Bethune-Cookman University News February 4, 2020 Faculty Seek to Enhance Online Learning Through Innovation On March 31, 2020, through April 3, 2020, 12 faculty members from Bethune-Cookman University will present at this year's Online Learning Consortium INNOVATE conference hosted by OLC and MERLOT in Chicago, Illinois. The conference focuses on cross-disciplinary collaboration infusing technology with higher education pedagogy. In 2018, Bethune-Cookman University received the Merlot/OLC Service Award at the INNOVATE conference as a national model for how an institution of higher education can be innovative and agile in adopting Open Education Resources as a powerful student success program. B-CU is the first HBCU to receive this award for its exemplary implementation of Open Education Resources (OER). B-CU's highly-skilled faculty redesigned 55 courses comprised of the entire general education courses. "It is an honor to have an amazing team of dedicated faculty to present at this year's conference," said Dr. Arletha McSwain, Executive Director of B-CU Global Online Partnerships. "The preliminary data has yielded positive student performance, increased student engagement, and saved students hundreds of dollars." B-CU faculty INNOVATE Conference 2020 presenters include: Ms. Kelly Carey and Dr. Raphael D. Isokpehi College of Science Engineering and Mathematics Topic Description: Promoting Robust Student Learning of Statistics with Open Education Resources Analytics of Learning transactions from over seven semesters (offered to 303 traditional and 52 online students is allowing us to investigate the metacognitive behaviors that promote robust student learning of students.) "I am very excited about attending OLC Innovative Conference so I can meet others who are teaching online incorporating free and open resources. I love the idea of keeping costs down for students but think I will come home with great ideas on how to keep my courses interesting and engaged with the free materials and technology is already out there." Dr. Kekeli Nuviadenu School of Performing Arts & Communication Topic Description: Where Destiny Meets Legacy: Open Educational Resource (OER) Pilot Project in Introduction to Effective Oral Communication Course "The conference is an opportunity to highlight a pilot project from B-CU; faculty experience and network with Online Teaching and Learning scholars and professionals valuable to the Department of Communication Studies, Theatre, & Dance in the School of Performing Arts & Communication and General Education at Bethune-Cookman University." Dr. Adelia Parrado-Ortiz College of Liberal Arts Topic Description: A Case Study of the B-CU Open Education Resource Project MLS 131 Breaking Down the Barriers of Accessibility and Affordability. This presentation will demonstrate the process that was followed to design, choose and deploy this course successfully and how the idea was welcomed by all the members of the Spanish faculty. "This case study shows how the B-CU community is already experiencing the benefits of the open education resources initiative because instructors do not have to follow a specific and expensive Spanish textbook." Ms. Amy Williams and Dr. Michelle Troian College of Business and Entrepreneurship Topic Description: Development and Facilitation of OER Financial and Managerial Accounting Classes - Our Journey and the high cost of textbooks and access codes can be a hindrance to student success. Students struggle to cover these costs and oftentimes do not purchase the materials or purchase them late in the semester and are unable to catch up with the class. Over the years we have required students in Principals of Accounting I (Financial Accounting) and Principals of Accounting II (Managerial Accounting) to purchase textbooks and access codes. In the summer of 2018, we participated in a project to develop these classes using OER. We were apprehensive about losing the features available with online access codes, such as algorithmic problems, automatic grading, and ease of assignment set-up. We would like to share our experience with successfully developing and facilitating these classes using OER. "The process of implementing OER resources into our courses was an engaging experience. It allowed us to not only consider the cost of our class resources, but opened our eyes to the varying platforms and methods of instruction that are available for our students. We look forward to sharing our experience and collaborating with our peers as we improve and expand OER course materials." Dr. Sarah Krejci College of Science Engineering and Mathematics Topic Description: Promoting robust student learning of statistics with Open Education Resources analytics of learning transactions from over seven semesters (offered to 303 traditional and 52 online students is allowing us to investigate the metacognitive behaviors that promote robust student learning of students. " I am very excited about attending OLC Innovative Conference so I can meet others who are teaching online incorporating free and open resources. I love the idea of keeping costs down for students but think I will come home with great ideas on how to keep my courses interesting and engaged with the free materials and technology is already out there." Dr. Dennis Pires College of Business and Entrepreneurship Topic Description: Insight into the millennial learner's engagement, online teaching distance study "Project Gate provides me the opportunity to attend the OLC Conference that will help me get scholarly feedback from faculty teaching in the online learning environment at various higher education institutions around the country." Dr. Allen Pelley and Dr. Masood Poorandi College of Science Engineering and Mathematics Topic Description: Initial analysis of B-CU's mathematics courses identified issues regarding the prohibitive cost of student materials. Many students were not purchasing the material, success rates were low and faculty and students alike were frustrated. Thus in 2017, the B-CU Mathematics and Physics Department adopted only open education resources. This decision created estimated savings for the students exceeding $100,000 each semester. The results in these courses along with past data could be used for comparison of OER student learning vs. publisher textbook/online homework learning system. "This is an excellent opportunity for me to attend the OLC Innovate 2020 Chicago in order to learn and network with other professionals regarding Open Education Resources. I am also interested in discussing best practices at the conference and discovering additional materials and techniques that will assist our beloved students at Bethune-Cookman University," said Drs. Pelley and Poorandi. Dr. Alice Wood School of Religion and Philosophy Topic Description: Overcoming student anxiety in an online world religion course. Online HBCU students overcame initial anxiety about studying other religions through an experiential learning exercise called The Spiritual Disciplines Project. "This is a wonderful conference that offers so many brilliant ideas for creative online teaching! I am very excited to see what's new this year." Dr. Jan Boulware Associate Dean College of Liberal Arts Topic Description: "E (Educational and Electronic) Fortress. It is important even more to bridge the gap between these two states of education is to a scholastic stronghold, using open educational resources. "Participation in the HBCU Summit of the OLC Conference will be educationally symbiotic in the most beautiful way in as much as I hope to share OER as a best practice." Learn more about the INNOVATE conference<https://onlinelearningconsortium.org/attend-2020/innovate/> Sandra M. Phoenix HBCU Library Alliance Executive Director Atlanta University Center Robert W. Woodruff Library 111 James P. Brawley Drive SW Atlanta GA 30314 404-978-2118 (office) 404-702-5854 (cell) http://www.hbculibraries.org<http://www.hbculibraries.org/> sphoenix@hbculibraries.org<mailto:sphoenix@hbculibraries.org> Honor the ancestors, honor the children and those yet to come. 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