Tina Budzise-Weaver<\/a>, an associate professor who was then subject librarian for performance studies, for helping to identify the University Libraries\u2019 access to articles and e-books. Dexter also gained access to an online database that had book chapters, images and scholarly articles, and then crafted her classes from these different elements.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\u201cI will say it\u2019s an investment of time,\u201d Dexter said. \u201cThat\u2019s the tradeoff. It takes time to read what\u2019s out there and find what\u2019s relevant for your course. And is it at the right level for the group of students you\u2019re teaching? There are some scholarly articles that if I handed to a freshman, they\u2019re going to shut down. So finding things that are accessible not only in price but also in reading level.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Another benefit is being able to customize for a class, and bringing in different perspectives from multiple authors, which aids student discussions and helps develop critical thinking skills, Dexter said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Caroline Fu, a freshman economics major who took Dexter\u2019s Aesthetics of Activism course (PERF 223) in the fall, nominated Dexter for the Open Educational Materials Award. Fu presented the award at the ceremony at the Great Hall in the YMCA Building, noting how Dexter shared her thoughts on the first day of class about how book costs affect college students.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cTo join academia and then structure her class around accessibility made me feel really cared for and seen as her student, and as a result, I always knew I could reach out whenever I was struggling in my assignments,\u201d Fu said in her remarks. \u201cThus, from the very beginning there was an inherent establishment of kindness and prioritization of mental and financial health, and that kind of judgment-free environment is something I truly appreciated in my freshman year of college.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Dexter said the Texas A&M community is \u201ccatching on that this is a really important cause,\u201d and that the University Libraries offer great support for interested faculty members.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cThe principles of universal design teach that when you help one, you help all,\u201d she said. \u201cWhen I help first-generation students by choosing an open educational resource, everybody benefits. Whether they\u2019re first generation or if their great grandpa was an Aggie, it doesn\u2019t matter. They all benefit.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
The first day of each semester comes with a big sigh of relief for students in Rayna Dexter\u2019s classes. That\u2019s when they hear that the significant cost of books has been eliminated for the class, thanks to Dexter\u2019s …<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":251,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":true,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_links_to":"","_links_to_target":""},"categories":[250,58,144],"tags":[230],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\n
Instructional Associate Professor Rayna Dexter Earns Award For Open Educational Resources Efforts - Texas A&M University College of Performance, Visualization & Fine Arts<\/title>\n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n\t \n\t \n\t \n