This annual fellowship runs from January 1 to December 31 and is aimed at supporting scholarly research on open educational practices by regular faculty at KPU. This may include investigations into the cost savings, outcomes, use, and perceptions of open educational resources (COUP framework) as well as research on the perceptions and impact of renewable assignments and other forms of open pedagogy. The research approach may be qualitative, quantitative, or mixed methods and may require approval by KPU’s Research Ethics Board.
How it works
It is expected that at least one research project will be designed and conducted by the Open Education Research Fellow over the one-year term of the fellowship and that the results of this research will be presented at relevant conferences and prepared for publication. Open access publication is required, whether in open access journals or in an open repository (e.g., pre-print or post-print).
Funding
Up to $2,000 in funding to hire a student research assistant
Up to $2,500 in funding to attend the Cascadia Open Education Summit/Festival of Learning and one other major open education conference (subject to public health guidelines).
The Open Education Research Fellowship is jointly funded by KPU Open and the Office of Research Services.
Past Open Education Research Fellow Projects
Before You Apply
Expectations of an Open Education Research Fellow
- Receive mentorship in open education research
- Design and conduct research on open educational practices
- Present on their research progress at relevant KPU events (e.g., Teaching, Learning, Scholarship, & Research Symposium)
- Author 1-2 blog posts related to their open education research
- Publish research as open access
Possible Research Questions
- What is the average cost of assigned textbooks for undergraduate students in BC?
- Do all students benefit equally from a switch to open educational resources or do these benefits disproportionately affect some students more than others?
- What factors predict when faculty OER adopters adapt/revise the OER?
- Are open textbooks that have been adapted (e.g., localized, etc.) to fit the program perceived as better than those that have been adopted without any adaptation?
- Why do former OER adopters discontinue use of OER?
The Application Process
Application period: closed until further notice.
- Review eligibility, criteria, and application questions.
- Complete all sections of the application form and send it to open@kpu.ca.
- The Open Education Working Group will adjudicate applications and announce the recipient.