Innovations That Matter

Open Nebraska aims to save University of Nebraska students $10 million dollars by 2023 by using no-cost digital textbooks and resources. Utilizing Open Educational Resources (OER)—which are created and licensed to be free—and first day access eBooks through campus bookstores, NU is increasing its commitment to student access and affordability.

To participate, students can select the “Open Nebraska” option under programs when completing a course search.

The University of Nebraska System believes access should not be a barrier. We aim to create environments where everyone, everywhere can access information.

Across all four of our campuses, we work to ensure a compliant digital ecosystem that is accessible for all. Systemwide training and standards, coordinated review processes, and expanded advocacy and education efforts that support the access of information technology are integral for faculty, staff and student success.

Every student learns differently, and understanding what students know—and still need to learn—can be a challenge for instructors with large class sizes. That’s where adaptive courseware adds value: personalizing the learning experience for each student on an individual level.

Adaptive Courseware Community of Practice will be launched in Spring of 2023. Faculty will study the impacts of adaptive courseware in practice as students experience content that is automatically adjusted based on their individual progress. The goal? Better student outcomes and increased degree attainment.

Digital Briefcase & Backpack is a University of Nebraska System initiative that streamlines and simplifies how students, faculty and staff connect to IT services—so they can learn, teach and work from wherever they are.

A clear, easy-to-understand digital toolkit is important to NU students, faculty, and staff who are operating remotely and need digital onboarding to key IT services.

The Applied Research In Technology Lab is based on partnerships with faculty members who have research interests in cybersecurity and teaching with technology. The program links these faculty members with selected faculty fellows, who each lead a study in collaboration with ITS and NU Digital Education.

The Lab helps advance faculty research goals and provides an opportunity for increased connection and use of data across NU. It also supporting our commitment to continual improvement, best practices and student success.