Bio:
Rachel V. Smydra is an Associate Professor in the Department of English, Creative Writing, and Film at Oakland University. In addition to teaching courses in writing and literature, she serves as the Internship Coordinator for English majors assisting students in bridging their academic studies with real-world professional experiences. Smydra’s service has included roles as a service-learning faculty fellow, Center of Teaching Learning faculty fellow, and administrative hearings chair of the Academic Conduct Committee. Her current research centers around faculty perceptions about academic writing, infusing a geocritical lens into the literature classroom, and student perceptions around curiosity.
What is your current role, and what courses do you teach?
Associate Professor, Department of English, Creative Writing, and Film
I teach:
ENG 2100: Intro to Literary Studies
ENG 2600: Modes of Self Narrative
ENG 1800: World Literature
ENG 2100: Fundamentals of Grammar
ENG 5907: Modes or Special Forms
OUWB Creative Writing Workshop
Please share which resources you use for your courses instead of expensive textbooks.
Typically, I rely on Moodle tools to create my content; for example, the book tool enables me to build chapters that focus on different content and organize those chapters to fit my students’ needs. I also use Perusall, which is an external tool that facilitates collaborative annotation, peer review, and a resource receptacle. I have found it helpful to provide a course text to use through the OU library or the OER Commons to supplement my own content.
How has the material been received by students?
I think students appreciate the streamlining of resources in one spot that Moodle tools offer. This approach also lets me solicit student feedback about content and needed changes and make those changes quickly. As far as costs, students in all my classes have expressed their appreciation of a free/low costs course.
What are the most significant benefits of using OER/free//low-cost materials versus traditional textbooks?
What I appreciate most about creating an OER course is the flexibility it provides me. I can easily customize materials and swap out older resources with more current, relevant materials. Reflecting intentionally on which resources to integrate has also enhanced my understanding of the role my resources play in my courses and how they connect and facilitate my course learning outcomes.
How has OU supported you in the process of switching to affordable materials? What type of support would you like to see for faculty?
I try to take advantage of OU’s Affordable Course Materials Initiative stipend to convert every course that I teach to OER/low costs. OER training helped familiarize me with the concept of OER, implementation strategies, and ethical/legal issues. Both CETL and the OU library staff have been very proactive in creating some useful teaching tips and a repository of faculty resources.
What is one piece of advice you would give other faculty about converting their courses to low or no-cost materials or developing their own materials?
Planning, choosing, and integrating free/low-cost resources can be time-consuming, so start early. It can take time to find materials, especially a free course text that fits your needs and integrate them into your course design or onto your Moodle page. Even though more and more open educational resources have become available, carving out time to explore and examine options can be overwhelming. However, new platforms continue to emerge along with more open textbook options through libraries. Some publishers also offer free resources, and most universities have expanded materials that offer faculty advice on how to get started and which resources to explore.
Bio:
I’m a journalist and former newspaper editor who transitioned into freelance publication design, writing and public relations, and eventually into teaching higher-ed.
What is your current role, and what courses do you teach?
I am an instructor of practice in Journalism and Public Relations and I teach Feature Writing, Introduction to Journalism, Media Design, PR and Advertising Writing and Solutions Journalism (and anything else I’m assigned, that is within my area of expertise).
Please share which resources you use for your courses instead of expensive textbooks.
“The American Journalism Handbook: Concepts, Issues and Skills,” by Rodrigo Zamith
“Writing for Strategic Communication Industries,” by Jasmine Roberts
“Writing Fabulous Features,” by Nicole Kraft
I also assign a variety of free journalism resources including news sites such as NPR, The Guardian, and Bridge Michigan, as well as free newsletters from news organizations such as the Detroit Free Press.
How has the material been received by students?
I have had no complaints. Students appreciate not having to pay for pricey texts.
What are the most significant benefits of using OER/free//low-cost materials versus traditional textbooks?
The cost and accessibility. There are options for students, such a online, ebook, PDF and audio, and students really appreciate that.
How has OU supported you in the process of switching to affordable materials? What type of support would you like to see for faculty?
Our department does encourage affordable materials.
I think of this as a solo process. The prompt and encouragement from you, Julia, is what really inspired me to do this. Your guidance helped me navigate the world of Open Access.
What is one piece of advice you would give other faculty about converting their courses to low or no-cost materials or developing their own materials?
Forget about finding “the perfect” text. There isn’t one (unless you write it). But you can find texts that provide much of what you need and supplement it with your own materials.
Bio: 
I joined Oakland University in 2017 after studying at Western University and l’Université Paris-Nanterre. My principal field of research is in 20thcentury Comparative Literature with a special emphasis on the Hebrew Bible and Jewish thought and philosophy in French literature and popular culture. I’m currently working on a monograph on the influence of the Book of Daniel in crime fiction and I recently edited a book with McFarland Press on magic and detective fiction: Magic, Magicians and Detective Fiction: Essay on Intersecting Modes of Mystery (2025).
What is your current role, and what courses do you teach?
I’m an Associate Professor in the Department of Modern Languages and Literatures. I teach all levels of French as well as European literature, culture, and creative writing.
I also head the faculty-led study abroad to the French Riviera as part of the FRH 1600/1610 suite of courses and am the moderator for the OU chapter of the Pi Delta Phi French Honors Society.
Please share which resources you use for your courses instead of expensive textbooks. If you created a book/resource, please share the title of what you produced.
I create all of the material for my courses. This usually includes weekly Moodle books, quizzes, exams, activities, instructional youtube videos, and revision exercises. In addition to the Moodle material, I’m also currently co-writing an intermediate French textbook, Keskidiz? French Conversation and Phonetics.
How has the material been received by students?
The students really enjoy my YouTube videos and Moodle courses. By creating all the material myself, I’m able to tailor the courses to the students’ needs and make things more personal. I think the students enjoy the personalized approach.
What are the most significant benefits of using OER/free//low-cost materials versus traditional textbooks?
Students rarely use an entire textbook and often find themselves paying large amounts of money for only part of a textbook. With OER, students are not overpaying for material they do not use. When the instructional material is created by the professor for the students, there isn’t a lot of excess and the material tends to be more organized and better suited to the students. This allows for greater flexibility in the course and often a lot more creativity since teachers and students are not tied to a specific resource.
How has OU supported you in the process of switching to affordable materials? What type of support would you like to see for faculty?The Department of Modern Languages and Literatures is especially interested in OER material and has been really supportive of affordable alternatives for students. It’s a department that fosters innovation and creativity. Most, if not all, of the faculty create their own resources and are especially attuned to students’ needs. Specifically, we know how difficult it is to learn a new language and to understand different cultures and so we devote a lot of energy to making materials accessible, fun, and personalized for the students.
In 2022, I received an ACMI stipend to convert my Advanced English to French Translation class to a fully OER course and was grateful for the support. Stipends like this are particularly helpful since creating affordable material is more labor intensive and harder than using a high-cost textbook.
What is one piece of advice you would give other faculty about converting their courses to low or no-cost materials or developing their own materials?
Creating your own OER material and finding low or no-cost alternatives is time consuming and without question more difficult than using a traditional textbook. It takes patience and effort. My suggestion is to work slowly and on a weekly basis. When first starting out, it’s easier to move in smaller chunks, focusing on a single course at a time.
Why did you decide to produce open materials/textbooks for your course(s)?
I think creativity is what drives me. I enjoy making creative and fun material. Simply put, it’s more rewarding to create my own lessons and instructional resources than to rely on more expensive textbooks. It’s also something that evolves with me. With each new semester and each new year, I’m able to update, change, edit, and improve my initial resource, fine tuning each course as the years progress.
