UTEP Library Research Guides: Open Education Resources @ UTEP: Welcome

OER- The Basics

Open Educational Resources (OER) are teaching, learning and research materials in any medium – digital or otherwise – that reside in the public domain or have been released under an open license that permits no-cost access, use, adaptation and redistribution by others with no or limited restrictions.

--UNESCO

[They] are teaching, learning, and research resources that reside in the public domain or have been released under an intellectual property license that permits their free use and re-purposing by others. Open educational resources include full courses, course materials, modules, textbooks, streaming videos, tests, software, and any other tools, materials, or techniques used to support access to knowledge.

--The William and Flora Hewlett Foundation

1. Textbook Prices

According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, college textbook prices increased 187.5 percent in the past decade, more than any other cost to college students in that same time period [BLS]
Over the past decade, textbook prices have risen at over three times the rate of inflation. [Student Public Interest Research Groups]
66% of students have chosen not to purchase a textbook because it was too expensive. [2016 Student Textbook and Course Materials Survey, Florida Virtual Campus]

2. Control Over Course Content

The use of OER frees faculty and instructors from having to design courses based on a commercial textbook, by which the publisher inherently dictates how the course is delivered. Using OER brings the flexibility to choose current and relevant course materials, as well as to create and/or adapt the content to match learners' needs and their teaching style. [OER: The Future of Education Is Open, EDUCAUSE]

3. Students' and Institutions' Performance

OER improve end-of-course grades and decrease DFW (D, F, and Withdrawal letter grades) rates for all students. They also improve course grades at greater rates and decrease DFW rates at greater rates for Pell recipient students, part-time students, and populations
historically underserved by higher education. ["The Impact of Open Educational Resources on Various Student Success Metrics", 2018]
A study published in 2015 found that students who used OER in their undergraduate courses performed as well or better (course completion, final grade, final grade of C- or higher, enrollment intensity, and enrollment intensity in the following semester) than those assigned commercial textbooks. [A multi-institutional study of the impact of open textbook adoption on the learning outcomes of post-secondary students, 2015]

1. Decide that you want to!

Whether it be recorded lectures, assignments, or a textbook, decide that you want to supplement your course with OER material.

2. Decide what you need-- a textbook, asyllabus, assignments, lecture slides-- then start looking for it*

*a librarian can easily assist you with this step, if you'd like

3a. Does what you need exist? Great!

Plant that into your course! You've just either saved yourself some time/energy, or saved your students money!

3b. Did you find something close to what you needed, but not quite on the mark?

Use what you found as a base, and modify it as needed to meet your requirements!

3c. Does what you need not exist? Not even a librarian was able to find it?

Consider creating it yourself! It will take some time/energy to do it, but by creating an OER yourself, you'll be making something that suits your needs exactly, saves your students money, and becomes a potential resource for other students and teachers all over the world!

4. Don't forget to credit anyone whose OER inspired you, and to license your OER for sharing and re-use by others.

"What can I expect a librarian to do to help me find and use OER?"

A librarian will learn more about your course and objectives to get a sense of what materials you want and need to teach you students.
A librarian will curate OER and other affordable resources and course materials for your consideration, taking into account your specific goals and needs.
A librarian will help preserve any OER you create in Digital Commons, UTEP's institutional repository, and make sure other people can find it by placing it in open OER repositories.