Ash Barber
Librarian, Open Educational Practice (OEP) Enthusiast
ABOUT EMPOWERED OER
Figuring out how to create open educational resources (OER) that are inclusive, diverse, equitable and accessible (IDEA) can feel like an overwhelmingly confusing and complicated task. Moreover, if you turn to Google, you’ll find yourself drowning in a sea of resources of varying degrees of quality, relevance and geographic suitability. EmpoweredOER is here to help you wade through that sea to find a set of tools, concrete examples, and guides curated to the Australian context.
You’ll find many rabbit holes to wander down along the way (especially in the Hot Topics section), but you will also be guided through a more direct path to creating and evaluating OER with IDEA principles and practices front of mind.
About ASH
Ash is an Academic Librarian at the University of South Australia. She provides teaching and research support to staff and students with a keen focus on the promotion and integration of open educational practices and development of open educational resources.
She is driven by lifelong learning (AKA insatiable curiosity) and empowering others through equitable access to information. Her interest in emerging digital technologies and wide-ranging experience in copyright, acquisitions, online curriculum support, and library services, enables a holistic approach to open education.
Ash Co-Convenes the ASCILITE Australasian Open Educational Practice Special Interest Group (OEP SIG), is a member of the CAUL Open Educational Resources Collective Champions and was awarded a Libraries of the Australian Technology Network (LATN) Fellowship for her project exploring practical inclusive solutions in OER.
EmpoweredOER is a curation of her learnings from the Fellowship trip to North America where she explored how OER can redress issues of inclusion, diversity, equity and accessibility in traditional textbooks.
Get in touch
Ash is based in Australia and is always keen to chat about everything open education and inclusive practices worldwide. Reach out via the links below.
Speaking
ASCILITE Conference 2023 (forthcoming)
Dismantling the education exclusion zone: Empowering OER authors towards inclusive design
Fellowship Presentation 2023
Demystifying inclusive OER: Practical guidance for finding and creating equitable OER
Open Access Week 2022
LATN Fellowship: Exploring Inclusive Solutions in OER
WRITING
Open Climate Resources for Teachers (Sept 2023)
A guide to resources on climate science and climate justice hacked together by several contributors in an exercise of collective librarianship
CAUL Digital Dexterity Blog Post (April 2023)
Lost in the Open Sea: Practical guidance for finding and creating inclusive OER
OEP Digest (Monthly)
Co-Convenor: Australasian Open Educational Practice Special Interest Group (OEP SIG)
Download this page (pdf)
Empowered OER 