VIVA: Spring 2021 VIVA Open Course Grant Awards
VIVA reviewed more than 30 applications for the newly-named Open Course Grants (formerly VIVA Course Redesign Grants) in the spring of 2021, considering nearly $500,000 in funding requests. The eight awarded projects, covering a wide variety of subjects, will receive a combined $155,885, and their work will result in an anticipated student cost avoidance of $1.9 million over the next five years. Students at 11 Virginia institutions are expected to benefit from these grants, and there is the potential for many others to adopt these works upon completion. In addition, the grant committee chose to award complementary projects in two areas of particular need, English as a Second Language and Special Education. This focus will contribute to a more robust OER library for those subject areas in the state of Virginia. The awarded projects are:
Adapting Open Educational Resources for Music Theory Courses at EMU
Dr. Benjamin Bergey
Eastern Mennonite University
$5,000
Building on the work of the previously VIVA-funded project, “A New Vision for Open Music Theory,” Dr. Bergey intends to adapt Open Music Theory to include aural skills and sight singing. The resulting content will be better suited to EMU’s unique music theory curriculum and will also aid those who teach separate aural skills courses at other institutions.
Creating OER for ESL 41 (Composition II): Writing an Academic Paragraph
Sirje Russell
Tidewater Community College
$7,130
Sirje Russell’s team will create an OER for an advanced writing course in ESL that will provide instructions on how to compose paragraphs in formal academic English. In addition to addressing how to write different types of academic paragraphs, this OER will include sections on MLA formatting, peer review, and editing.
Holistic Green Real Estate Management
Dr. Erin A Hopkins
Virginia Tech
$9,801
With a goal of linking ecological sustainability to real estate and property management, this project will develop the first of its kind open textbook, Holistic Green Real Estate Management for a required course in property management. The text and included ancillaries, intended for upper-division students or graduate students, will incorporate the human and social elements of managing green buildings.
Special Education Endorsement Pathway Case Studies
Dr. Jennifer Walker
University of Mary Washington
$16,995
Dr. Walker’s team will develop a case study book for special education teacher preparation. Case studies will be considered within the context of Virginia regulations and policies, and will act as a single resource that facilitates case-based instruction across multiple special education courses.
Success in first-Semester Composition for English Language Learners Through Corequisite Support
Elaine George
Northern Virginia Community College
$27,250
Addressing a gap in open literature, this project will focus its efforts on developing a set of course materials for English language-learners in first-semester composition. The course materials will include reading assignments, grammar activities, collaborative activities, quizzes, and exams.
Teaching Anti-Racism: Open Access for an Inclusive World
Dr. Mignonne Guy
Virginia Commonwealth University
$29,000
Intended as the asynchronous component of a new general education elective, Race and Racism in America, this OER will eventually reach nearly 5,000 VCU students a year. The OER will include expert interviews, as well as course readings, assessments, figures, and other supplemental content.
Creating an Open Education Resources Regarding Crisis Resources Management for Nurse Anesthesia Students and Medical Students
Jiale Hu
Multi-Institutional Project: Old Dominion University, Virginia Commonwealth University, West Virginia University
$30,000
Intended to create a single resource where none currently exists, this project will develop an OER to support nurse anesthesia and medical students learning principles of crisis management. The text will include presentation videos, real-world examples, a question bank, and a teaching guide for instructors and a learning guide for students.)
An Open Access Introduction to Special Education
Dr. Serra De Arment
Multi-Institutional Project: George Mason University, Longwood University, Old Dominion University, Virginia Commonwealth University, Virginia State University
$30,000
Faculty across five Virginia universities will develop an open access Introduction to Special Education Resource Repository, with the intention of creating a curated resource around three content areas: legal aspects of special education, exceptionalities, and practices. The project will identify also develop ancillary resources such as discussion questions, case studies, and content-application activities.
