Professor Kihm received an Open Education Award from the Student Government Association
MABE Professor Ken Kihm is one of three faculty members to receive an Open Education Award from UT’s Student Government Association (SGA) due to his use of Open Educational Resources (OERs) in the classroom.
The SGA partnered with the University Libraries to establish the annual award to recognize faculty and lecturers who use OERs—teaching and learning materials that are free of cost and access barriers—in the classroom to promote and contribute to a culture of openness and knowledge sharing. Using OERs not only increases student access to course materials, but also lessens the financial burden on students and their families.
Nominations are made by students, and members of SGA’s Academic Affairs Committee collaborate with the Libraries’ Dean’s Student Advisory Committee to review the nominations and chose the winners. The judges base their decision on the impact of learning, innovation in teaching, and economic impact on students.
Kihm was nominated for the award by students in his AE 351 class. Some of the comments from the students included, “…it simplified the learning experience. Dr. Kihm is an excellent professor and true to provide as many resources as he can to maximize success,” and “having an open textbook was very effective and saved me a lot of money.”
“Receiving the Open Education Award is an honor,” said Kihm. “I enjoy teaching my class with the open book resources, and I am happy my students are benefiting from this new way of learning.”
Kihm received his award at a campus reception on April 25.