The Open Education Development Series was designed to assist with the faculty’s needs for promotion and tenure. Following the Boyer guidelines, the application process supports the recognition of a faculty member’s work on their OER. The application to attend Part V of the program includes supplying the evaluators with information and data regarding the faculty member’s work and intentions.

Once faculty submit their application, the program staff evaluates the materials according to a rubric. These criteria include project feasibility, scale of impact, the textbook vision, responsiveness to audience, and the approach to diversity, equity, and inclusion. Having three individuals review the application can ensure objectivity and diminish subjectivity in evaluating the materials presented.

Highly feasible projects will demonstrate clarity in the intent and departmental support for the project. OER projects with minimal support or little or no time allocation minimizes the way a faculty can contribute to their work. Though their intention may be good, departments that are unaware of the work may not be able to adequately help the faculty meet their goals. This is why a letter of support from the department is helpful in the evaluation.

Criteria for Evaluating an Application to the OEDS

In light of the Boyer model of scholarship, OEDS relies on several criteria to evaluate the application materials. This lends additional rigor and recognition to the faculty’s work. This type of review demonstrates the quality of the scholarly activity.

The criteria for evaluation include the scale of impact, the textbook vision, the responsiveness to the student audience, and the approach for diversity, equity, and inclusion in the work. These are defined as follows:

Scale of Impact

The extent to which the application demonstrates a significant impact on online student success.

Textbook Vision

The extent to which the application demonstrates a clear vision for the textbook with pertinent detail for successful project completion.

Responsive to Audience

The extent to which the application demonstrates familiarity with the intended student audience and a clear intent to write for students’ needs.

Diversity, Equity, & Inclusion

The extent to which the application demonstrates an ongoing commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion in the process of creating course materials.