OER Training for Faculty

This OER training course provides faculty with an opportunity to explore open educational resources (OER) and discern how OER can be integrated in their courses to improve both the faculty experience and the student learning experience. Topics related to OER licensing, discovery, adoption, adaptation, and creation will be covered with many different faculty examples, helping participants see a range of opportunities and the role of iteration in OER work. The course also addresses the importance of accessibility, ways to improve representation and work toward equity, opportunities in open pedagogy, and how faculty can get recognition for OER work. Participants will have many opportunities to make connections to their own courses.

• Course begins – September 30, 2024
• Last day to register – October 7, 2024
• Course ends – November 22, 2024

• Course begins – February 17, 2025
• Last day to register – February 24, 2025
• Course ends – March 21, 2025

The cost of this course is $99 with a $35 registration fee.

Students will receive a digital badge and certificate of completion.

Faculty participating in this OER training course will be able to:

1. Identify open licenses
2. Distinguish how different open licenses impact faculty ability to use and modify resources
3. Locate OER in their field
4. Evaluate resources for use in their class(es)
5. Develop learning modules with aligned learning objectives, open resources, and assessments
6. Describe the role of iteration in course development
7. Apply standards in accessibility to open resources
8. Identify resources for improving equity through OER
9. Reflect on how course topics apply to course(s) they teach

Emily Ragan, Ph.D., is a professor in the Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry at Metropolitan State University of Denver. She developed and teaches an online section of general chemistry using open educational resources and multiple face-to-face biochemistry courses.

She has been teaching at MSU Denver since 2013. Previously, Ragan worked as an affiliate professor at Tulsa Community College, University of Tulsa, Contra Costa Community College and Laney Community College; was a lecturer at Dominican University of California and Kansas State University; and was a postdoctoral associate and graduate research assistant at Kansas State University. She received the E-Learning and Instructional Technology Exemplar award from MSU Denver and Governor Polis’ Outstanding Z Professor award in 2020.

Her lab investigates the mechanism of iron uptake in insects. Better understanding of iron uptake in insects could set the stage for novel pest control strategies or may yield insights that transfer to a more complete understanding of human iron metabolism. Ragan is also interested in active learning strategies, including course-based undergraduate research experiences, to increase student engagement and support learning outcomes. She co-authored several research papers including “Comparison of insect and human cytochrome b561 proteins: Insights into candidate ferric reductases in insects” in PLoS One in 2023.

Ragan received her doctorate in biochemistry from Kansas State University in 2008 and a bachelor’s in biochemistry and molecular biology from University of California in 2002.