Who do I contact if I have questions about applying for an Alt-Textbook Grant or want to discuss OER project ideas?
For any questions, please contact Sammy Peter, scook13@uwyo.edu, the current Coordinator for the Alt-Textbook Grant.
What is in the Alt-Textbook grant application?
When you apply for an Alt-Textbook grant, you will be asked to provide details about the course you teach, the current costs of materials for students, and whether you plan on adopting an existing Open Educational Resource (OER), adapt an OER, or create an OER.
You will be asked to demonstrate that the materials you create/adopt for a course are open-access, use open-source or free software, and are openly licensed to be shared and adopted/adapted by other instructors.
Please note that there is a required pre-grant workshop, "OER 101," that all applicants must have attended prior to submitting an application. This "OER 101" workshop will be on October 4th, 2023 via Zoom and in person in Coe Library 302. If you cannot make the workshop, you can schedule an OER grant consultation with Sammy Peter, Chair of Research & Instruction (scook13@uwyo.edu) or Shannon Smith, Student Success Librarian (shannon.smith@uwyo.edu), prior to applying.
What is NOT considered an OER?
Licensed (and copyrighted) library resources, websites, and other non-openly licensed materials are not considered OER. For more information understanding and finding OER, please see the "Find OER" tab on the left-side of the webpage.
If I want to use OER materials for more than one course, how do I handle that in the application process?
To maintain clarity in our application process, please fill out one grant application per course.
Is there anything you will not consider for the Alternative Textbook grants?
All grant proposals should reflect a new project. We will not consider commercial e-book versions of an existing textbook, existing textbook alternatives used by faculty, or textbook rentals.
What do you consider adaptation of OER materials?
Adaptation involves identifying existing OER and modifying it to reflect local needs, updated information, or creating ancillary materials to pair with an existing OER that will enhance the learning experience.
What are the levels of funding for Alternative Textbook grants?
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Adoption of an existing open textbook. This is our lowest level of funding. Grant funds of up to $1,500 would be supplemental salary for the time to re-work your syllabus to incorporate a new, open textbook.
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Adaptation of an existing open textbook. This would be the adoption of a textbook written by someone else and licensed openly, to which you would either add content, adapt content to reflect local teaching, or re-order content. Grant funds of up to $2,500 would be supplemental salary to reflect the time to both adopt the new textbook and to adapt it to your pedagogical needs.
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Creation of either a new open textbook or of new supplementary open teaching materials (this could include test banks, videos, etc.). Grant funds of up to $3,000 for supplemental salary can be awarded, and the committee will also consider funding requests for an additional budget if needed.
How are the Alternative Textbook grant proposals reviewed?
Grant applications are reviewed based on projected cost savings to students, pedagogical innovation, sustainable and/or cross-institutional impact, and ability to succeed with intended goals.
What do I do after I implement my OER in my class?
You will need to complete a Final Grant Report (template and instructions are linked). Final Reports should be emailed to Sammy Peter at scook13@uwyo.edu.
What do I do with the OER materials I create as part of my Alternative Textbook project?
It is important that the materials created for the OER project do not violate copyright. For more about OER and Copyright, please go to the "OER & Copyright" tab on the left side of the webpage.
Materials that you create as part of UW's Alternative Textbook grants must be deposited in WyoScholar, the University's institutional repository, and assigned a Creative Commons License. For specific questions related to this process, email scholcom@uwyo.edu.