The State Regents’ Council for Online Learning Excellence (COLE) recognized faculty members, administrators and two university teams for their outstanding work during the Friday, May 26 State Regents meeting.

Dr. Kathy Essmiller, open educational resources (OER) librarian at Oklahoma State University, was honored with the Oklahoma Online Excellence Award for Open Education Impact. Kara Stanley, instructional designer at the University of Oklahoma, was honored with the Oklahoma Online Excellence Award for Accessibility. Dr. Niccole Leanne Miller, adjunct professor and senior director of strategic initiatives for student success at the University of Central Oklahoma, was honored with the Oklahoma Online Excellence Award for Teaching. Christala LaFay Smith, director of the Center for Instructional Development and Technology at Southeastern Oklahoma State University, was honored with the Oklahoma Online Excellence Award for Individual Leadership. The Oklahoma Mesonet Outreach Team was honored with the Oklahoma Online Excellence Award for Team Leadership. The IDEA Team of the Center for eLearning and Connected Environments at UCO was honored with the Oklahoma Online Excellence Award for Innovation.

“Online learning is a vital component of Oklahoma higher education,” said Chancellor Allison D. Garrett. “With more than 300 fully online degree programs available across the state system, our colleges and universities provide innovative, academically rigorous online education options that expand college access and enhance flexibility for the students we serve.”

The State Regents’ Online Education Task Force formed the COLE in 2016. COLE is comprised of faculty, staff and administrators representing each tier of Oklahoma’s public and private colleges and universities, as well as other entities connected to online learning technologies.

As part of the ongoing effort to improve online learning, COLE members recognize the excellent work of faculty, staff and administrators at Oklahoma’s colleges and universities. The Oklahoma Online Excellence Awards were established in 2017 to formally recognize individuals and teams for excellent work in online or hybrid learning. Nominations are submitted by peers and judged by a committee of COLE members. For more information about the awards and current and previous awardees, visit https://awards.ocolearnok.org.

CUTLINE: The Council for Online Learning Excellence (COLE) recognized faculty members, administrators and two teams for their outstanding work during the May 26, 2023 meeting of the Oklahoma State Regents for Higher Education. Pictured, front row left to right: Brad Griffith, Oklahoma State Regents for Higher Education; Kara Stanley, University of Oklahoma; Dr. Niccole Leanne Miller and Gina NeeDels, University of Central Oklahoma; and Andrea Melvin, Oklahoma Mesonet. Back row, left to right: Dr. Kathy Essmiller, Oklahoma State University; Christala LaFay Smith, Southeastern Oklahoma State University; Sean Gausman, University of Central Oklahoma; Chancellor Allison D. Garrett; Robert Wall and Dr. Linda Banks, University of Central Oklahoma; Dr. Chris Fiebrich and James Hocker, Oklahoma Mesonet; State Regents’ Chair Michael C. Turpen; and Kevin Kloesel, Oklahoma Mesonet.

The post 2023 Oklahoma Online Excellence Awards Recognized appeared first on Online Consortium of Oklahoma.

• Teaching
• Innovation
• Individual Leadership
• Team Leadership
• Accessibility
• Open Education Impact – New for 2023!

Nominations will be evaluated by a committee of online learning professionals from COLE and the Online Consortium of Oklahoma (OCO).

Award winners will receive numerous accolades, including:

• Letter from the Chancellor
• Profile on the Online Excellence Awards webpage
• Physical award plaque
• Digital badge award issued through Credly
• Showcase session at the 2023 Oklahoma Learning Innovations Summit

For more information and to submit a nomination, visit the Online Excellence Awards webpage here at OCOlearnOK.org. Questions and award documentation may be submitted to online@osrhe.edu.

The post 2023 Online Excellence Awards – Call for Nominations appeared first on Online Consortium of Oklahoma.

OER 101 Training Completion Grants

Faculty and staff who work with faculty on curriculum and course development are invited to complete the OER 101 training offered for free through the Online Consortium of Oklahoma.  90 total $50 awards are available on a first-come basis. This training equips individuals with the knowledge necessary to find and use OER.  Eligible individuals will be contacted by OSRHE once they successfully complete the final assessment and offered an opportunity to complete an MOU to receive the funds through their institution.  Every individual who successfully completes the OER 101 training will be issued a digital credential through Credly.

Click on the image below to view or download a copy of our flyer for more information!

OER Adoption/Development Faculty Grants

All state system institution faculty teaching transferable courses with OER in spring or summer 2023 are eligible to apply for open textbook development/adoption grants. OPEN OCO Pressbooks is available as a resource.  A total of $235,000 in funding is available on a first-come basis. 

Three grant types are offered, including:

• $500 – Whole adoption of an existing OER
• $1,000 – Remix/revision of two or more existing OER into a new book
• $2,500 – Full authorship of a new OER

Additionally, a $500 Ancillary Materials Grant is available as add-on or stand-alone to fund the creation of homework and assessments to accompany a new or existing OER textbook.  Funding will be disbursed from OSRHE to the faculty’s teaching institution upon completion of project requirements, who may issue the award to the faculty.

Interested faculty may initiate a consultation request with OSRHE to discuss their project and apply for the funds. 

Click on the image below to view or download a copy of our flyer for more information!

Questions?

If you have questions or would like to request a presentation of this information to a group on your campus, please contact us at online@osrhe.edu.

The post OER Training and Open Textbook Grants Now Available for 2022-23 appeared first on Online Consortium of Oklahoma.

Register via Zoom Events or by visiting https://summit.ocolearnok.org.

Attendees will hear of new funding opportunities for open educational resources (OER), discover faculty-led open textbook projects, and gain access to numerous resources provided to our colleges and universities at no cost.

Live captions will be provided via Zoom and recordings will remain available following each session for 30 days within Zoom Events.  Please contact Brad Griffith at online@osrhe.edu if you need to request any special accommodations to fully engage with us during the virtual event.

The post 2022 Oklahoma OER Summit, October 26-27:  Registration Open appeared first on Online Consortium of Oklahoma.

The Oklahoma Council for Online Learning Excellence (COLE) invites Oklahoma faculty, staff, and students to share their ground-breaking ideas, research and best practices in Open Educational Resources (OER).

Submit a conference presentation proposal for the virtual event to be held Wednesday and Thursday, October 26-27 (between 10:00 am and 3:00 pm CST).

This event is FREE for all speakers and attendees!

We invite proposals with a focus on the following areas, all with an emphasis on cultivating a climate of collaboration:

1. Inclusive Practices with OER: (culturally-responsive and equity-focused pedagogies and OER, publishing and printing, accessibility of OER content, data on the impact of OER, research on OER) All Levels
2. The Value of Open: (includes introduction to OER, benefits, open licensing, shared examples of OER, and discussion of OER adoption models) Beginner
3. Teaching and Learning with Open Educational Resources: (includes ways to find and use free, CC licensed and public domain content, and incorporating open pedagogy, improving student learning outcomes using OER) Beginner/Intermediate
4. Collaborative Cultivation: (includes co-authorship, editing of anthologies, peer review, faculty tenure and promotion, and navigating shared projects) Intermediate 
5. Implementing and Scaling OER Initiatives: (includes group collaboration, starting your initiative, student engagement, policy, strategies, structure and process, institutionalizing and communicating about OER, COVID-19 and OER – its impact on the future) Intermediate/Advanced

View Full Call for Proposals

Submit Your Proposal via Google Form by September 14!

The post 2022 Oklahoma OER Summit – Call for Proposals “Cultivating a Climate of Collaboration” appeared first on Online Consortium of Oklahoma.

• Level 1:  Adoption of whole, existing OER:  $500
• Level 2:  Remixing/revision of multiple OER:  $1,000
• Level 3:  Creation of new OER: $2,500

Interested faculty and teams may submit the OPEN OCO Pressbooks Grant Interest Form to set up a consultation with OCO and find out more about this opportunity. Questions may also be sent to online@osrhe.edu.

The post OER Funding Available for OPEN OCO Pressbooks Projects appeared first on Online Consortium of Oklahoma.

Hosted each spring, the Oklahoma Learning Innovations Summit showcases online excellence in higher education throughout the state.  Organized by members of the Council for Online Learning Excellence (COLE), this event invites faculty, staff, and administrators to share in best practices and innovations that support online learners.

Join us starting Friday, April 1 at 10 am for The State of Online Learning in Oklahoma 2022, which includes updates from our online collaboration groups (COLE, OCO, Oklahoma Quality Matters) and will conclude with a kickoff introduction from Chancellor Allison Garrett!

Session tracks for 2022 include: Humanizing the Online Learning Experience, Lessons Learned; New Paths Ahead, Innovative Modalities and Design, Meeting Workforce Needs Through Online Education, and Innovative Use of Technologies.

Following that, a series of interactive sessions will be held each Friday in April (1, 8, 15, 22) from 10 am-3 pm, moderated by members of COLE.

Visit https://summit.ocolearnok.org to register!

The post Join COLE for OKLIS 2022:  Fridays in April appeared first on Online Consortium of Oklahoma.

• Teaching
• Innovation
• Individual Leadership
• Team Leadership
• Accessibility – New for 2021!

Nominations will be evaluated by a committee of online learning professionals from COLE and the Online Consortium of Oklahoma (OCO).

Award winners will receive numerous accolades, including:

• Letter from the Chancellor
• Profile on the Online Excellence Awards webpage
• Physical award plaque
• Digital badge award issued through Credly
• Showcase session at the 2022 Learning Innovations Summit

For more information and to submit a nomination, visit the Online Excellence Awards webpage here at OCOlearnOK.org. Questions and award documentation may be submitted to online@osrhe.edu.

Author: Brad Griffith (OSRHE)

The post 2022 Online Excellence Awards – Call for Nominations appeared first on Online Consortium of Oklahoma.

Beginning spring 2021, OneNet initiated a pilot project partnership with Southeastern Oklahoma State University (SEOSU) to support the development and hosting of dozens of virtual reality modules.  Using a 360-degree GoPro camera and Adobe Captivate VR production software, Southeastern faculty, staff, and student workers explored areas such as lab sciences, choir performance, and occupational safety.  These traditional classroom spaces came alive in the online environment through VR.

OneNet and COLE are now working together to expand this opportunity to other state system institutions.  Interested institutions may submit a request to check out VR production toolkits from OneNet on an as-available basis.  Once toolkits are awarded and content produced, it will be made available for reuse, modification, and adaptation through Creative Commons licensing.  This is just one of many ways Oklahoma institutions are leading the way in advanced technologies and open education!

For more information, including a showcase of the SEOSU project, or to request a toolkit for your institution, visit the Virtual Reality Toolkits Webpage.

The post OneNet and COLE Partner to Offer VR Toolkits appeared first on Online Consortium of Oklahoma.

The companion book, Open Educational Resources: Basics & Beyond was created in OPEN OCO Pressbooks and adapted from a Creative Commons licensed resource developed by DigiTex. It can serve as a useful resource on its own and showcases some of the interactive features available through Pressbooks. Access the book at: https://open.ocolearnok.org/learnoer/.

This project was made possible by volunteers from COLE with specific appreciation for Jamie Holmes of Tulsa Community College, Dr. Pamela Louderback of Northeastern State University, and Ann Raia of Oklahoma City Community College. OPEN OCO Pressbooks is provided as a resource by OCO to its member institutions.

Get an OCO Learning Portal Account
Visit OPEN OCO Pressbooks

For more information, contact Brad Griffith at bgriffith@osrhe.edu.

The post Free “OER: Basics & Beyond” Course Now Available appeared first on Online Consortium of Oklahoma.