6 Talking Points
This chapter is aimed at providing customizable talking points on course marking initiatives that can be adapted to fit the needs of the institution and various stakeholders. The stakeholder groups mentioned in Chapter 5 (Other Stakeholders) will express different levels of investment and interest in supporting open and affordable course markings. For some stakeholders course markings are an immediate benefit, empowering them to make informed decisions about courses or allowing them to collect useful data that might further their unit’s mission or open educational resources (OER) more generally. For others, course markings create additional responsibilities and may be seen as a burden. As such, these stakeholders should be approached strategically. The talking points below summarize benefits and concerns related to course marking initiatives, but may not be exhaustive. Part IV (Branding and Communication) provides additional information on how to customize messages to be most relevant for different stakeholders.
Customizing Talking Points
To be most effective, these talking points should be customized to both local context and audience. Strategies for this customization include
- Utilizing strategic documents, including the institution’s mission and vision to point to its commitment to affordability, access, and student agency.
- Gathering information about peer institutions and what they are doing. Have they implemented course markings? How might their guidance inform conversations with stakeholders?
- Gathering information about the student information system (SIS) in use. Has customization already been done? This is explored in more detail in Chapter 9 (Student Information Systems).
- Citing research on the effectiveness of affordable course materials, specifically OER. The Open Education Research Group is a useful resource.
- Citing institutional data on student tuition, course material costs, and even student debt. If possible, curate testimony from students on why a course marking initiative might help them.
- Identifying potential allies from the department or organization to discuss planned talking points prior to the main meeting. If possible, discuss potential benefits or concerns that may need to be addressed during the meeting. Adapt or supplement talking points based on this discussion.
- For stakeholder groups, in particular campus departments, identifying strategic priorities and mission and determining ways that course markings can serve those objectives.
- Having a rough idea of what a potential new workflow for marking might look like for stakeholders. Be ready to answer questions about this workflow and be honest about sticking points. The possible impact on processes is explored in Chapter 8 (Processes).
Talking points About Benefits:
- The urgency for open and affordable course materials resonates with many students. With the rising cost of attendance (U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Educati