PSU to pilot cost-saving coursework program

  Monday, November 10, 2014 2:00 AM
  News

Pittsburg, KS

Pittsburg State University is one of eight educational institutions nationwide that will participate in a pilot program to test the effectiveness of competency-based, self-paced curriculum.

Lynette Olson, Pittsburg State provost and vice president for academic affairs, said that the university is partnering with open courseware specialists Lumen Learning to see if and how open educational resources (OER) can be effective in university and college classrooms. Open educational resources are teaching, learning and research resources that reside in the public domain or have been released under a copyright license that permits anyone to freely use and repurpose them.

Using OER in the classroom can save institutions money by reducing curriculum costs and save students money by reducing textbook expenses.

“More than just saving money,” Olson said, “using OER material in place of a traditional textbook is beneficial because there is a wealth of information that can be accessed, and we can actually look at building courses around that content. It’s a free exchange of ideas and information, and it could change the way we teach at the university level.”

Lumen Learning was recently selected to receive funding as part of the Next Generation Courseware Challenge, a $20 million grant competition from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation to build exemplary, affordable digital course materials that improve student success among low-income and disadvantaged learners.

Lumen’s programs, Olson said, could lead to more self-paced coursework for students.

“One of the things we’re looking at with OER is whether or not we can implement a system wherein students could learn at their own pace,” Olson said. “Is it better to have all students work at the pace of the instructor, or is it better to let students work ahead at their own pace? Each student is different, and we want to make sure their educational experience fits their needs and expectations.”

The pilot of the Lumen courseware program is expected to begin at PSU in the fall of 2015, said Brenda Frieden, director of PSU’s Center for Teaching, Learning and Technology.  Four courses within the Kelce College of Business will participate in the pilot. Those courses are Basic Marketing, Introduction to Business, Macroeconomics and Microeconomics.

“We are in the development stages of this approach, and we’re excited to see where this could lead us,” Olson said. “We’ll work closely with faculty and students to get a strong sense of the effectiveness of OER in our classrooms.

“With the cost of higher education continuing to rise, I think it’s very important that we begin exploring alternative approaches when it’s appropriate,” she said. “We want to do whatever we can to help keep costs down for our students while not sacrificing the quality education they expect and deserve.”

For more information about Lumen Learning and OER, visit http://lumenlearning.com.