open education resource movement is another way that faculty can remove barriers and support students,” said Leslie Warren, interim associate provost and dean of Library and Instructional Support. “Olson Library and the Center for Teaching and Learning are committed to working with NMU faculty to reduce textbook costs and make higher education more affordable.

“I’m proud of the OER groundwork that is being laid at NMU. Our faculty, librarians and instructional design staff are working hard to expand OER’s availability to students, bridging equity gaps and helping more students complete their degrees.”

The panel will feature guest speaker Joseph Mold, executive director of online learning and instructional design at Bay College. He will share his experiences using OER in more than 40 courses, saving students more than $1.9 million since 2015.

NMU faculty members Jim Marquardson, assistant professor of computer information systems; Heather Mooney, assistant professor of sociology; and Nancy Gold, contingent assistant professor of English, will speak about their own experiences using OER in their classrooms at NMU. Emera Bridger Wilson, collection management librarian, will also discuss opportunities to learn more about OER and the resources available at Olson Library and the Center for Teaching and Learning.

To request accessibility arrangements, contact Bridger Wilson at ebridger@nmu.edu.