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Accelerator Award for Open Educational Resources Announced

By WashU Libraries

Scholarly Communications & Digital Publishing (ScholPub) at WashU Libraries and the Digital Intelligence & Innovation Accelerator (DI2) are pleased to announce the awardees for the inaugural Accelerator Award for OERs. The DI2 Accelerator Award for Open Educational Resources (OER) offered WashU faculty and staff funding in the categories of Adoption ($2,500), Adaptation ($5,000), and Creation ($7,500) of an OER. ScholPub received eleven applications representing four schools and eight departments/programs. DI2 ultimately awarded eight projects from three schools.  

OER are instructional materials that encompass course content, textbooks, supplementary learning aids, and research materials and are developed by faculty experts in the field. OER are easy to share, freely downloadable, and can be easily redesigned or adapted to meet specific class needs.

ScholPub will provide licensing support and training on the Libraries’ Pressbooks platform to publish the OERS. The award-winning OER projects are scheduled to be published between summer 2025 and fall 2027.  

  • John Nestojko & Mel Mallard, CAPS (Continuing & Professional Studies), Psychological & Brain Sciences, “INTRO (Introducing New Students to Topics in Psychology through Resources that are Open)”: Adoption 
  • Jennifer Moore, WashU Libraries, CAPS, GIS, “Introduction to Spatial Thinking and GIS”: Adaptation
  • Roger Chamberlain, McKelvey School of Engineering, Computer Science & Engineering, “Computing in the Physical World”: Adaptation 
  • Joe Cruz, CAPS, Management & Organizational Change, “Public Speaking for Modern Learners: Self-Assurance, Adaptability, and Professional Growth”: Creation 
  • Tansu Daylan, Arts & Sciences, Physics, “Gateway Expeditions into Exoplanets”: Creation 
  • Mijeong (Mimi) Kim & Hea Young Chun, Arts & Sciences, East Asian Languages and Cultures, “YSK (You Speak Korean) OER: Adaptation for First Level Modern Korean I & II Classes”: Adaptation 
  • Taewoong Kim & Jiyoon Lee, Arts & Sciences, East Asian Languages and Cultures, “YSK (You Speak Korean) OER: Adaptation for Second Level Modern Korean I & II Classes”: Adaptation
  • Katherine Kerschen & Carol Jenkins, Arts & Sciences, German, “Basic German: L21 Core Course I-IV”: Creation  

“Open educational resources make course materials more accessible and benefit all students, but are particularly impactful for students with limited resources. I’m very pleased that the Libraries are coordinating this work and raising the profile of OERs, and I’m even more pleased to see such a broad set of resources being supported,” said Mimi Calter, Vice Provost and University Librarian.

As part of WashU’s commitment to Digital Transformation and open education, the DI2 Accelerator Award for OER supports faculty in creating innovative, openly available learning resources that enhance accessibility, affordability, and student engagement. The selected projects will enrich courses with interactive and data-rich content and create resources that benefit both the WashU community and learners worldwide.