OER

What is OER?

United Nations Organization for Education, Science and Culture (UNESCO) defines Open Educational Resources (OERs) as :

Any type of educational materials that are in the public domain or introduced with an open license. The nature of these open materials means that anyone can legally and freely copy, use, adapt and re-share them. OERs range from textbooks to curricula, syllabi, lecture notes, assignments, tests, projects, audio, video and animation.

What Makes it "Open"?

OERs are licensed in such a way that enables adopters to utilize the 5 R permissions:

Retain a copy of the content
Reuse the content in a range of ways
Revise the content as needed
Remix original or revised content with other material
Redistribute the original, revisions, and remixes with others

Creative Commons licenses are often applied to OERs to license these rights to adopters.

Rising Expenses in Higher Education

It's not news that higher education has become increasingly expensive over the years. Students struggle to afford tuition increases and fees. Add in the sky rocketing costs to purchase textbooks to the equation and the ramifications are even more pronounced. Access to course material and textbooks play a critical role in student success.  A Florida Virtual Campus study conducted in 2012 reveals that 23% of students choose not to purchase textbooks due to the high cost. 

According to U.S. PIRG:

1. High textbook costs continue to deter students from purchasing their assigned materials despite concern for their grades.
2. High textbook costs can have a ripple effect on students’ other academic decisions.
3. Students want alternatives, expressing support for textbooks that are available free online and buying a hard copy is optional.