Evaluating the Efficacy, Accessibility, Pedagogical Implications and Labour Costs of Adopting an OER in a Greek and Roman Myth Course

Project Investigator: Tara Mulder, Assistant Professor of Teaching, CNERS

Project Description

This project aims to investigate the efficacy, accessibility, pedagogical implications, and labour costs of adopting the open-access e-textbook, Mythoi Koinoi: An Open Access Anthology of Greek and Roman Myth in a 100-level undergraduate Greek and Roman myth course. Mythoi Koinoi was created with an Open UBC OER Implementation Grant. This current project will assess this e-textbook in comparison to print textbooks.

Research Questions

Is the e-textbook attractive, easy to use, and accessible? Can it effectively replace the previously used print textbook? Is it attentive to sensitive topics and diversity?What are the advantages/disadvantages of it over a print textbook? Are students more likely to use it than a print textbook for this course? Are the pedagogical practices involved in the creation and use of this e-textbook different from those involved in the use of traditional textbooks? How or how not? What are the labour costs (students, faculty, staff) involved in the creation and implementation of this e-textbook?

Impact on teaching and learning at UBC

We plan to publish our findings related to the creation and implementation of open-access e-textbooks in place of print textbooks in a high-enrollment undergraduate course. If we can show that e-textbooks maintain quality standards and increase accessibility, then we will be able to justify creating and implementing open-access textbooks in high enrollment, 100 level undergraduate courses at UBC and beyond, as well as provide guidance in best practices around pedagogical choices and labour costs for the creation of such resources.