OER Digest – July 31, 2025
Gabby Hernandez (SPARC) | Volume 193 | July 31, 2025
THE OER DIGEST
Your monthly newsletter for open education updates, opportunities, and reminders
OPEN CONNECTIONS
Conferences, jobs, and other OER-related opportunities
WORKING SESSIONS: The Open Education Association Development Project released their “Next Steps and Report Out” webinar recording, slides and Padlet which discuss the findings of their Needs Assessment Survey and plans to move forward. They will be hosting a series of working sessions where the community can actively contribute to shaping key aspects of this initiative. You can learn more and register here.
CALL FOR INPUT: The Open Education Conference Board is requesting feedback from the community. They are exploring format options for the #OpenEd26 conference and are inviting community feedback. Please share your thoughts through this call for input.
CONFERENCE: Registration is now open for the 2025 MI OER Conference, Limitless Learning, Infinite Impact. It will be held at Washtenaw Community College in Ann Arbor, Michigan on Friday, November 7, 2025. Registration is $30 and includes a light breakfast, snacks, and lunch. Sign up for the MI OER Network mailing list to receive updates.
CALL FOR CHAPTERS: The Commonwealth of Learning has shared a call for chapters for a collection on OERand localization in higher education. The call is open until August 15, 2025. For questions or to submit a proposal, please contact co-editor Jako Olivier at jolivier@col.org.
SEEKING PARTICIPANTS: The RIOS Institute is working in collaboration with the BioQUEST Curriculum Consortium to create new, or transform existing, assignments, courses, and curriculum that may eventually constitute a comprehensive undergraduate Open Science education program. Interested participants can learn more about The OCTOPUS (Open Collaboration for Transformative Open Pedagogy to support Undergraduate Open Science Education) Project here.
PODCAST: ISKME’S podcast, “Educating to be Human” released a new podcast episode titled Libraries at Risk: Access, Preservation, and Cultural Memory with Chris Freeland. It talks about how libraries - and the public they serve - are losing control over what we can access, preserve, and pass on. This isn’t just about book bans or budget cuts. It’s about shifting from public ownership to private licensing models that make knowledge more expensive, less accessible, and more fragile.
PODCAST: The latest episode of the Speaking of Open podcast is out! Ash and Mais chat with Dr. Julian Pakay from La Trobe University about ‘What can Open Education do that AI can’t?’ The Speaking of Open podcast highlights educators in Australasian higher ed who are making an impact in the open education field. You can find the show on YouTube, Spotify, and Podcast Index.
STAY UP TO DATE: The Open Education Association Development project has created a set of resources to help make things easier to day up to date with open education conferences, webinars, and opportunities. Visit their Resources page to learn more!
STORIES FROM THE FIELD
Quick snapshots of those making change on the ground level, and those impacted
FROM COLORADO: Colorado Governor Jared Polis announced a Zero Textbook Cost Challenge and Colorado’s 2025 OER Award recipients. Governor Polis announced several OER awards that increase access, equity, and affordability in higher education and re-issued the Zero Textbook Cost "ZTC" Challenge for Colorado institutions. ZTC programs enable students to complete their degree without paying for textbooks through the use of OER. Read More>>
FROM ARKANSAS: Arkansas Tech University faculty members Dr. Dana Tribble and Krystal Shipp gave a presentation entitled “Open Educational Resources + Chat GPT = Smarter, Faster and Freer: a Practical Guide for Educators”. During the talk, they shared how combining ChatGPT and open educational resources can streamline course design, enhance clarity, and help foster inclusive, student-centered learning environments. Read More>>
HOT OFF THE PRESS
Each edition, we highlight an interesting, new, openly-licensed resource
The Texas A&M University System is excited to share a new edition of Functions, Trigonometry, and Systems of Equations by Vanessa Coffelt, which is now available in their Open Digital Publishing Catalog.
This open textbook, adapted from Precalculus by Stitz and Zeager, opens with a review of foundational algebra and advances through a structured study of functions, equations, trigonometry, and vectors, offering foundational preparation for calculus.
USask has a new OER: Branching Scenarios: A Guide for Higher Education. This book is designed to provide educators with practical tools and insights to create dynamic, interactive learning experiences. By leveraging branching scenarios, educators can simulate real-world decision-making processes, fostering critical thinking and engagement among students. Their goal is to empower educators to enhance their teaching practices, making learning more immersive and impactful through experiential learning.
WEIGH IN
Great reads to repost or share and interesting discussions to consider
Expanding OER in Public Education | New America
Seven projects receive Open Educational Resource Grants | McMaster University Daily News
Improving student success through affordable academic resources | Times Higher Education
Have suggestions for the next edition? Let us know at oerdigest@gmail.com.
The OER Digest is a public newsletter distributed to a broad group of stakeholders across the higher education community. Subscribe here.