HBCU Summit: Assessing the Impacts of OER on Student Academic Achievement and Student Satisfaction in Biology and Environmental Science Courses

Concurrent Session 3
HBCU

Brief Abstract

3:30pm - 4:15pm: Assessing the Impacts of OER on Student Academic Achievement and Student Satisfaction in Biology and Environmental Science Courses 
Shirma Ramroop-Butts, Bethune Cookman University
Sarah Krejci, Bethune Cookman University

General education science courses traditionally pose a strong challenge to students outside the sciences. Particularly freshmen students struggling to adapt to the campus experience and taking their first college-level lab course often don’t demonstrate their true academic strength and often fail to purchase the required textbook which is often due to financial limitations or the lack of motivation in non-major students purchasing a book for a course outside their disciplines. Providing Open Education Resources reduces the impact of financial stresses and mitigates the excuses from students unwilling to purchase a non-major textbook. Professors have tracked the impact of OER resources in Biology courses on multiple measures of student success including academic achievement and student satisfaction.

Presenters

Lead Presenter: Moustapha Diack, Southern University-Baton Rouge & Director MERLOT Africa Network

Professor Moustapha Diack is the Associate Vice President for Online Learning Services for the Southern University System (SUS) and Director of Professional Development Services for Southern University Baton Rouge (SUBR). He is Chair of the Practitioners Summit for Advancing Affordable Learning Solutions and Quality Online Education for HBCUs, integral part of the OLC/MERLOT International Conference. His research interests at Southern University are in the areas of Instructional Design, cognitive theory of multimedia learning and the strategic planning and deployment of online learning systems to enhance student learning outcomes. Diack has extensive experience in the areas of online learning design and delivery and has played a global leadership role in the areas of Open Education and Open Access. He is recipient of the International MERLOT (Multimedia Educational Resources for Learning and Online Teaching) Innovation Award 2009. He is member of the MERLOT Faculty Development Editorial Board and Co-Founding Director of the MERLOT Africa Network (MAN), a network of African higher education institutions and digital scholars engaged in the research, development and implementation of open education. At the SUS, Diack oversees the development and implementation of integrated digital library services, the Southern University Online Library for Education (SUOL4ed), to facilitate quality online programs development and college affordability through the adoption of open education resources and open textbook. Diack is member of the Louisiana Board of Regents Task Force On Electronic Learning and Past President 2003-2006 of the Louisiana Academy of Science and also Member of the Quality Matters (QM) International Advisory.

Co-presenter: Shirma Ramroop-Butts, Bethune-Cookman University

Co-presenter: Sarah Krejci, Bethune Cookman Univeristy

Extended Abstract