Open Access Scholarship: Amplifying Reach, Enhancing Collaboration, and Empowering Education

Presenter Information

Yvonne Earnshaw, Kennesaw State UniversityFollow
Matthew Schmidt, University of GeorgiaFollow

Presentation Type

Presentation

Location

Zoom.

Start Date

25-10-2023 2:00 PM

End Date

25-10-2023 2:45 PM

Description

In this presentation, we highlight three benefits of leveraging open educational resources in academia. Our experiences as open access advocates and key contributors to OER projects will be supported by compelling analytics, highlighting the potential of open access publishing. We will first discuss how OER increases impact and visibility in that it liberates research from paywalls, granting unrestricted global access. This wider reach leads to greater readership, amplifying the influence of research within and beyond academia. Next, we will discuss enhanced citations and collaboration, highlighting how open access fosters a culture of knowledge-sharing and community across disciplines, thereby reducing the siloization of academic knowledge and promoting transparent research practices. Third, we will focus on how OER leads to greater reach and inclusivity by providing more equitable access to resources for both students and faculty. Ultimately, OER empowers individuals to benefit from cutting-edge research and enriching materials, fostering inclusivity in education and research.

Author Bios

Yvonne Earnshaw, Ph.D., is an Assistant Professor of Instructional Design and Technology in the School of Instructional Technology and Innovation at Kennesaw State University. She has an extensive industry background in technical writing, instructional design, and usability consulting. Her practitioner experience helps guide her research agenda that focuses on: learning experience design, developing inclusive online teaching and learning practices in higher education, and workplace preparation of instructional designers.

Matthew Schmidt, Ph.D., is Associate Professor at the University of Georgia in the Learning, Design, and Technology department. His primary research interests include design and development of innovative educational courseware and computer software with a particular focus on individuals with disabilities, their families, and their providers. His secondary research interests include learning in extended reality (inclusive of virtual reality, augmented reality, and mixed reality) and Learning Experience Design.

Creative Commons License

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.