Interview with an OER Faculty Fellow

Professor Susan Brandt participated in the Spring 2016 Faculty Fellows Program. We interviewed Professor Brandt in order to hear her reflections about the Program, and also to learn more about how the OER materials were adopted into the course.
Would you describe the OER you created?
As a fellow in the OER program in 2016, I learned about OER-created content and the importance of Creative Commons Licensing. The current version of the course, ENT 1102: Health and Safety in Production, uses two online platforms, Blackboard and OpenLab.
What was the process like, in converting the course to OER?
Before the Fellowship began, the course was already 100% on Blackboard.The transition to OpenLab meant rewriting all the lectures and using Creative Commons licensing of the supporting content.
Also, each lecture was updated twice during the Fellowship, to conform to changes in health and safety regulations. Laws regulating SDS, labeling, and the safe handling of materials are changing in the United States and around the world. The goal is to keep the content interesting and accessible to current students.
Are there any other reflections you would like to share?
The course has been successful in accessibility, as the students now have 24-hour access to the course materials. They are able to read and learn at their own pace. The flexibility provides the students opportunities to attend school, work, and live, by providing a modern educational setting outside of a traditional classroom. I am considering using OER for other courses I teach in the future.
Also, we’ve been doing a meet and greet with the Health and Safety students at the start of each semester. We hope to answer questions, and meet the students face to face. The experience is designed to jump-start the students who are not yet engaged in the course. All of the students are invited set up appointments with the Faculty if they need help getting started at any time.
Want to learn more? If you’re interested in OER at CityTech or the Faculty Fellows Program, feel free to reach out to Prof. Cailean Cooney (Chair of the Library’s OER Committee), at ccooney@citytech.cuny.edu