Building a Foundation for Lifelong Research: Emphasizing Open Access and Open Educational Resources in Allied Health Higher Education

Objectives: Highlight top open access and open educational resources in health sciences and provide examples of their use in supporting higher education curriculum needs to respond to online, distance, flipped classroom, and hybrid learning structures, and to ensure familiarity with lifelong continuing education and research resources for evidence-based practice in allied health fields.

Methods: "a student's education is only as valuable as the information that a student has access to" Matt Cooper (president of the National Association of Graduate and Professional Students, 2012). Evidence-based practice is no longer a new concept in health professions or education, but its integration into allied health higher education curricula and its inclusion by health professionals in everyday, lifelong practice still presents challenges. One challenge is affordable access to research study findings and data, and to resources that index such information. A librarian from a public, research-1 university will draw from experiences and practices at her institution, and from a review of such at similar institutions. She will present methods to promote: use of open access and open educational resources, greater participation in these movements, and curriculum-related applications.

Results: This flipped presentation will include an overview of top overall and health sciences-related open access and open educational resources: how to find them and suggestions for evaluation criteria. It will also include options to promote and use Creative Commons search and licensing for discovering and sharing materials licensed for others to use, reuse, and adapt. Methods for promoting open access and open educational resources in higher educational and other settings will follow, with a final overview of newly expanding options for do-it-yourself and open science initiatives including opportunities for involvement in health research and innovation.

Conclusions: Join us, and bring your laptop, tablet, or mobile device! This presentation will be a "flipped presentation," with a brief (ten-to-fifteen minutes) voice-over PowerPoint presentation sent out ahead of time. The in-person session will offer a hands-on approach with opportunities to delve into using one or more major sources of open access or open educational resources to discover resources to recommend for supporting curricula, professional development, or training. You will also have a chance to collaborate with colleagues and explore ideas for promotional events and materials to build awareness of open access and open education initiatives. Leave with first-hand knowledge of new resources and an action plan for an event to promote these important initiatives within your community.