Fellowship to focus on open textbooks and affordable education
Assistant Professor Feng-Ru Sheu, Ph.D., of 5XÉçÇø Libraries, is one of 22 researchers nationwide who has been selected to be an Open Education Resources Research Fellow, a competitive research fellowship sponsored by the Open Education Group and the William and Flora Hewlett Foundation. The Open Education Resources research fellowship program investigates the impact of open educational resources on the cost of education, student success outcomes, use and perceptions of open education resources.
Open educational resources are digital materials that support learning, which can be accessed, reused, modified and shared freely. Resources include articles, video, audio, modules, full courses and any other learning materials.
As part of the fellowship, Shue will attend two conferences on open education and receive mentorship. She also will receive a stipend of $1,000 for research, which will be completed in a one-year timeframe, and present at an upcoming Open Education conference to approximately 500 of her colleagues.
Shue’s research with the Open Education Resources fellowship will focus on the design, dissemination and impact of open textbooks. Open textbooks are a large subset of Open Education Resources and offer an alternative for expensive textbooks, ultimately making education more accessible and affordable.
Originally from Taiwan, Shue now resides in Stow, Ohio. She is an instructional design librarian at University Libraries.