Iowa OER
banner
iowaoer.bsky.social
Iowa OER
@iowaoer.bsky.social
Iowa OER is a statewide group working to make higher education more affordable for students by advocating for the use of open educational resources and practices across Iowa.
Interested in learning more about other open work that scholars are doing around the world? Join our peers at the Iowa Regent universities next week for a keynote lecture about #OpenAccess publishing and more!

Register to attend the online presentation: uiowa.zoom.us/meeting/regi...
Join us Oct. 20 from noon to 1pm Central for our #OpenAccessWeek keynote lecture by @juancommander.scholcommlab.ca, co-hosted by the three Iowa Regent universities.
Learn more and register to attend: iastate.libcal.com/event/15425542
October 14, 2025 at 4:16 PM
We recently finished a project to update our #OER Toolkit, a collection of resources from across the web pulled together to support OER leaders. Reviewing & organizing the content took some time, but we hope it will support our community!

Access the toolkit on our site: iowaoer.com/iowa-oer-too...
October 8, 2025 at 6:38 PM
Final call for applicants! iowaoer.com/oer-communit...

If you or someone you know is interested in participating in this year's cohort for our free #OER Communities of Practice, be sure to get signed up by the end of the day tomorrow, September 19th!
September 18, 2025 at 1:16 PM
Reposted by Iowa OER
This fall, 🍁 reach for new possibilities with 2026 certificates from the OEN:

CERTIFICATE in OPEN PEDAGOGY
Create student-centered curriculum w/ open pedagogy.
z.umn.edu/OpenPedCert

CERTIFICATE in OPEN EDUCATION LIBRARIANSHIP
Build your action plan to grow open education.
z.umn.edu/OpenEdLibrar...
September 4, 2025 at 1:28 PM
Did you miss our announcement last week about the #Iowa #OER Award winners? Check out the features for our award winners on our website, starting with Melanie Bloom, a high school teacher and recipient of our first OER Creation Award!
iowaoer.com/oer-creation...
OER Creation Award Winners
2025 Melanie Bloom “I met Melanie several times during the course of the project to discuss open publishing and creative commons licensing for the BEESTINGZ curriculum. Each time, she asked t…
iowaoer.com
August 13, 2025 at 6:11 PM
Reposted by Iowa OER
New semester, new resources! 🙌 We’ve added 18 free online, expert-written, openly licensed textbooks to our library. They even come with free instructor resources like test banks & PowerPoint slides, too!

🙌 Give them a try this fall: openstax.org/blog/the-new...

#OER #HigherEd #K12 #OpenStax
August 13, 2025 at 5:43 PM
2 announcements in one week? That's right! Not only is the CFP for our 2025 Communities of Practice live, we've also just posted the official announcement for the winners of the 2025 Iowa #OER Awards!
Learn more about the winners and their work with open education at iowaoer.com/iowa-oer-awa...
August 7, 2025 at 6:38 PM
Many of our community members have been looking for more opportunities to dig deeper into how open education programs are supported and sustained. Check out this series for some interesting insights! www.iskme.org/event/design...
Join us next week for the final Designing for Impact session on Scaling and Sustaining OER Initiatives in the United States and Canada on August 12 12-1pm Pacific / 3-4pm Eastern. Learn more & register here
Designing for Impact Series – May 13, June 10, July 15, and August 12 | ISKME
by Mindy | Apr 16, 2025
www.iskme.org
August 6, 2025 at 1:09 PM
Have you heard? We've just opened the call for participants for our annual OER Communities of Practice! Apply now through Sept 12 to participate! Instructors in the fields of Psychology, Teacher Education, and Agriculture/Environmental Science are encouraged to apply.
iowaoer.com/oer-communit...
OER Communities of Practice
The Iowa OER Communities of Practice (CoPs) program supports instructors across the state who want to connect with peers over a shared interest in open educational resources (OER). Participants in …
iowaoer.com
August 5, 2025 at 6:31 PM
Wondering what the Iowa #OER team has been up to this year? It's been a lot! Our annual report is not yet public, but in the meantime, you can read up on one of our projects from the past year on our blog, our third annual OER Communities of Practice Program!
iowaoer.com/2025/06/12/j...
Reflecting on the 2024/2025 Communities of Practice
During the 2024/2025 academic year, the Iowa Open Education Action Team ran our third Communities of Practice program, bringing together instructors across the state to share their interest in open…
iowaoer.com
June 13, 2025 at 5:50 PM
New blog post! Learn about the amazing work behind openscied.org, a free, high-quality #OER science curriculum with the support of educators across Iowa & beyond. OpenSciEd is an excellent example of what educators can do when they're given the tools & time to succeed.
iowaoer.com/2025/05/28/m...
May 28, 2025 at 6:35 PM
Reposted by Iowa OER
“Basic needs insecurity is a tangible crisis affecting adult learners nationwide.”

We uncover the issue across #HigherEducation, and share federal, state, and institutional resources that have the potential to make a difference. Learn more: sr.ithaka.org/blog/from-ch...
May 28, 2025 at 5:05 PM
There's only a few days left to nominate yourself or a peer for an Iowa #OER Award! If you know an educator in Iowa (K-16) who has supported learners through open education work, please consider nominating them for this opportunity!
iowaoer.com/2025-iowa-op...
May 28, 2025 at 5:45 PM
Have you or colleague used #OER for a class in Iowa? Consider nominating yourself or them for an Iowa OER Award!
This new award celebrates instructors across the state working with OER, from K-12 to higher ed. Nominations are open until June 1: iowaoer.com/2025-iowa-op...
May 5, 2025 at 8:13 PM
Our latest blog contribution comes from Northeast Iowa Community College's Shannon Brenner, who shares her instructional design team's experience aligning #OER to courses through Course Blueprints!
#InstructionalDesign #CourseAlignment
iowaoer.com/2025/04/29/a...
April 29, 2025 at 9:32 PM
Reposted by Iowa OER
"Open access materials help to democratize knowledge," said Prof Marit Bovbjerg from OSU, where free and low-cost textbooks, including @creativecommons.bsky.social licensed open educational resources, have saved students more than $20 million since 2019. Read more: bit.ly/4kvcw81 #OER
Oregon State faculty’s use of free textbooks generates millions in student savings
To celebrate Open Education Week, read how OSU students have saved over $20 million thanks to faculty who use free textbooks and other OER.
bit.ly
March 7, 2025 at 9:12 PM
Join us for our next Iowa #OER webinar, "Reflecting on #OEWeek25: Events, Projects, and Programming—Oh my!" This month, we'll chat about our favorite events from Open Ed Week and discuss potential ideas for the future (both small and large)!
Register now: iowaoer.com/event/reflec...
March 4, 2025 at 8:42 PM
Reposted by Iowa OER
This #OEweek I am delighted to celebrate a few milestones in Brock University's growing #OER grant program, including over $500,000 in student cost savings over 2 years, #OER adoptions across all of our Faculties, the launch of an OER adaptation stream, and the launch of an OER data dashboard.
Celebrating milestones during Open Education Week
When it comes to making learning more affordable, accessible and customizable, Brock University has a lot to celebrate this Open Education Week. Now in its third year, Brock’s Open Educational Resourc...
brocku.ca
March 4, 2025 at 12:19 AM
Next week, we're hosting a webinar with Anne Marie Gruber from UNI, who will describe how an #OER initiative with no budget can support publishing with Manifold thanks to support from the @openednetwork.bsky.social. Examples and documentation will be shared. Learn more: iowaoer.com/event/publis...
February 4, 2025 at 8:03 PM
The Iowa OER team has been hard at work this year on a few #OpenEd projects! If you work with #OER, check out these resources on our website, iowaoer.com
OER Promotional Kit for Institutions
OER Training Modules
Iowa OER Annual Survey Data Dashboard
Conferences & Events
Our wonderful blog
And more!
December 12, 2024 at 2:52 PM
The new #IowaOER blog post is up, and this is a good read, folks! "Unlocking Knowledge: The Role of OER in Iowa’s Public Libraries" discusses the potential role of #OER in #PublicLibraries for supporting lifelong learners, local homeschool populations, and others: iowaoer.com/2024/12/02/u...
December 2, 2024 at 4:22 PM
New blog post alert! This month, Anne Marie Gruber from UNI is sharing her experience learning about and supporting an #OpenPedagogy project!
iowaoer.com/2024/10/21/o...
October 21, 2024 at 3:36 PM
Happy October! For this month's webinar, we're featuring our own @openaccesselder.bsky.social as she gives an entry-level overview of #OER for librarians & other support staff. Instructional designers are welcome to attend!
Date: Oct 17, 12-1pm CT
Register now: iowaoer.com/event/webina...
October 1, 2024 at 1:30 PM
Join us next week, Sept 17 from noon to 1pm CT for our next Iowa #OER webinar featuring special guest, Will Cross! This month's webinar will use the Code of Best Practice in #FairUse for OER as a foundation for interactive discussion. Learn more and register now: iowaoer.com/event/webina...
September 11, 2024 at 2:57 PM