December NUI Galway project makes free educational material more accessible

Open Educational Resources ensures annual savings of €45,000 for student body 

NUI Galway has created a new platform with free reusable materials for students to use in teaching and research. 

The Open Educational Resources project sees academic staff and students supporting the development of textbooks, videos, lecture notes, handbooks, manuals, lesson plans, worksheets, and annotated books/memoirs.

The home-grown materials are easily accessible, free and tailored for specific courses such as medicine and health, anatomy, genetics, mathematics, language learning, history, English, media studies and Irish studies. 

President Michael D Higgins has written a foreword for one - a newly annotated, digital version of Material for Victory: The Memoirs of Andrew J. Kettle. The book is a fascinating historical work which brings to life the rich cast of characters and side stories behind the rise and fall of the Land League. 

More info on the resources is available here https://libguides.library.nuigalway.ie/oer/projects. 

The Open Educational Resources project and grant scheme is sponsored by the NUI Galway Student Project Fund, and spearheaded by the Library, in partnership with the Students’ Union, and campus stakeholders. Students were directly involved in the creation and development of the resources. 

The materials developed are estimated to result in ongoing annual savings of €45,000 per year for our student body. 

Professor Ciarán Ó hÓgartaigh, President of NUI Galway, said: “It is great to see the Open Educational Resources project coming to fruition. The development of Open Educational Resources is a flagship action in our Strategic Plan, where open access to educational resources is a priority. 

“This initiative also works to remove the barriers of cost accessibility which we know can impact many of our students. 

These resources allow NUI Galway to become a proactive collaborator for innovation, engagement and creativity both nationally globally, and this project has the capability of widening student participation, supporting diversity and encouraging a culture of social inclusion.”

Clodagh McGivern, Vice-President/Education Officer, NUI Galway Students' Union, said: “Open Educational Resources have several benefits for the students of NUI Galway, for example the resources make content and educational material more accessible to students while also being a resource that can show off the innovation and talent of our University staff and students. 

“Open Educational Resources are a fantastic educational tool and I’m excited for our students to experience how great they are.”

Students directly involved in the creation and development of NUI Galway’s Open Educational Resources. They support the development of materials that work for them and are tailored for both the learning objectives in the programme and the learning approach of students.

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