Hunter Grove first encountered OER during his first year of college, and in his second year, he joined the Textbook Affordability Team and the Associated Student Government, working to educate students and faculty alike about OER and its potential to lower textbook costs for students. He is transferring to Oregon State University (OSU) in the fall and plans to continue his OER advocacy there.
Tell us a little bit about yourself. What is your major and how long have you been attending Mt Hood Community College (MHCC)?
This is my second year at MHCC, and my first in student government. I am preparing to transfer to Oregon State University (OSU) in the fall to study Fisheries and Wildlife Sciences. I’m an avid hiker and actor; in the summer I’m a camp counselor and in the winter I work at Timberline Lodge as a Ski Instructor.
What barriers, if any, have you encountered that have made it difficult for you to stay on track to complete your program (degree, transfer, certificate)?
Money has always been an issue for me. I would qualify for a lot of scholarships but strict federal guidelines say that I have taken too many credits (since I took some in high school) and that means I can’t receive any financial aid at my community college– which is stressful, to say the least, since I still need to take more classes before I transfer.
PDF version available.
How did you first hear about Open Educational Resources (OER)?
I first heard about OER when I took a chemistry class that was using an OER textbook during my freshman year. I remember feeling relieved that it was one less expensive book I would have to buy. After joining the Associated Student Government I learned a lot more about it: what it is, who makes it, and why it is so important.
Have you taken a class where the instructor used all free or open educational resources? What was that experience like for you? How would you compare it to similar classes where a commercial textbook was used?
After I learned what OER was, I’ve tried to pick classes that use OER books. I’ve taken psychology, math, chemistry, and biology that all used entirely OER. It’s really refreshing and calming knowing that I won’t have to figure out how to pay for a bunch of $100+ books each term, on top of tuition. It takes a lot of stress and weight off my shoulders. In the classes, the books are normally online, which means I don’t have to lug them around all day, and it makes it easier to find the section I need to read for assignments and homework. I couldn’t say if the content was any different than the traditional textbook, but I know that 83% of surveyed faculty agreed that their OER books were just as good, if not better than the traditional textbooks that they used in the past (Open Textbook Alliance).
You’ve been learning a lot about OER through your role as the Academic Affairs representative on the Associated Student Government. How do the duties of an Academic Affairs representative include open education awareness?
A big part of my job description has to do with advocating for OER. I serve on our school’s Textbook Affordability Team, whose primary goal is to lower textbook prices for students, which means we’re trying to get as many professors to switch to OER as we can. I also am responsible for collecting and presenting student opinions about textbooks around the school.
Tell us about opportunities/activities you’ve participated in and planned that have helped you to learn more about this new way of teaching and learning and how to advocate for it?
At the beginning of the year, I sent out a survey to all of our students asking which departments they thought needed cheaper textbooks the most. I used this feedback, in combination with a list of required course materials from the bookstore, to put together a list of the instructors that we wanted to talk to about making the switch to OER in their courses. Later in the year, I helped plan our Open Education Week (OEW20) activities, in which I connected with 159 students and focused on raising awareness for OER and educating students on what it was, handing out little flyers with some poignant statistics on them, and showing them how to search for courses that used OER materials. I also collected a lot of student responses to questions about textbooks and the impact of expensive books and handed out letters that students could sign and give to their professors detailing why we need more OER.
Gallery: Photos from Mt Hood Community College (MHCC) Open Education Week (OEW20) activities
How can students best advocate for OER adoption at their colleges?
The best thing students can do is talk to their professors about adopting OER for their course. Professors have academic freedom, which means they have the right to choose which materials they use in their courses, so we need to start there. Professors choose their work for a reason because they want to help us, the students, so hearing from us about OER is the most effective way to change their minds.
What is the greatest impact that OER adoption can have on students?
The biggest immediate benefit to students is the cost. OER textbooks are totally free (unless you want to print them) which takes a huge financial burden off of students. No one should have to choose between paying for a $200 textbook and paying rent or buying food, but that’s the unfortunate reality for a lot of students.
Finally, please share any future educational plans and how OER might play a role?
Next year I’ll be at OSU, and I’m currently looking to join their Student Government team so that I can continue to spread the word about OER and take some of the stress out of being a student.
OER Student Perspective Video with Hunter from MHCC
Resources Developed by MHCC ASG: