Thread by @ProfBrandle

@Romano_PoliSci @williamadler78 @cmMcConnaughy I’m running to class now but am butting in so I remember to come back later with resources. #OER is an answer to all of this (including the challenge of finding level-appropriate, high quality materials).

@Romano_PoliSci @williamadler78 @cmMcConnaughy okay, i'm back! and i'm tagging in @michaelgmiller because he was interested too. if you don't love the textbook you teach with currently, or you worry about the cost to students, you are not alone, and there is a solution- #OER!!!!

@Romano_PoliSci @williamadler78 @cmMcConnaughy @michaelgmiller on need, check out the #RealCollege stuff coming from the Hope @hope4college & @saragoldrickrab - here's their latest report hope4college.com/college-and-un…
"45% of respondents were food insecure in the prior 30 days
56% of respondents were housing insecure in the previous year"

@Romano_PoliSci @williamadler78 @cmMcConnaughy @michaelgmiller @hope4college @saragoldrickrab and if you feel like textbook costs have gotten super out of control, you're not wrong- rate of cost has increased dramatically in last 20 years.

@Romano_PoliSci @williamadler78 @cmMcConnaughy @michaelgmiller @hope4college @saragoldrickrab beyond the $ & need there are even more reasons to switch to #OER Here's a deck I made about all the non-financial benefits of switching (w/ clickable links throughout): bit.ly/10ThingsOER

@Romano_PoliSci @williamadler78 @cmMcConnaughy @michaelgmiller @hope4college @saragoldrickrab and a bit more data- students LOVE #OER (tons of research on this in lots of contexts, but here's shameless self-promo of a recent article I co-authored openpraxis.org/index.php/Open… & the open data protocol so you can go poking around the responses yourself: bit.ly/CUNYZTCSurvey

@Romano_PoliSci @williamadler78 @cmMcConnaughy @michaelgmiller @hope4college @saragoldrickrab but, i know we're all busy political scientists! how can you get started fast? first, you're probably already doing it- supplementing/updating a textbook you maybe don't love w/ articles, blogs, podcasts, videos etc. You can switch to an open textbook and boom, done!

@Romano_PoliSci @williamadler78 @cmMcConnaughy @michaelgmiller @hope4college @saragoldrickrab I like the @OpenStax US Govt book for intro: openstax.org/details/books/… You might not like all of it, but that's okay- you can mix and match (it's licensed for adaption and remixing, so copy, paste, and edit away). Combine chapters from lots of existing #OER books

@Romano_PoliSci @williamadler78 @cmMcConnaughy @michaelgmiller @hope4college @saragoldrickrab @OpenStax for IR, there's @E_IR which has open source articles and two nice textbooks- theory and intro- e-ir.info/textbooks/ same rules apply- edit away!

@Romano_PoliSci @williamadler78 @cmMcConnaughy @michaelgmiller @hope4college @saragoldrickrab @OpenStax @E_IR now, let's say you teach something else- try looking at @open_textbooks - their open textbook library has lots of books, and helpful reviews from faculty just like you (like you would look at for a traditionally published textbook!) open.umn.edu/opentextbooks/…

@Romano_PoliSci @williamadler78 @cmMcConnaughy @michaelgmiller @hope4college @saragoldrickrab @OpenStax @E_IR @open_textbooks struck out there too? maybe write your own? or write materials to go w/ original sources (UN documents? The federalist papers? SCOTUS decisions? Executive Orders?) Or go further- why would you write a book for students when STUDENTS CAN WRITE THE BOOK? Authentic assignments FTW

@Romano_PoliSci @williamadler78 @cmMcConnaughy @michaelgmiller @hope4college @saragoldrickrab @OpenStax @E_IR @open_textbooks that last approach is copied from the Open Anthology of American Lit, digitalcommons.plymouth.edu/oer/2/ started by the incredible @actualham who you should be following if you're not already, for brilliance in all things open & pedagogy (she's not a poli sci, but she is super awesome)

@Romano_PoliSci @williamadler78 @cmMcConnaughy @michaelgmiller @hope4college @saragoldrickrab @OpenStax @E_IR @open_textbooks @actualham in fact, you're on twitter right now, just click #OER & go exploring. #OER folks are the nicest, they're all about sharing & giving their stuff away. find them. befriend them. become them!

@Romano_PoliSci @williamadler78 @cmMcConnaughy @michaelgmiller @hope4college @saragoldrickrab @OpenStax @E_IR @open_textbooks @actualham and when you do convert your syllabus/course, or make a new resource, share it out! stick it in the open textbook library, your institutional repository, wherever, and tweet it out! maybe throw your syllabus into the APSA syllabus project, so everyone can see the options.

@Romano_PoliSci @williamadler78 @cmMcConnaughy @michaelgmiller @hope4college @saragoldrickrab @OpenStax @E_IR @open_textbooks @actualham want to do more? of course you do- we're political scientists! we always do the most! try publishing your research #openaccess- via APC, in an open journal, or w/ a pre-print on your site/institutional repository-you'll get more cites & folks will actually get to teach your work!

@Romano_PoliSci @williamadler78 @cmMcConnaughy @michaelgmiller @hope4college @saragoldrickrab @OpenStax @E_IR @open_textbooks @actualham oooh, i also forgot Wikipedia- as a place to get info (don't pretend like you don't go there sometimes ;o) and as a place for students to do authentic writing with a worldwide audience! Looks like a few political scientist are doing it already- wikiedu.org/blog/2018/05/0…

@Romano_PoliSci @williamadler78 @cmMcConnaughy @michaelgmiller @hope4college @saragoldrickrab @OpenStax @E_IR @open_textbooks @actualham caveat: it might get messy. it will take time. you might make mistakes (or make some horrible, sad reader that is gross & bad & then publish an article about the whole mess) and you know what, that's okay.

@Romano_PoliSci @williamadler78 @cmMcConnaughy @michaelgmiller @hope4college @saragoldrickrab @OpenStax @E_IR @open_textbooks @actualham the gift of #OER is getting back to basics-learning objectives: what do you want students to know & be able to do, & what do you need them to read/view/listen to/interact w/ to help them achieve those objectives? it might turn out that it's different than what you thought it was

@Romano_PoliSci @williamadler78 @cmMcConnaughy @michaelgmiller @hope4college @saragoldrickrab @OpenStax @E_IR @open_textbooks @actualham if you have specific materials you're looking for, tag me! (in July please- my semester goes into June ;o) & I'm happy to help. there may also be help on your campus (CUNY, SUNY, & many other institutions are starting to see the huge need for this work, & even fund/support it)

@Romano_PoliSci @williamadler78 @cmMcConnaughy @michaelgmiller @hope4college @saragoldrickrab @OpenStax @E_IR @open_textbooks @actualham if you've made it this far, and teach intro-level #PoliticalScience won't you please take this short survey? bit.ly/PoliSciOER

@Romano_PoliSci @williamadler78 @cmMcConnaughy @michaelgmiller @hope4college @saragoldrickrab @OpenStax @E_IR @open_textbooks @actualham TLDR: #PoliticalScience textbooks are expensive & often not great, & you can find/edit/create your own materials using #OER that will work better for you/your students, & even though it might take time & be messy/scary, I promise you it will be worth it.