Technical Writing OER & Open Pedagogy Redesign

Course ID: ENGL 2100

Instructor Open Textbook Adoption Portrait

Abstract: During summer 2022, Dr. Joy McMurrin invested time into converting her ENGL 2100 Technical Writing course to OER materials along with integrating open pedagogy practices. The goal of the project was to reduce the cost to students, improve the quality of the instruction material, and create a more impactful learning experience. The new course was implemented during the Fall 2022 semester.

Textbooks Titles: Technical Writing Essentials and Howdy or Hello? Technical and Professional Communication 

Description: Dr. McMurrin utilized several different resources to provide the free content to the students. She utilized two OER textbooks by BCcampus and Texas A&M University Libraries along with supplementary web resources where needed. These replace a previous $60 textbook.

Cost savings: The enrollment for Fall 2022 was 18 students and has shown signs of increasing since 2019. This equates to a textbook cost savings of approximately $1,080 per year that will accumulate every year going forward.

ENGL 2100: Technical Writing

Description:  Required for English majors pursuing an emphasis in Professional & Technical Writing, and open to students in science and technical disciplines who would like to increase their proficiency in writing. The course introduces students to technical formats, brevity and clarity strategies, and visual elements such as headings, lists and graphics. 

Curricular changes: Along with the open and free material, Dr. McMurrin redesigned the assessments to align with open pedagogy practices. With it being a technical writing course, she partnered with iFixit.com a website of various guides on how to fix electronics, household items, and other consumer goods. They have an iFixit technical writing project where students can write repair manuals to hopefully eventually be utilized on the main website. This aligns with open pedagogy principles by engaging students in the creation of content to live beyond the walls of the classroom and to be used by others.

Teaching and learning impacts: 

In general, the students enrolled in this course do fairly well academically. With the switch to OER material and open pedagogy assignments in Fall 2022, there was a slight increase of distribution between the C/B grades to A/A-. There was also a general reduction within the withdrawal category; however, it should be noted that this could fluctuate year-to-year due to the lower enrollment numbers than other high enrollment classes. In conclusion, the students were not harmed academically with the inclusion of OER material and new assessment design.

Sample syllabus ENGL 2100-01 McMurrin FA22.pdf

Student feedback about using OER:  A survey was also distributed to gather the students perspectives on the course material. There were a total of 17 respondents equating to a response rate of 94%. 53% of students rated the material as better quality compared to texts in other courses. 47% rated the material as the same quality. When asked what made the quality of the materials better, a few students noted it was “Very informative, easily accessible, and free[.]” Another stated, “It felt better formatted and easier to read. It was also a lot easier to access.” Lastly, a student submitted “It was quick and usually short readings. We only had what we needed and not a whole book that we barely read.” A majority of the students noted they felt more prepared and engaged with using the OER material, and they felt they achieved the learning outcomes of the course using the material.

Institutional Support for OER:  Dr. McMurrin was provided a stipend and support from the UT Library's OER Program.

Student access: Students are able to access the OER material through links in Canvas. 

Dr. Joy McMurrin is an Associate Professor of English/Technical Writing and the Digital Rhetoric M.A. Coordinator