Replies to This Discussion

Permalink Reply by Adam Gilbert on June 28, 2018 at 6:04am

Hello from New Hampshire!

My name is Adam Gilbert. I am an Assistant Professor of Mathematics at Southern New Hampshire University's physical campus in Manchester, NH. Prior to joining the faculty at SNHU, I earned my PhD in mathematics from the University of Rhode Island in 2013 and then spent a year teaching mathematics at Northeastern University in Boston. I now live here in New Hampshire with my wife and two daughters (2 and 3.5), where we enjoy walks, bouncy houses, and all things outdoors!

I first became interested in OER upon arriving at SNHU. I encountered many students who couldn't afford to purchase proprietary textbooks and their expensive add-ons (like online homework systems). I now [proudly and successfully] use high-quality open textbooks in all of my courses. In fact, our math department at SNHU uses open or free textbooks for all but three of its course offerings. In addition to using OER, I'm also actively involved in a project to develop a very strong and competitive set of resources (including a text, online homework system, labs, instructor resources, and more) for courses in introductory applied statistics at OpenIntro.org. I am very excited to continue using and developing OER, and soon to be reviewing content here at MERLOT!

Looking forward to working with you all,

--Adam

Permalink Reply by Cathy Swift on June 28, 2018 at 7:34am

Welcome, Adam. I'm very happy to hear that you and your university are using open textbooks. We have quite a few of them in MERLOT, primarily due to the COOL4Ed project:  cool4ed.org

It would be very helpful if you could see if we have the textbook you're using in MERLOT. You can do a simple search by keying in the title and author.

I'm very familiar with SNHU, primarily due to the advertising on television about the online program. I know the Math editor will be happy to have you on board.

Permalink Reply by Adam Gilbert on July 3, 2018 at 8:01am

Hi Cathy,

MERLOT actually does have the OpenIntro textbook listed in the catalog. The material is listed as an Open (Access) Textbook, but there are many more freely available resources available to accompany the text.

Thank you for the welcome!

--Adam

Permalink Reply by Cathy Swift on July 3, 2018 at 8:24am

Well, remember that you can add resources to MERLOT also, since you are a member, so feel free to do so. 

Permalink Reply by Ashley D.R. Sergiadis on June 29, 2018 at 11:39am

Hello everyone! 

My name is Ashley Sergiadis. I am a Digital Scholarship Librarian/Assistant Professor at East Tennessee State University (ETSU) in Johnson City, TN. I intended on beginning GRAPE Camp during the Spring 2018 semester, but I became busier than expected. 

I advise ETSU's faculty, staff, and students on topics relating to scholarly communication (research metrics, author rights, etc.). I am also part of the team leading the OER initiatives at ETSU. I hope to see more OERs addressing scholarly communication and OERs. 

Permalink Reply by Cathy Swift on June 29, 2018 at 2:11pm

Hi, Ashley:

Welcome. I know that Tennessee is one of our Partners, so we're always happy to welcome you.

I hope you enjoy GRAPE Camp. By the end, you will know which editorial board you'd like to work with. If you have any questions, please let me know.

Make sure you explore the materials in this area regarding OERs in MERLOT:

https://www.merlot.org/merlot/materials.htm?category=915365&has...

Permalink Reply by Rebecca Cockrell on August 15, 2018 at 8:49am

Hi, my name is Rebecca Cockrell. I am the George Ball Simulation Center Director at Hinds Community College in Jackson, Mississippi.  I am a Registered Nurse and became an Educator instructing first Licensed Practical Nurses and then, Associate Degree Nurses.  As coordinator of simulation activities for the college, I interact with students and faculty from over twelve health-related fields in both traditional and online settings.  

My husband is also an Educator at the college and is Director of the FabLab.  We hope to collaborate on projects related to healthcare simulation and 3D technology.  We have two sons and we anticipate an empty nest lifestyle within the next year!

I am excited about learning about this resource and sharing it with my colleagues.

Permalink Reply by Cathy Swift on August 15, 2018 at 8:55am

Hi, Rebecca:

Welcome. I hope you are able to catalog some of your work in MERLOT. I think the simulations are an excellent way for students to learn. We'd love to see some.

We have an active Health Sciences Editorial Board, so I am sure you'll be happy working with them.

Permalink Reply by Rebecca Cockrell on August 15, 2018 at 9:05am

Thank you, Cathy.  We may have some contributions to this body of work!