Professor and Head of Research, Engagement and Scholarship
What are Open Educational Resources or "OER"?
Open Educational Resources (OER) are teaching, learning and research materials in any format that reside in the public domain or have been released with an open license that permits access, use, repurposing, and/or redistribution by others with limited or no restrictions (Atkins, Brown & Hammond, 2007).
OER can include full courses, course materials, textbooks, interactive materials such as simulations and role plays, databases, software, apps (including mobile apps), websites, videos and any other materials useful for teaching or research.
OER are specifically designed by their creator/s to be free, openly available, and are often licensed to be re-used, re-mixed, and re-distributed. Open is not just about low cost (though that is an important benefit of using OER) but about the ability to take what others have created, customize it for your specific educational needs, and then share your creation with others.
OER can come in a variety of forms:
Primary sources - Images, video, and sound recordings. Some sources are in the public domain, while others have been licensed as open by their creators. In addition, many texts that are in the public domain are available online/electronically.
Learning content - created content that ranges from individual lectures, animations, and assessments to complete courses and textbooks.
Why OER?
The open resource movement has been around for a while, starting with static learning objects (about 2000), and transitioning to OER that allowed for revision and reuse. Today, it is the ever increasing cost of textbooks and materials for students that is pushing the OER movement forward. Textbooks and learning materials cost students approximately $1,200 per year.
According to the Chronicle of Higher Education, 7 in 10 students didn't purchase a textbook because it was too expensive. Through the use of OER, the cost of student materials can be drastically reduced. OER also give instructors the ability to customize the materials, creating the "perfect" textbook instead of being bound to traditional print resources.
Read more about OER
The price of college textbooks continues to increase. A survey conducted by the U.S. Public Interest Research Group finds that students are opting to skip the books even if their grades suffer. The group said open textbooks—written by faculty members, peer-reviewed, and available free online—could help make textbooks affordable again.
- Open Textbooks Could Help Students Financially and Academically(2014, January 28). Perez-Hernandez, Danya. The Chronicle of Higher Education. https://www.chronicle.com/blogs/wiredcampus/open-textbooks-could-help-students-financially-and-academically-researchers-say
In a survey by the U.S. Public Interest Research Group, many students said they would have done better in class if they had had free access to the required materials. - The cost and quality of online open textbooks: Perceptions of community college faculty and studentsBliss, T., Hilton III, J., Wiley, D., & Thanos, K. (2013). The cost and quality of online open textbooks: Perceptions of community college faculty and students. First Monday, 18(1). https://doi.org/10.5210/fm.v18i1.3972
- OER : The future of education is openLisa Young, Stone, J., & Daly, U. (2017, August 28). OER: The Future of Education Is Open. Connections, Educause Review. https://er.educause.edu/articles/2017/8/oer-the-future-of-education-is-open
- On Quality and OERBlog post by David Wiley, October 10, 2013.
- Open 101: An Action Plan for Affordable Textbooks(2018, January 25). Student PIRGs. https://studentpirgs.org/2018/01/25/open-101-action-plan-affordable-textbooks/
- Exploring the Use of E-Textbooks in Higher Education: A Multiyear StudydeNoyelles, A., & Raible, J. (2017, October 9). Exploring the Use of E-Textbooks in Higher Education: A Multiyear Study. Educause Review. https://er.educause.edu/articles/2017/10/exploring-the-use-of-e-textbooks-in-higher-education-a-multiyear-study.
A four-year university-wide study of students' e-textbook practices found that e-textbook use has increased, particularly among younger students. - Open Textbooks and Increased Student Access and OutcomesFeldstein, A., Martin, M., Hudson, A., Warren, K., Hilton, J., & Wiley, D. (2012). Open Textbooks and Increased Student Access and Outcomes. European Journal of Open, Distance and E-Learning. https://eric.ed.gov/?id=EJ992490
- 2018 Student Textbook and Course Materials Survey and InformationFlorida Virtual Campus, Distance Learning and Student Services page provides both the 2016 survey and 2018 survey plus infographics.
