Soc 2: You, Sociology, and the University

ZCCM (ZCCM or LCCM) • Improved (How do you feel about your accomplishments in this FLC?) • Enriched (What did students have to say about your use of AL$/OERs?)

First Impressions

I have always been opened about using OER materials. But I have often relied on established textbooks from major publishers because of how easy it is to use their material. However, facing mounting student concerns about textbook costs and accessibility, I decided to experiment more with OER content in my introductory course last semester. While the quality varied, I was pleasantly surprised by some well-structured resources I found through my research. The transition has required some time investment to curate and adapt materials, but seeing students access and engage with the content from day made it worthwhile. I'm still learning to navigate the OER landscape and working to find the right balance for my course.

Benefits & Challenges

Benefits/Challenges/Discoveries
Benefits of AL$/OERs	Challenges of AL$/OERs	Discoveries
Cost savings: Students can access textbooks and learning materials for free Accessibility: OER materials are available digitally, which allows students to access them instantly Adaptability: students get materials that are more relevant and better aligned with the specific course needs	Quality: OER can vary widely in quality Barriers: students with limited internet access, devises, or computer literacy might have limited access to OER materials	I searched for "interviewing techniques" and "life interviews" I enjoyed teaching in all platforms because I explored other OER content I can use in my classes; but the most effective was the library--more focused on sociological materials, more academic, and more rigorous and useful.

Pathway:

I decided to remix: using some OER content, complement with online library sources, and create some handouts myself.

Reflection on Resources:

During my exploration of Affordable Learning Solutions (AL$) and Open Educational Resources (OERs), MERLOT and OpenStax emerged as valuable repositories, offering very interesting content for many of my classes. One of the most useful aspect of my search for materials, was finding stuff for other modules for the class I was working on. Collaborating with our subject librarian was very useful; they helped me think about going outside of the box and not only considering OER but also library material that is free to students. Working with colleagues in similar disciplines was also useful, as we often discussed and shared resources we were finding.

Course Materials
*Before*	*After*
Previously, I used a combination of a methods book for sociology (about $44), and a supplementary book for interviewing ($28), plus an American Sociological Association booklet on examples of career profiles (about $5). Students frequently complained about the high costs, with many delaying purchases or sharing copies. Some skipped buying materials altogether, affecting their performance.	I've now fully transitioned to OER/Online materials, making all course content free and accessible from day one. Students appreciate the immediate access and zero cost. I've customized content to better match our learning objectives. Student engagement has notably improved since making these changes since students have access to all material from day one.

Student Survey Data

Results
Data Point #1	Data Point #2
After adopting the OER materials for the module on interviewing. Students were asked, "How useful do you find having all reading materials online for this class? 75% selected "Extremely useful or Very Useful."	After adopting the OER materials for the module on interviewing. Students were also asked, "How useful do you find having all reading materials being free to you for this class? 89% selected "Extremely useful or Very Useful."

Recommendations & Advice

* Take your time evaluating sources: this is a time-consuming process because you need to really search for the resources you want to use.

* Take your time developing new assignments/work: this is also a time-consuming process because now that you have new material, you need to make sure that the assignments, activities, presentations, homework, and projects align/refer/use the new material.

* Take the time to get feedback from students: this is a bit time consuming because you want to make sure students are using the new material, engaging, and really forming an opinion about how effective the new material is.

Faculty Biography

Faculty Bio
	Heidy Sarabia is an Associate Professor in the Department of Sociology at California State University, Sacramento. Her research focuses on globalization processes such as global stratification, borders and borderlands, border violence, transnational social change and mobilizations, immigrant adaptation and incorporation in the U.S., and educational experiences among Latinx/Xicanx students in higher education—especially among undocumented and DACAmented students, first generation, and Chicanx/Latinx students in the context of Hispanic Serving Institutions (HSI). She teaches Statistics, Methods, Sociology of Globalization, Social Movements, Social Change and Migration in Latin America, and the introductory class to the Sociology Department (Soc 2) at CSU Sacramento.

**Program Sponsors**
	This work was supported by: Sacramento State Academic Affairs - Center for Teaching and Learning California State University Affordable Learning Solutions Program & SB 1359