The cost of traditional textbooks has increased 88% in the last decade, so much so that 67% of students no longer can afford to buy required textbooks for their courses. As the COVID- 19 pandemic arrived in 2020, the University of Nebraska aimed to increase student affordability by supporting faculty in adopting free or reduced-cost digital course materials in their courses.
Open Nebraska (ONE) also known as Open Educational Resources (OER) "are teaching, learning, and research resources that reside in the public domain or have been released under an intellectual property license that permits their free use and re-purposing by others. Open educational resources include full courses, course materials, modules, textbooks, streaming videos, tests, software, and any other tools, materials, or techniques used to support access to knowledge."
UNK Library Guide to ONE resources
The University of Nebraska is committed to student affordability by supporting faculty in adopting free or reduced-cost digital course materials in their courses. Collaborative efforts for utilizing Open Educational Resources (OER) and Inclusive First Day Access eBook programs have saved NU students over $7M as of the Spring 2022. The goal is to save NU students $10 million by 2023 through this program.
Course Marking - in Class Search for students
The University of Nebraska course attributes increase transparency so that students and their families can determine which UNK courses are using these free and reduced-cost digital course materials at the time of registration instead of learning this information as the course is beginning.
No Cost Materials
Course materials are included at no additional cost to the student. No book purchase is required.
Low-Cost Materials
Course materials for this course cost students less than $40.
Students can search for ONE-Open Nebraska or OER courses when they register for classes. This means the course will include no- or low-cost materials or reduced cost materials.
Students choosing ONE courses who are taking a full course load can save up to $500 per semester. That's a potential savings of $4,000 over the course of the academic career.
How do I find ONE courses when doing a UNK Class Search?
Go to: MyBlue > UNK Class Search > scroll to bottom and select options in Open Nebraska.
No Cost Materials
Course materials are included at no additional cost to the student. No book purchase is required.
Low-Cost Materials
Course materials for this course cost students less than $40.
Directions:
Using CLSS, be sure you include which option (KONE-NCM Or KONE-LCM) in the comment section that applies to your course. Add your initials and date.
If you have questions, contact the person in your college department that does your scheduling.
View How-To Video, Lisa Neal, UNK Registrar
No Cost Materials
Course materials are included at no additional cost to the student. No book purchase is required.
Add to comments: KONE-NCM, initials and date.
Low-Cost Materials
Course materials for this course cost students less than $40.
Add to comments: KONE-LCM, initials and date.
If you have any questions about your ONE course (formerly known as an OER Course), feel free to contact the UNK ONE committee:
Martonia Gaskill
Jane Petersen
Kim Carlson
Rochelle Reeves
Eric Tenkorang
Don Ray.
UNK Library Guide to ONE resources
If you need help identifying open textbooks for your class, contact your subject librarian or Rochelle Reeves.
Affordable Content Grant Directions
Affordable Content Grants promote UNK strategic goals and a “culture of open” where affordability, quality, and accessibility intersect to create change in the educational landscape. Affordable Content for the sake of this grant includes open educational resources, but may also incorporate other materials, in lieu of or in addition to OER’s, that achieve the goal of “no cost to student” materials. This may include free content online, library resources, content you have created, and more.
Criteria
Priority will be given to projects that have the potential to:
- Create the greatest sustainable impact for cost savings to students
- Promote the use of affordable content on campus Improve teaching within a course
- Improve retention in a course
- Applications that present a strong value case in fewer than all of these areas will still be considered.
Grant Funding Details
Awards will be $1,500
- $750 will be disbursed upon course going live
- $750 will be disbursed after all grant requirements are met
Requirements for Grant Recipients Support
A. Getting Started with your ONE/OER course
- A UNK librarian and a Instructional Designer will be assigned to you.
- Attend a 1-hour meeting (a Doodle poll with be forwarded to recipients in award notification)
- Inform ONE/OER Grant Committee of your go-live date for your ONE/OER course and previous textbook costs for students
- We will share an Canvas Online ONE/OER Course with you.
- Complete accompanying Canvas modules to identify alternative materials for your course
- The goal is to replace the existing textbook with a free textbook, library materials, freely available materials online, or some combination thereof.
- Librarian assistance in locating materials and assure open license use of materials.
- Instructional design assistance to ensure pedagogical relevance of materials for the course.
- You will receive other support needed to implement use of materials.
- You will need to convert paid materials to no-cost materials or low-cost (under $40) materials.
- Any new works created as a result of this project, or existing materials adapted, must be created under an open license.
- You will receive assistance in selection of the best license for your situation.
B. ONE/OER Course is ready to go live!
- Submit your ONE/OER Canvas course to OER Grant Committee.
- Meet with your ONE/OER grant committee for final approval.
- After approval, the first part of stipend is paid.
C. After the ONE/OER course has been completed
- Complete an exit survey which will be provided at the end of the semester.
- Second/final part of stipend is paid.
- Provide feedback to other instructors at future educational seminars about their experience adopting and utilizing alternative materials in the classroom.
For questions about Affordable Content ONE/OER Grants, contact:
Dr. Martonia Gaskill, Teacher Education & Online
gaskillmc@unk.edu
308-865-8813
Jane Petersen, Director of Academic Technology
jpetersen@nebraska.edu
308-865-8623
Dr. Kim Carlson, Professor of Biology
carlsonka1@unk.edu
308-865-1554
Rochelle Reeves, Curriculum Librarian/Assoc. Prof
reevesr@unk.edu
308-865-8276
Eric Tenkorang, Online Instructional Designer
tenkorange2@unk.edu
308-865-8271
Don Ray, Asst. Director, Academic Technology
don.ray@nebraska.edu
308-865-8268
