JMU Libraries Faculty Member Awarded VIVA Course Redesign Grant

Posted March 15, 2019 in Educational Technology News, Instructional Design News, JMU Libraries News, Open Education News

Dr. Christie Liu from JMU Libraries and Dr. Elizabeth Johnson from Geology and Environmental Science were awarded a Course Redesign Grant in the amount of $16,145.00 through Virtual Library of Virginia (VIVA). The VIVA Course Redesign Grant’s goal is to make textbook and course materials free to students by empowering faculty with the resources and time they need to redesign their curricula using open, library, or no cost resources.

Dr. Liu and her team will create an interactive microscopy textbook for use in geoscience courses, including petrology. The text, which has the potential for wide adoption across the state, will include a guide for student learning activities and will include the use of the microscope to take measurements and identify minerals and rocks using different measurement techniques.

Their application was highlighted for its, “excellent awareness of the mounting costs of course materials in higher education and a creative commitment to developing Open Educational Resources that will be accessible to students across Virginia.”