The purpose of this presentation is to share a peer-to-peer faculty member strategy to increase use of OER at public research universities. While use of OER is becoming more widespread at community colleges in the U.S., little progress has been made at public four-year institutions. If OER represent student, faculty member, and institutional benefits, and emerging research demonstrates this, it is worth exploring and attempting to overcome the most common barriers to use. The strategy described in this presentation is rooted in Rogers’ Diffusion of Innovations theory, with a focus on early adopter faculty members as change agents. Faculty members are the best choice to explore and expand a good pedagogic idea (the “innovation” of use of OER). They are most familiar with the social system (the faculty member peer network) and effective communication channels. They are also most familiar with the barriers to adoption and how to overcome them. If there is institutional interest in expanding the use of OER, the support of early adopter faculty as change agents is a critical element in success.
