Open Educational Resources

Open Educational Resources (OER) are educational materials, such as textbooks and supplementary materials, which are made available using an open copyright license that allows for free use and adaptation.

The primary driver for adopting OER is usually based on cost. Surveys and studies show:

• Textbook price increases have outpaced inflation.
• Students will choose not to buy a textbook because of the price, even when they think their grades will suffer. 
• Students experiencing food insecurity are even more likely to forego buying textbooks and access codes.

Source: 2018 Student Textbook and Course Materials Survey Results and Findings by Florida Virtual Campus

There are also non-financial benefits to OER.

• Academic freedom
  • Using openly licensed textbooks allows the instructor to adapt the material. Textbooks can be reorganized, rewritten, etc.
• Better engagement
  • Examples in texts can be changed to be more diverse and better reflect the experiences of the students. 
• Student success
  • Studies have found equivalent learning and lower withdrawal rates in courses using OER.
• Equity and social responsibility
  • ​​​​​​​Using free materials demonstrates a commitment to equitable access.

For further information, please visit the sites listed below.

SPARC, a non-profit dedicated to promoting open and equitable access to information, in conjunction with librarians, compiled the most common OER myths to debunk them.

1. Open simply means free
   • Fact: Open means the permission to freely download, edit, and share materials to better serve all students
2. All OER are digital
   • Fact: OER take many formats, including print, digital, audio, and more
3. “You get what you pay for”
   • Fact: OER can be produced to the same quality standards as traditional textbooks
4. Copyright for OER is complicated
   • Fact: Open licensing makes OER easy to freely and legally use
5. OER are not sustainable
   • Fact: Models are evolving to support the sustainability and continuous improvement of OER
6. Open textbooks lack ancillaries
   • Fact: Open textbooks often come with ancillaries, and when they do not, existing OER can provide additional support
7. My institution is not ready for OER
   • Fact: Any institution can start with small steps toward OER that make an impact for students

Adapted from: SPARC (2017). OER Mythbusting. Washington, DC: SPARC.

The original work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.