What is OER Anyway?

Introduction to OER

In this section, you will explore the benefits of Open Educational Resources (OER) and learn why OER is such a terrific resource for students, instructors, and creators.

At the completion of this section, you will be able to;

• Define Open Educational Resources.

• Describe benefits to OER.

• Explain the difference between free and OER.

• List potential cost savings from the use of OER.

• Identify the expenses involved in the creation and maintenance of OER materials.

Why Use OER?

While breaking down barriers of affordability and accessibility, the use of OERs has been shown to increase student learning. A research study at Virginia State University was conducted by Feldstein et al. (2012), where OER were implemented across nine different courses in the business department. Students in courses that used OER were found to more often have better grades as well as lower failure and withdrawal rates than their counterparts in courses that did not use OER.

According to the Chronicle of Higher Education, "7 in 10 students didn’t purchase a textbook because it was too expensive. One in five college students has skipped or deferred a class due to the price of the required learning resources. The cost of textbooks is rising at a rate of 4 times inflation 60% of students have delayed purchasing textbooks until they’ve received their financial aid."

OERs give faculty the ability to customize course materials, creating the “perfect” course packet or textbook instead of being bound to a traditional one-size-fits-all model. Customization gives faculty control over the quality of their course materials as well as the type and timing of updates to textbooks and other resources.

After reading FAQ on OER, the OER_Fact_Sheet, and completing the quiz, post your response to the following scenario in the Comments section below.

Scenario: You're a recent college graduate and and have been assigned to teach middle school in an economically challenged neighborhood. Most of your own resources are directed to the lenders of your student loans. How might you leverage OER materials to simultaneously benefit you, your students, and the school at which you teach?