Supporting educational equity and the need for affordable course content are commonly cited strategic priorities in academic libraries and across the educational landscape. When discussing open pedagogy and open educational resources (OER), open-access journals, textbooks, course modules, and videos are often highlighted and encouraged. Given their potential to enhance student learning and reduce educational costs, why aren’t digitally accessible primary sources also included?
At the University Archives of Indiana University, teaching archivists are increasingly aware of the impact this shift can have on the student community in terms of access to affordable education. Many instructors already use primary sources from our collections to supplement or replace textbooks, thereby reducing costs for students and enhancing their engagement and learning.
This presentation will explore the theoretical and practical implications of including primary sources as part of open pedagogy, beginning with an overview of definitions and research, and then sharing an adaptable implementation example. As part of an interdisciplinary collaboration between the outreach archivist, the online learning librarian, and the creative instruction and outreach librarian, the University Archives launched a project to transform a highly requested teaching activity into an asynchronous, open-access format using digitized primary sources.
We will share the outcomes of our work using the open-access platform Pressbooks in combination with the Canvas learning management system, offering practical insights into the effectiveness of these tools and strategies for overcoming common challenges. Additionally, we will discuss how well these tools met our expectations, the unexpected challenges we faced, user feedback from early testing, and our plans for future implementation and improvements.
Incorporar fuentes primarias en la pedagogía abierta amplía el acceso, enriquece la educación y reduce los costes, y esperamos ofrecer ideas valiosas y estrategias prácticas para quienes buscan servir mejor a su comunidad estudiantil.