OpenSkill will fund open access, interactive online learning for students

Open educational resources bring courses to life, help students develop essential critical thinking and career skills

A man's silhouette stands in the center with view of space in the background

Photo by Greg Rakozy

By Anahi Mendez |
November 02, 2021

As part of the Learning Enterprise’s Inspark Teaching Network, colleges, universities and state systems can receive up to $10,000 each to implement high-quality online active learning using open educational resources from the OpenSkill Impact Grant aimed at improving learning and lowering costs for students.

A powerful collaboration

OpenSkill is funded by a $3.4 million grant from the Department of Education and represents a unique collaboration between the Center for Education Through Exploration, spearheaded by President’s Professor Ariel Anbar and Inspark, at Arizona State University and three of the largest community college systems in the country: Maricopa Community Colleges, Miami Dade and Ivy Tech Community College.

Grant facilitates a visionary open educational resources approach

As part of this grant, awardees will be provided with services ranging from technology integration to learning design to course development in learning management systems. Faculty and college members will be able to bundle active open educational resources and OpenSkill tools with existing teaching materials.

Instructors will use the funds for faculty stipends/contracts to pilot, test, review, adapt and scale content. The grant also includes funding for designated faculty to assist their colleagues with implementing open educational resources as textbook replacements.

The visionary approach of open educational resources brings courses to life, develops essential workforce skills and helps students develop critical thinking. The open educational resources and tools are low-cost, improving access and allowing underserved student populations to be served better.

Apply today

Higher education institutions are encouraged to apply. Applications close at 5 p.m. Pacific time on Friday, Nov. 5.

The OpenSkill Leadership Team will conduct interviews with the finalists from Nov. 8–12 and announce grants on Nov. 15. They will provide funding through the spring, summer and fall of 2022. Pilots and instructor training begins in spring 2022.

Applicants can submit questions and extension requests through OpenSkill’s support platform.

About the Learning Enterprise and Inspark

The ASU Learning Enterprise serves learners of all ages and backgrounds to inspire curiosity, wonder and hope, in alignment with ASU’s charter and goals of advancing excellence in education, broadening access and having a meaningful societal impact in a rapidly evolving, technology-fueled world.

One of its many learning offerings is Inspark — the world’s first digitally powered teaching network. Inspark brings together visionary education institutions and world-leading researchers committed to advancing science teaching and learning. Learning Enterprise and Inspark are dedicated to improving the postsecondary success of disadvantaged students in entry-level science courses everywhere.