Assessing the Impact of a Collaborative OER & Affordable Resources Committee: Instructors’ Awareness of Course Material Options

Abstract

This case study shares observations from a 2022 survey of 197 instructors at Iowa State University, a public research university in  the United States. The survey sought to explore instructor awareness of three major affordable course material initiatives supported by the university’s  Open & Affordable Education Committee (OAEC): open educational resources (OER), Course Reserves, and Immediate Access. Results from the survey found that despite significant cross-promotion and collaboration between the three programs represented on the OAEC, the awareness and uptake of each program varied wildly, as did instructors’ understanding of the differences between each material type. This paper shares the results of that survey, as well as improvements which have been made to the OAEC’s programming and promotion efforts in the year since.