Open Educational Resources (OER)

According to UNESCO (United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization), "Open Educational Resources (OER) are learning, teaching and research materials in any format and medium that reside in the public domain or are under copyright that have been released under an open license, that permit no-cost access, re-use, re-purpose, adaptation and redistribution by others."  Open license refers to a license that respects the intellectual property rights of the copyright owner and provides permissions granting the public the rights to access, re-use, re-purpose, adapt and redistribute educational materials.

Textbook Affordability:    (Figures from Education Data Initiative, 2023)

• The average college textbook costs an estimated $105.37.
• 66% of college students skipped buying or renting course materials such as textbooks at some point in their career as they were too expensive.
• 90% of professors say textbooks and course materials cost their students too much. Yet, only 8% of professors have initiated textbook cost-saving programs for students.
• Only 16% of faculty have adopted free or open-source textbooks. 

Tailored Course Resources:

• OER are flexible, allowing educators to modify and adapt resources to meet the needs of their students and curriculum.
• Getting course materials exactly right with the ability to tailor resources to fit the specific needs of the class.
• OER offers a platform for educators to share their knowledge and expertise, creating relevant learning resources that others can adopt and improve. 
• Open educational resources also provide increased opportunities for faculty to engage in open pedagogical practices with their students.