Papers by Kathy Essmiller
Playful Approaches to Learning
Oklahoma State University Libraries, 2020
Institutions and organizations perceiving the use and creation of Open Educational Resources (OER... more Institutions and organizations perceiving the use and creation of Open Educational Resources (OER) as consistent with their values, experiences, and needs are developing partnerships in support of the creation and publication of OER (Bell, 2018; Hess et al., 2016; Jung et al., 2017; Schaffert, 2010). Open Educational Resources (OER) are "teaching, learning and research materials that make use of appropriate tools, such as open licensing, to permit their free reuse, continuous improvement and repurposing by others for educational purposes" (Miao et al., 2019, p. 9). Academic libraries are among the organizations advocating for OER, often playing a key campus role in education, advocacy, and support of their creation and publication (Bell, 2018; Lashley et al., 2017; Reed & Jahre, 2019; Sandy et al., 2018). Publication of OER resonates with the role of the academic library (Bell, 2018; Hess et al., 2016; Jung et al., 2017; Kleymeer et al., 2010; Reed & Jahre, 2019). Because ...
Journal of Interactive Media in Education, 2021
Academic libraries are among the organizations advocating for open educational resources (OER), o... more Academic libraries are among the organizations advocating for open educational resources (OER), often playing a key campus role in education, advocacy, and support of their creation and publication. Publication of OER resonates with the role of the academic library. Because "incongruence in perceptions" (Chtena 2019: 24) can cause difficulties and unforeseen challenges with implementation and use of OER, organizations involved in OER initiatives need familiarity with how OER and organizational values align. The goal of this exploration was to investigate how academic libraries enact academic library publishing programs and the ramification that has in the diffusion process of OER in higher education. Data collected in this single case study research project was analyzed through the lens of Diffusion of Innovations Theory. The findings from the study suggest that, if academic libraries are to enact the creation and publication of OER in ways appropriate to their conception, those involved will need to be intentional about ensuring enactment of the values foundational to OER. Future suggested research includes a multiple-case study comparative research study looking at academic library publication of OER, exploration of how opinion leaders and attributes of innovations impact academic library publication of OER, and investigation into the impact of organizational structure on the diffusion of OER creation and publication.
Task Evaluation Questionnaire
Space for all: Self construct while learning in the digital age
L earning is a remarkably social process. In truth, it occurs not as a response to teaching, but ... more L earning is a remarkably social process. In truth, it occurs not as a response to teaching, but rather as a result of a social framework that fosters learning. To succeed in our struggle to build technology and new media to support learning, we must move far beyond the traditional view of teaching as delivery of information. Although information is a critical part of learning, it's only one among many forces at work. It's profoundly misleading and ineffective to separate information, theories, and principles from the activities and situations within which they are used. Knowledge is inextricably situated in the physical and social context of its acquisition and use. Information and Knowledge Key differences between the terms information and knowledge, which are often used interchangeably, are instructive. First, whereas information is usually considered independent of any particular individual-it can be looked up in a book or retrieved online-knowledge is usually associated with a knower,
Learning Through Play
Educational Technology Beyond Content, 2020
Resources of the digital age classroom can combine with attitudes of play to help students push b... more Resources of the digital age classroom can combine with attitudes of play to help students push beyond content to generate new ideas and practice novel problem-solving strategies. This chapter defines and identifies the benefits of play, articulates what attitudes of play look like in practice and exploration, and identifies ways in which educational technology can facilitate attitudes of play. Educators hoping to facilitate improvisation and experimentation can confidently and effectively do so by integrating educational technology and playful practices.
Memorandum of understanding template for open educational resources (OER) projects
Open Educational Resource (OER) authoring projects demand a high level of organization and planni... more Open Educational Resource (OER) authoring projects demand a high level of organization and planning, ideally as early in the project as possible. A memorandum of understanding (MOU) is a flexible agreement between parties to establish the outcomes, tasks, and timetables of a project. The MOU Template for OER Authoring Projects is intended for use by libraries and prospective OER authors, allowing each partner to think through their objectives, needs, and contributions, in order to reach a shared understanding of expectations. It includes sections to identify parties and their roles, documenting the background and context, defining the authors' and libraries' responsibilities, licensing and copyright, funding, contingencies, accessibility, archiving and preservation, and more. Licensed under CC BY, it is intended to be adapted according to the circumstances of each project. Adapted from the University of Texas at Arlington Libraries' Memorandum of Understanding Collection at https://rc.library.uta.edu/uta-ir/handle/10106/25646.
Global Oer Graduate Network, Sep 15, 2021
Research in Learning Technology
This study addresses the question of how to facilitate instruction and practice with virtual real... more This study addresses the question of how to facilitate instruction and practice with virtual reality to mitigate the detrimental impact of cognitive load associated with use in simple procedural tasks. The study collected data from 63 college students aged 18 years and above from a university in the southern part of the USA. Each study participant completed a questionnaire that consisted of 22 questions using a seven-point Likert scale. The results show that there are no significant differences between motivation and self-efficacy as it relates to three selected activities: Roboraid, Tutorial and Freeplay. The opportunity for meaningful learning through the use of the mixed reality is enticing; there is value in exploring facilitation of these learning opportunities through redistribution of cognitive load.
Using Diffusion of Innovations Theory to Modify Library OER Interventions During the COVID-19 Pandemic
Advances in Library and Information Science
The high cost of commercial textbooks has been well documented. To help alleviate the impact of t... more The high cost of commercial textbooks has been well documented. To help alleviate the impact of those costs, the Oklahoma State University (OSU) Library identified exploration and support of open educational resources (OER) as a priority in their strategic plan. The OSU Library OER Librarian used human performance technology analysis findings to select and design interventions for inclusion in the library's support of OER. When OSU abruptly switched mid-Spring 2020 to emergency remote teaching in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, the library was faced with the need to modify interventions designed for face-to-face interaction to engage and support faculty instructors in online spaces. This chapter uses diffusions of innovations theory to describe how the library made meaning of and anticipated challenges and to share how the library designed and implemented modified interventions.
TechTrends
In keeping with its land grant mission, a university campus library partnered with several OER ad... more In keeping with its land grant mission, a university campus library partnered with several OER advocacy efforts on both national and state levels to promote the creation and use of OER at the university. While the program had some initial success in inspiring faculty to create and use OER in their courses, the effort proved difficult to sustain. This paper presents the application of the Performance Improvement/HPT model to an Open Educational Resources (OER) initiative in a university library. This paper focuses specifically on three phases of the process: organizational analysis, environmental analysis, and gap analysis We share results of that application and discuss how the HPT model might effectively be applied to other similar programs.
The Graduate Student Assembly: Pathways to Leadership
TechTrends
Research in Learning Technology
This study addresses the question of how to facilitate instruction and practice with virtual real... more This study addresses the question of how to facilitate instruction and practice with virtual reality to mitigate the detrimental impact of cognitive load associated with use in simple procedural tasks. The study collected data from 63 college students aged 18 years and above from a university in the southern part of the USA. Each study participant completed a questionnaire that consisted of 22 questions using a seven-point Likert scale. The results show that there are no significant differences between motivation and self-efficacy as it relates to three selected activities: Roboraid, Tutorial and Freeplay. The opportunity for meaningful learning through the use of the mixed reality is enticing; there is value in exploring facilitation of these learning opportunities through redistribution of cognitive load.
Performance Improvement Technology for Building a Sustainable OER Initiative in an Academic Library
TechTrends
In keeping with its land grant mission, a university campus library partnered with several OER ad... more In keeping with its land grant mission, a university campus library partnered with several OER advocacy efforts on both national and state levels to promote the creation and use of OER at the university. While the program had some initial success in inspiring faculty to create and use OER in their courses, the effort proved difficult to sustain. This paper presents the application of the Performance Improvement/HPT model to an Open Educational Resources (OER) initiative in a university library. This paper focuses specifically on three phases of the process: organizational analysis, environmental analysis, and gap analysis We share results of that application and discuss how the HPT model might effectively be applied to other similar programs.
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Papers by Kathy Essmiller