Open Educational Resources as Remedy: Lessons From Community College Librarians in Applying Diffusion of Innovation

• In Event: Innovative Faculty Practices: Mentorship, Equity, and Trauma-Informed Teaching in Community College Spaces

Abstract

Open Educational Resources (OER) are increasingly employed at community colleges to ease students' college material costs and as a way to bridge equity gaps. Drawing on interview data, this qualitative study elevates librarian experiences to highlight how the diffusion of innovation theory explains the social process that can hinder and strengthen OER implementation. Results from the interviews emphasize the relative influence of the social system characteristics on adopting innovations like OER.

Authors

• Nina Owolabi, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

• Aidana Sirgebayeva, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

• Lorenzo D. Baber, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign