Improving adoption of open textbooks through faculty advocates

Fri, Oct 10, 2014

British Columbia - Three instructors from each of three B.C. institutions have joined the BCcampus Open Textbook team as "Faculty Fellows." 

Dr. Rajiv Jhangiani, a psychology instructor at Kwantlen Polytechnic University (KPU), Dr. Jessie Key, a chemistry professor at Vancouver Island University, and Dr. Christina Hendricks, a senior instructor of philosophy at University of British Columbia, all started their terms with the organization this week. In their new roles,  they will work to encourage more instructor and faculty uptake of the open textbooks currently available in the BCcampus collection. 

“Involving faculty more closely in our project will bring more legitimacy to our work in the teaching community,” said BCcampus’ Mary Burgess. “It will also give us a conduit to share project developments, and will give us a view into the classroom we do not currently have.”

The Faculty Fellows will be busy during their one-year term, with the mandate to:

     - Engage in research that determines the efficacy of open textbook use in B.C. institutions.

     - Provide mentorship to faculty new to open textbooks through presentations and consultation.

     - Conduct outreach activities and provide feedback to the BCcampus Open Textbook team to ensure continual improvement of our collection.

Profiles on Dr. Jhangiani, Dr. Key and Dr. Hendricks are available at BCcampus

- from BCCampus.ca

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Kwantlen Polytechnic University has been serving the Metro Vancouver region since 1981, and has opened doors to success for more than 250,000 people. Four campuses—Richmond, Surrey, Cloverdale and Langley—offer a comprehensive range of sought-after programs, including business, liberal arts, science, design, health, trades and technology, horticulture, and academic and career advancement. Over 19,000 students annually have a choice from over 124 programs, including bachelor’s degrees, associate degrees, diplomas, certificates citations and apprenticeships. Learn more at www.kpu.ca.

Media contact:
Hayley Woodin
Media Specialist, KPU
t: 604.599.2883
c: 604.364.1288
hayley.woodin@kpu.ca

For more KPU news:
@KPUmedia
kpu.ca/newsroom
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