On March 6th, colleagues from departments across campus came together in the T Gallery to learn more about open pedagogy and resources and celebrate Langara’s open education champions. The room hummed as colleagues mingled and chatted and explored the open textbooks and digital resources on display. Strategically placed near the bar was a large whiteboard covered with notes from students. The Open Langara committee had asked students to jot down how much they had spent on textbooks this semester and what other day-to-day things they could have used that money for.
Patricia Cia, the Director of Academic Innovation, welcomed guests and shared the history of Open Langara as well as the numerous benefits OER has had on Langara students since 2013. Mary Burgess, the Executive Director of BCcampus and long-time open education advocate discussed how open education has grown and developed since 2012 and Langara’s important role in that growth.
Did you know that between 2013 and 2019, Langara instructors have saved 5209 students over $756,367 by adopting free, open textbook?
But the main event of the evening was a brief video in which three Langara students shared their thoughts on the cost of textbooks and the impact of the use of open textbooks in their courses. The event wrapped up with a lively door prize draw and more great conversation. Thank you to everyone who attended.
Want to learn more about Open Education?
The Langara Library website has a number of resources if you’d like to learn more about OER.
| What are OER? | Why Use OER? | Locating OER |
BCcampus also has a myriad of great resources on open education.
| OpenEd | Find an Open Textbook |
If you like to connect with colleagues on campus who are familiar with using OER, contact Open Langara at open@langara.ca or check out the Open Champions article on the Library Central blog.
