Using diffusion of innovations theory to modify library OER interventions during the COVID-19 pandemic

Abstract

The high cost of commercial textbooks has been well documented. To help alleviate the impact of those costs, the Oklahoma State University (OSU) Library identified exploration and support of open educational resources (OER) as a priority in their strategic plan. The OSU Library OER Librarian used human performance technology analysis findings to select and design interventions for inclusion in the library's support of OER. When OSU abruptly switched mid-Spring 2020 to emergency remote teaching in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, the library was faced with the need to modify interventions designed for face-to-face interaction to engage and support faculty instructors in online spaces. This chapter uses diffusions of innovations theory to describe how the library made meaning of and anticipated challenges and to share how the library designed and implemented modified interventions.