Growth of the Open Educational Resource Movement.

Prof. Christine Mooney
Associate Professor
Queensborough Community College, CUNY

 and

Leslie L. Francis, Esq.
Assistant Professor
Queensborough Community College, CUNY

Article Abstract

            The cost of a textbook for an undergraduate course can average between $60.00 and $300.00. In particular, the cost of textbooks for Hispanic and other minority students can sometimes exceed the cost of their tuition. The increasing cost of commercial texts has led many students to find alternatives for the purchase of their required course text. Students may purchase an older or international version of the text, rent them, or buy e-books. Many students do not purchase the text for the course because they cannot afford the book in any format. The implementation of Open Educational Resources as a means of reducing the cost of student textbooks has grown dramatically in recent years. This paper outlines the development of the OER trend in community colleges in particular and discusses the practical applications for the development of a business law course at Queensborough Community College.

A Case Study in Developing a Fully Asynchronous Online Introduction to Business Course: Ten Big Surprises

By:  Christine Mooney, Esq. and Dr. Edward Volchok — Queensborough Community College (CUNY)

Abstract:

This article reports on the experience of two members of the Business Department who developed a successful asynchronous version of the department’s Introduction to Business survey course. The article highlights what we learned and how we overcame the obstacles we faced. We discuss how our course evolved during the last six semesters we taught it. We also discuss how our College community reflected on the experience of developing the courses under this program and how our reflections contributed to major revisions of our College’s eLearning efforts.

Bridging the Gap: Blended Courses in the Business Discipline

By: Prof. Christine Mooney, and Prof. Leslie Francis, Esq. — Queensborough Community College, CUNY

The purpose of this paper is to provide the reader with successful teaching models in hybrid courses utilized by faculty members at a community college.  Utilizing the current literature, the paper outlines some of the challenges and successes that two faculty members have encountered while teaching partially online (blended) courses in the Business Department at Queensborough Community College.  It highlights the current literature and provides constructive examples of how these findings can be addressed.