Conducting a Program Evaluation of an OER Initiative: Benefits and Challenges

Abstract

Launched in 2020, the University of Ottawa Library OER Program aimed to raise awareness among faculty members about the costs of commercial course materials to encourage them to choose free, open-access resources to lighten the financial burden on students. Given the persistent lack of French-language resources adapted to minority contexts in Canada, the program was also meant to encourage the production of OER in this language. In its final year, a program evaluation was conducted to determine if the human and financial resources invested have led to the desired immediate and intermediate outcomes and to propose improvements for other potential OER initiatives at the University. This presentation will focus on the questions, indicators, and methods used to assess this OER initiative through an adaptable utilization-focused evaluation, as well as the benefits and challenges of using a program evaluation approach to measure and communicate impact.