The Council of Atlantic Academic Libraries (CAAL-CBPA) is delighted to announce the recipients of this year’s AtlanticOER Development Grants. These grants are intended to support educators in the Atlantic Region in the adaptation, adoption, creation, and curation of open educational resources (OER), and to increase access to course materials for students. With funding from the Council of Atlantic Ministers for Education and Training (CAMET), the AtlanticOER Development Grant Program continues to offer 3 different tiers of funding: creation grants (up to $7,000), adaptation grants (up to $4,000), and ancillary material grants (up to $1,000).

The grants aim to support educators from provincially funded post-secondary institutions in achieving the following objectives:

• Support the creation or adaptation of open textbooks and ancillary materials, such as PowerPoint slides, quiz banks, images, and other digital study or interactive aids;
• Create a variety of OERs developed for use by educators and students in credit-bearing courses;
• Establish supportive events for the development of content for OERs, such as sprints (a collaborative in-person or virtual event to create or adapt an open textbook or ancillary resources); or
• Distribute funds to maximize direct benefit to a wide range of student learners and inquiry across a diversity of disciplines.

The 2025 recipients are:

Dr. Cornelia Schneider, Faculty of Education, Mount Saint Vincent University

Tier: Creation Grant

Project: This project aims to bridge the gap between Nova Scotia policies concerning accessible education and classroom practices to create a new, bilingual resource. This resource will give insight into disability theory and policy and highlight inclusive teaching practices that can be used to implement this knowledge in day-to-day instruction. The OER will be the start of a collection of course materials and lesson plans that not only support pre-service teachers but also current teachers in their lifelong learning.

Courses: EDUC 5201 and 5202 – Inclusive Practices in Elementary Schools I and II; EDUC 5208 and 5209 – Inclusive Practices in Secondary Schools I and II

Cynthia Urtubia, Faculty of Early Childhood Education, Nova Scotia Community College

Tier: Adaptation Grant

Team: Megan Hightower Smith, Nova Scotia Community College

Project: This project aims to integrate Indigenous ways of knowing with the Nova Scotia Early Learning Curriculum Framework into a new OER for individuals studying Early Childhood Education. The book will emphasize deepening connections with the Land to promote the relevance and importance of outdoor learning experiences in Early Childhood Education. As such, this OER will be tailored to the unique needs of Atlantic region early childhood educators and will put Etuaptmumk (Two Eyed Seeing) into practice.

Course: ECSP 2205 – Land based curriculum for outdoor learning

Dr. Grant Handrigan, École de kinésiologie et de loisir, Faculté des sciences de la santé et des services communautaires, Université de Moncton

Tier: Creation Grant

Project: The aim of this project is to create an OER focused on promoting healthy active living in aging populations, with a specific focus on fall prevention. The book will integrate case studies, interactive elements, and evidence-based content. This resource will be valuable not only to undergraduate students but also to health care practitioners and caregivers who are seeking research-based information to support the aging adults in their lives. As such, this resource has the potential to make a positive impact on community health.

Course: KNEP 1102 – Vie active et santé; KNEP 2105 - Biomécanique en AP; KNEP 3204 – Vieillisement en activité physique

Dr. Katarin MacLeod, Faculty of Education, St. Francis Xavier University

Tier: Creation Grant

Team: Dr. Gerald Laronde, Nibissing First Nation Knowledge Keeper, Nipissing University; Dr. Wendy Kraglund-Gauthier, Associate Dean (Research), Chair of Adult Education, Yorkville University; Dr. Julie Mueller, Technology Integration, Laurier University; Dr. David Pink, Department of Physics, St. Francis Xavier University; Dr. M. Shajahan Gulam Razul, Department of Chemistry, St. Francis Xavier University; Regina Cozzi, Department of Biology, St. Francis Xavier University

Project: This project aims to create a resource that highlights Canadian educational and natural science research to connect Science Technology, Engineering, and Math  with Science, Technology, Society, and Environment pedagogies. There will be a focus on topics of natural science related to Nova Scotia, providing students with a resource tailored to their learning environments. This OER will integrate both Western science and Indigenous Science, weaving them together to form a cohesive narrative. In this sense, the book aims to respond to the Calls to Action from the Truth and Reconciliation Commission.

Courses: EDUC 427A – Curriculum and Instruction Secondary Science Education A and EDUC 427B  - Curriculum and Instruction Secondary Science Education B

Dr. Leanne Stevens, Faculty of Science, Dalhousie University

Tier: Adaptation

Team: Dr. Jennifer Stamp, Faculty of Science, Dalhousie University; Dr. Kevin LeBlanc, Faculty of Science, Dalhousie University

Project: This adaptation project aims to take the existing OER Introduction to Psychology & Neuroscience and integrate new content and revise existing content, that centers Black and African-Nova Scotian perspectives. The team will be partnering with local experts with lived experience, disciplinary knowledge, and research expertise connected to relevant topics in Psychology and Neuroscience.

Course: PSYO 1011, 1012, 1031, and 1032 – Introduction to Psychology & Neuroscience I and II

Dr. Suresh Neethirajan, Faculty of Computer Science, Dalhousie University

Tier: Adaptation Grant

Project: This project aims to adapt existing materials to create a new OER that introduces the use of AI, machine learning, sensor technology, and big data in modern agriculture studies. This integration of both computer science and agricultural studies in a single work will provide a more holistic perspective on data-driven decision making in modern agriculture. The goal is to make a resource that is interactive and which includes Canadian case studies, making it tailored to the learning needs of Atlantic agriculture students.

Course: CSCI 6803 – Digital Agriculture

Dr. Steven Van Zoost School of Education, Acadia University and Dr. Carolyn Clarke Teacher Education, Curriculum and Leadership, St. Francis Xavier University

Tier: Creation Grant

Project: In this inter-university collaboration, the team will work to create an OER for Bachelor of Education students across Atlantic Canada that focuses on theories of literacy education. The textbook will take these various theories of literacy education and connect them to classroom practices. This OER responds to a need for an Atlantic focused resource that supports educators in responding to the ever-changing and diverse needs of students in the present day.

Courses: English and Literacy Courses at both Acadia University and St. Francis Xavier University