Grow OER Awareness

Why OER Awareness Matters

One of the most difficult obstacles to overcome in any campus environment is building a foundation of awareness about OERs. How many times have you pitched the idea of using or creating an OER only to then be asked, “What’s that?” or “What does OER stand for?” Unlike the term “open access”– which also struggled for decades to become acceptable nomenclature– the concept of an OER has not yet reached the level of cognitive market saturation necessary for everyday conversation with faculty, students, and administrators.

As of the writing of this text, we are still years away from building the level of awareness across the higher education landscape, i.e., about what OERs are and how they can impact student learning and faculty research necessary for launching successful and sustainable OER programs. Building that awareness can begin within your own department, college, or school. Thus, the creation of the OER you are reading right now!

What Growing Awareness Can Look Like

Begin small. Set an achievable goal within your own circle of influence, such as your classroom or your department. Examples of “S.M.A.R.T” (Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, and Time-bound) goals that help build awareness might include:

• Establish a baseline understanding: By the end of a single academic term, at least 75% of students or faculty in a targeted course or department will be able to correctly define open educational resources, or distinguish OERs from open access publishing and freely available online materials, as measured by a brief survey.
• Normalize OER vocabulary: Within six months, incorporate the term “open educational resources” into at least three regular communication channels (e.g., a syllabus, departmental agenda, or presentation). Document any usage by other faculty or staff.
• Connect OERs to local needs: Within one academic year, develop one locally contextualized example (e.g., a short presentation, handout, or case study) that explicitly links OERs to a priority concern (e.g., textbook costs, curricular flexibility, or student engagement) and present it to at least one class, committee, or department meeting.
• Highlight existing examples: By the end of the current term, identify at least one OER already being used within your discipline or at your university and share a brief description of that resource in at least one class, committee, or department meeting.
• Build confidence through exposure: Within one semester, organize at least one low-stakes OER exploration activity (e.g., reviewing an open textbook chapter or experimenting with remixing content) to engage at least five participants. Collect informal feedback on comfort level and perceived usefulness.
• Develop local champions: Before the end of the fall semester, identify at least three individuals (e.g., faculty, librarians, instructional designers, or students) to deepen their engagement with OERs by building a community of practice, meeting for a lunch-and-learn, or serving as peer advocates on campus.

The examples above typically involve relationship-building and networking. If you would prefer a more hands-off approach, you could also consider building a marketing campaign around OERs to help raise awareness on campus using the sample marketing materials in this toolkit. You should consider working with any communications directors or marketing professionals within your college or university, especially those with experience building campus-wide campaigns. These individuals and groups know how to get the word out through digital channels, may have access to vendors or resources for fabricating print materials, and can offer sound advice on the best timing for any campaigns in your community.

Examples of broader campaigns might include:

• Campus-wide messaging initiatives: Collaborate with communications staff to feature OERs in existing campus, college, or department newsletters. Short messages (e.g., a “Did you know?” series) can help foster awareness.
• OER-focused web presence: Develop a simple website (i.e. just a landing page) or LibGuide that explains what OERs are, why they matter locally, and links out to introductory resources, like OER repositories. Your website could grow overtime, but having a “base of operations” that faculty and students can refer to (and that will come up in web searches) can help legitimize any OER awareness-building efforts.

• Promotional campaigns: Use the posters, stickers, and postcards in this OER toolkit and place them in high-traffic areas (physical or online). These materials are especially effective when they emphasize local data (e.g. estimated student savings) or signal boost local stories, (e.g. scholarly collaboration). You could partner with student government organizations, the campus bookstore (yes, even them!), or any campus teams that focus on student success and accessibility.
• Event-based outreach: Lean into the national attention brought about during Open Education Week (usually in early March) and offer to table during faculty development days or learning symposia. Use the materials in this toolkit to hand out during those events.

As noted earlier, these types of campaigns are most effective when they reflect the culture, strategic priorities, and communication norms of your institution. Not every campus will need a highly visible campaign. In some cases, a sustained, low-key presence may be more appropriate.

It’s important to remember that the goal of awareness-building is not immediate adoption. Your goal is to first establish a shared understanding. Once faculty, students, and administrators can recognize the term “open educational resources” and articulate its local relevance, only then is the groundwork in place for deeper conversations about adoption, adaptation, and creation.

Key Audiences and What They Need to Hear

While the core definition of “OER = open educational resources = (your definition)” is your primary message at this stage, how you contextualize that definition will vary depending on the needs and desires of your target audience. Remember the first rule of marketing: make something people want. So what do your target audiences want? Here are some suggested questions to help you figure that out:

• Student Perspective:
  • How does this help me succeed?
  • How does this make college more accessible?
  • How does this connect to issues of justice?
• Faculty Perspective:
  • How does this fit my teaching and standards?
  • How could this show evidence of innovation and collaboration within my department, college, or field?
  • How does this help my students?
  • How could this increase or show evidence of my scholarly impact?
  • What would my peers think of this?
• Administrator or Staff Perspective:
  • How do we support and scale this?
  • How does this improve the reputation of the university?
  • How does this impact existing resources and staffing?

Questions for Reflection

• If a dean or faculty member landed on your OER LibGuide (or website) today, what would they see? How could you edit your LibGuide to get them to engage with you or your OER program?
• What is the state of OER awareness right now at your institution? Who do you know already (faculty, staff, administrators) who can define OER accurately? Where do you most often encounter confusion about what OERs do?
• What is your smallest, most realistic circle of influence for growing OER awareness right now? This could be a single person or a single department!
• Do your current outreach/marketing efforts reflect your institution’s communication norms? Which would work better: a high-visibility campaign or a behind-the-scenes strategy be more effective on your campus? What evidence supports your choice?
• Even if you haven’t reached the point of “full adoption,” what signals would tell you that your awareness-building is successful?
• What are your institution’s current or emerging strategic priorities and how can OERs support that work in a way that is practical and measurable?

Assets You Can Use to Grow OER Awareness

Select the title or image for each asset’s guidance and templates.

Growing OER Awareness Assets

Sample	Asset
	Social Media Templates Customizable graphics and copy blocks for quick OER announcements across your campus channels.
	Tabletop Display and Flyer Templates A one-page, print-ready promo highlighting upcoming OER events, support contacts, and a QR code to your campus OER guide to hand out or display.
	Zoom Background Templates Branded virtual backdrop with a short OER message and discreet URL/QR code to raise awareness in meetings, webinars, or lecture.
	Bookmark Templates Easy to hand out at service desks and events or as a small takeaway featuring your OER awareness message. You can also include a QR code to an OER or OER-related event.
	Poster Templates Designed for high-visibility spaces, these posters can help introduce your OER message, promote upcoming events, or point viewers toward more information with a QR code.