Pedagogical Practices: In Search of OER for Justice, Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion in Higher Education

• In Event: The SCOPE of Open Education Research

Abstract

Objectives: The purpose of this qualitative study is to describe the experiences of faculty members as they considered issues of Justice, Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion (JEDI) when searching for, adopting and curating Open Educational Resources (OER) for inclusion in their pedagogical practices. In this study, faculty shared how they 1) determined goals for using JEDI-related OER in their pedagogical practices; 2) undertook a search process to find high quality JEDI-related OER materials; 3) incorporated JEDI-related OER materials into their pedagogical practices; and 4) reflected on the search for and use of JEDI-related OER materials in their professional practice.

Theoretical Framework: The Equity Through OER Rubric (DOERS3, 2023) is a tool designed to help those in higher education better understand and act on various equity dimensions of OER. The Rubric is organized by categories and stakeholder communities with the goal of facilitating the integration of equitable OER across higher education resulting in equitable educational access, outcomes, and success for students. Using the

Methods: Eleven faculty members at a private college participated in three, 15 to 30-minute ZOOM interviews (45-90 minutes total). After each interview a transcript was generated and all ZOOM links and transcripts were shared with the participating faculty as a member check.

Data Sources: Grounded Theory (Strauss & Corbin, 2008) was utilized to organize interview data into themes. Interview #1 focused on the role JEDI played in faculty goals, planning, and choices for OER utilization in the curriculum and instruction of their courses. The second interview investigated how the addition of OER materials advanced JEDI. The third interview concentrated on faculty members’ ideas for further connecting OER materials in their courses, to JEDI.

Results: Upon initial analysis, the following themes emerged from the data. Faculty:

Were united in their goals for finding and including high-quality, JEDI-related OER in their pedagogical practices;
Undertook a search process to find JEDI-related OER materials, however their searches were generally haphazard and unstructured in nature;
Considered the cost of course materials as their greatest JEDI-related concern (i. e. economic justice);
Were generally unaware of ways that Universal Design for Learning (UDL) and OER in combination powerfully supported JEDI; and
Endeavored to expand the use of JEDI-related OER in their pedagogical practices.

Significance: The 2025 AERA conference theme, “Research, Remedy, and Repair: Toward Just Education Renewal” encourages the AERA community to engage in research “that will help to improve experiences, outcomes, and equitable opportunities for all” (AERA, 2024, p. 1). OER originated as early as 2002, with the intent of expanding equity and access to education to marginalized groups (DOERS3, 2023; UNESCO, 2022). Implementing and utilizing OER across higher educational institutions reflects explicit actions that we as educational scholars can take to disrupt racial and economic injustices. The results of this study may help higher education professionals better understand the critical need for JEDI-related OER that may result in more just, equitable, and inclusive educational achievement for all students.

Author

• Annette M. Miller, College of St. Scholastica