PROF Center

The Killam Library TAMIU OER GRANT is working with The Institute for the Study of Knowledge Management in Education (ISKME) for the execution of the following activities to support Texas A&M International University’s (TAMIU) efforts to advance Open Educational Resource (OER) adoption, adaption, and creation:

• OER mini-grants for Faculty to support adoption, adaption, and creation efforts (ongoing through June 2025) here is the link for the TAMIU OER Grant Application.Learn more and apply for an OER mini-grant
• OER Professional Learning Series of four 90 minute webinars (Fall 2024)
• OER Symposium (Spring 2025)

Please know that participants are welcome to register for any or all workshops and are encouraged to register even if they are unable to attend live so that they can receive a link to the recording.

Each webinar will provide an in-depth exploration of the OER focus area, with time to practice identifying, evaluating, organizing, designing, remixing, creating, and sharing resources. Webinars offer both experiential learning and planning opportunities to give participants the flexibility of discovering how the resources and practices can improve their work, and then personalizing them to suit their teaching and learning needs best. We will also facilitate discussions and reflections to determine how to leverage the resources and practices best to advance this work collaboratively throughout TAMIU. All the training materials, tools, and templates will be available to all participants. The OER Professional Learning focus areas include the following:

Thursday, Sept 5, 2 - 3:30 p.m. - Session 1: Introduction to OER

During the webinar, participants will be introduced to how to find and share high-quality OER. We will explore the what, why, and how of OER, highlighting use cases involving the successful adoption and implementation of OER in higher education.

Thursday, Sept 19, 2 - 3:30 p.m. - Session 2: OER Adoption

This webinar provides an examination of adoption and curation strategies to collaboratively identify, evaluate, organize, and share OERs that meet specific content area needs and priorities.

Thursday, Oct 3, 2 - 3:30 p.m. - Session 3: OER Adaption

This session is a deep dive into designing and remixing OER for continuous improvement, including how to adapt resources for relevancy and recency.

Thursday, Oct 17, 2 - 3:30 p.m. - Session 4: OER Creation:

Discover how to edit, describe, and publish a resource. Revisit quality criteria from Session 2 (OER Adoption) to evaluate OER, share resource drafts, receive feedback from peers, and refine resources based on feedback.

There will be virtual office hours with the Institute for the Study of Knowledge Management in Education (ISKME) available for faculty to ask questions on Sept 12 & 26 and Oct 10, 2 - 3 p.m.

A few notes about the OER Symposium tentatively scheduled for Thurs, March 6, 2025, 10 a.m. - 2 p.m.:

OER Symposium

OER Event - Designed to connect, support, and inspire participants with engaging activities that may include brainstorming, planning, and presentations to introduce OER concepts, showcase successful examples, develop new skills, and support participants in integrating innovative practices into their work.

This hybrid virtual and in-person event will include participants from the TAMIU faculty, administrative staff, and other guests from regional institutions, with the programming designed to foster engagement among participants. TAMIU is working with ISKME, and the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board to create a space on OERTX to share materials, organize OER, and respond to discussion prompts.

After the symposium event and professional development offerings, participants are invited to connect with ISKME OER specialists to ask questions about their OER work. Office hours will be open for four 90-minute windows, TBA.

Become AI EmpowerED

Join the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board (THECB) Division of Digital Learning for our AI EmpowerED webinar series. As technological advancements develop with increasing speed, we in higher education are faced with challenges for how to strategically approach adapting to innovation and how to prepare students for evolving technologies like Artificial Intelligence (AI) that will significantly impact how we teach, learn, do business, and live.

AI EmpowerED is a free, virtual series of webinars, open to all interested individuals, that will demonstrate successful strategies for leveraging AI effectively and responsibly. These sessions are designed to equip participants with actionable insights to navigate the dynamic landscape of AI in higher education.

Adapting to Innovation & the Texas Landscape of AI
Wednesday, July 17, 3 – 4 p.m. CDT
The Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board Division of Digital Learning will discuss available resources to support agility in adapting to emerging technologies and innovations, with a focus on the Texas landscape of AI adoption and use at institutions of higher education.
Click to view Adapting to Innovation & the Texas Landscape of AI

AI Meets OER: Unleash Creativity & Navigate Licensing
Wednesday, August 21, 3 – 4 p.m.CDT
Explore the convergence of Generative AI, OER, and Open Pedagogy. Discover strategies for harnessing AI to create and adapt open resources.

Speaker Information

AI-Powered Teaching & Learning
Wednesday, September 11, 3 – 4 p.m. CDT
A panel of Texas educators will explore the latest innovations and best practices for integrating AI into teaching and learning. Hear from educators on how they are using AI to enhance assignments, projects, and student learning outcomes, as well as the key considerations and strategies for successful AI integration in the classroom.

Click to register for AI-Powered Teaching & Learning

Navigating the AI Frontier: Cultivating Responsible and Ethical AI Practices
Wednesday, October 9, 3 – 4 p.m. CDT
A panel of Texas higher education administrators will explore strategies and best practices for equipping educators and students to navigate the emerging landscape of AI technologies. Panelists will share insights on promoting digital fluency, critical thinking about AI, and cultivating responsible AI practices within teaching and learning environments.
Click to register for Navigating the AI Frontier: Cultivating Responsible and Ethical AI Practices

Become an AI Wizard: Unlock Generative Power for Content Creation and Student Engagement
Wednesday, October 30, 3 – 4 p.m. CDT
Learn from expert users how to leverage AI tools to create dynamic course content, engage students, and boost efficiency with live demonstrations.
Click to register for Become an AI Wizard: Unlock Generative Power for Content Creation and Student Engagement

Should you have any questions or require additional information, please contact Dr. Kylah Torre, Senior Director, at digitallearning@highered.texas.gov.

To access NCFDD workshops, you need to claim your Membership. To claim your membership, go to http://www.ncfdd.org/join and select Texas A&M International University from the list of members. If you have any technical questions, please email NCFDD at membership@ncfdd.org.

Visit our Mentoring Programs information page for more information.