OER Champions

Dr. Closson is an Assistant Professor in the College of Education with a background in special education.  

He has taught undergraduate courses in Adolescent Development and Introduction to the Exceptional Learner. He has also taught graduate courses in Adolescent Development and Introduction to the Exceptional Learner. He has also taught graduate courses in Assessment & Instruction of Diverse Learners I & II.

His research interests are in exploring the use of the human capability theory to develop a pro-inclusive mindset in P-12 educators to assist in the transition and implementation of evidence-based practices and multi-tiered systems of support (MTSS) to meet the needs of all students.

OER Contributions
Dr. Closson converted to OER for one of his undergraduate courses in the Spring 2023 semester. His intent was to reduce the cost to students, by providing students an option to the high cost for a textbook. “I found the OER materials comparable to the former text by utilizing various sources to get the same content” he said.

Takeaway
Dr. Closson noted, “The transition to OER was made easy because of the support provided by Dawn and Christina. I provided my syllabus and they searched for and found OER options for me to consider. If I had to do it all on my own the transition would have taken much longer and implementation delayed further. My students really appreciated the transition to OER and the savings they accrue in not having to buy a textbook. This process has afforded me the opportunity to provide equitable access for my students to fully participate in my course.”

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