Open Resources for Biology Education (ORBE): a resource collection

Authors

Sanah Ahmed, Cornell University
Tiffany Adjei-Opong, Cornell University
Ashley B. Heim, Cornell University
Keenan Noyes, University of Nebraska - Lincoln
Kelly Schmid, Cornell University
Brian Couch, University of Nebraska - LincolnFollow
MacKenzie R. Stetzer, University of Maine
Lillian G. Senn, Washington State University
Erin Vinson, Codon Learning
Michelle K. Smith, Cornell University
Kira Treibergs, Cornell University

Document Type

Article

Date of this Version

5-6-2024

Citation

Journal of Microbiology and Biology Education. August 2024 Volume 25 Issue 2. 10.1128/jmbe.00203-23

Comments

Open access.

Abstract

In undergraduate life sciences education, open educational resources (OERs) increase accessibility and retention for students, reduce costs, and save instructors time and effort. Despite increasing awareness and utilization of these resources, OERs are not centrally located, and many undergraduate instructors describe challenges in locating relevant materials for use in their classes. To address this challenge, we have designed a resource collection (referred to as Open Resources for Biology Education, ORBE) with 89 unique resources that are primarily relevant to undergraduate life sciences education. To identify the resources in ORBE, we asked undergraduate life sciences instructors to list what OERs they use in their teaching and curated their responses. Here, we summarize the contents of the ORBE and describe how educators can use this resource as a tool to identify suitable materials to use in their classroom context. By highlighting the breadth of unique resources openly available for undergraduate biology education, we intend for the ORBE to increase instructors’ awareness and use of OERs.