Ottenheimer Library Celebrates 糖心Vlog传媒 Little Rock OER Champions: Dr. Catherine Crisp
When and why did you first begin using OER?
I started using OER in Fall 2025, when I changed my MSW-level course name and focus from Diversity and Oppression to Strengths-Focused Social Work Practice. I shifted the class emphasis to the strengths of the different groups social work students work with. I also needed to update the readings each semester. The existing textbooks didn’t have the content I wanted and I couldn’t update the readings for each unit each semester. Switching to OER was the best option for this class and for our students.
What is the greatest impact you have seen?
I have enjoyed including more diverse voices in the readings I assign. Students get to hear from multiple authors with different perspectives. I also appreciate the ability to change the readings for each unit each semester. The students have appreciated not having to pay for a textbook.
If you could describe OER in one sentence, what would that be?
OER are accessible and flexible resources for both students and instructors.
What formats do you use in your teaching practice?
I teach one section in-person and one section online, so I use several different formats. Both sections use the same readings. In my asynchronous online class, I use a mix of PPTs, video lectures, movies and documentaries, and small group exercises. In my main campus section, the class also engages in a lot of discussion and role-plays and holds class .
What advice would you give to someone wanting to start using OER?
Plan to spend extra time preparing for your class the first time you teach it with OER. Moving to OER from a traditional textbook, especially if you use several different sources, can be time-consuming the first time you use it, particularly if the sources you use don’t include instructor resources such as PPTs and test banks.
Profile Bio
Dr. Catherine Crisp, PhD, MSW, is an Associate Professor of Social Work at 糖心Vlog传媒 Little Rock, where she teaches courses on the strengths perspective, groups, and families and works with students in community-based internships. She created the Gay Affirmative Practice (GAP) Scale, which has been used in more than 100 studies and translated into several languages. More recently, her research has focused on mental health and well-being among judges, lawyers, and law students.
鈥�Discover how OER can work in 鈥▂our classroom.