Open Educational Resources

What are Open Educational Resources? (OERs)

Open Educational Resources are teaching, learning and research resources released under an open liscense that permits their free use and repurposing by to others. OERs can be textbooks, full courses, individual lessons, lesson plans, videos, tests, etc. In many cases it is possible to find OERs to replace existing meterials that students would have to purchase.

Why is This Important?

Textbooks present a very real financial bruden to students. According to the Government Accountability Office, textbook prices increased by 82% between 2002 and 2013 - three times the rate of inflation. The average annual cost of books and supplies is now over $1,200 for the average student.
It may be possible to find OERs for your course, at a great savings to our students. For example, the University of Massachusets Amherst's Open Education Initiative has saved their students over $1 million dollars since 2011. Portland State University saved its students $85,000 during the 2015-16 school year, and George Fox University saved its students almost $100,000 from 2016-17.
Last modified: 08/2017