The Situation
Team Soapbox is partnering with the Office of the Superintendent of Public Instruction to support the team leading the work to develop Open Educational Resources (OER) Hub. We were hired by OSPI to build awareness of the OER Hub and the free resources available. While the team sought to raise awareness amongst all educators, our work also focused on those living in rural areas of Eastern Washington
The Approach
Our work began by conducting stakeholder interviews with educators, district staff, and OSPI leaders to understand the barriers, perceptions and opportunities that exist for the OER Hub. We learned that, overall, many people did not know about this tool and were curious and interested once they became aware. However, we also discovered that many educators distrusted the OER Hub due to a lack of information on how the materials and resources on the Hub were generated, vetted and approved. From this research we developed messaging designed to address the learnings from our interviews.
Additionally, our interviews with educators include several probing questions about how they consume information related to their work – through emails, social media, district leadership, etc. This information led to the development of a strategic communications plan to increase awareness and trust of the OER Hub.
Immediately we developed several 1-page overview flyers and FAQ’s about the WA Hub that were distributed to district leaders and then emailed to teachers and posted in staff lounges. We also redesigned the OER Hub newsletter, establishing a consistent brand and voice for the monthly email communications we developed which were emailed to Washington state educators.
Another component of our communications strategy was leaning into Google Search ads. We discovered that many educators turn to Google to search for supplemental curriculum or classroom resources. Google Search ads allowed us to hone in on a specific audience, and when this audience used specific search keywords or phrases the results would include a link to OER Hub. This strategy was very successful, resulting in strong click-through-rates and nearly doubling the number of visitors to the OER Hub website.
Lastly, our team produced a series of videos designed to inform educators about the OER Hub. Through both an animated video that provides an overview of the website and materials available, we provided greater insight on how to find resources. And through in-person interviews with grantees, we addressed the fears, concerns, and distrust that some educators have about the OER Hub. These videos will be used at trainings, posted on the OSPI and OER Hub website, and shared on social media.
