Open Educational Resources (OER) for Faculty

Open educational resources (OER) are teaching and learning materials that are either in the public domain or that have licenses allowing them to be reused. Most OER is free to use. 

OER include textbooks, courses, lesson plans, quizzes, tutorials, data sets, syllabi, software or other tools that can support learning. 

The benefits are numerous for both students and faculty. OER provides equitable and immediate access, cost-savings to students, stronger engagement, and the ability to adapt resources and customize them to specific curriculum. 

 

Journal articles and reports supporting the importance of OER to education, including information about the Texas Senate Bill authorizing the adoption of OER in the state:

Unlocking the Potential of Open Educational Resources: Trends, Benefits, and Challenges in Higher Education

2024 news report from Old Dominion University

Are open educational resources (OER) and practices (OEP) effective in improving learning achievement? A meta-analysis and research synthesis

Tlili, A., Garzón, J., Salha, S. et al. Are open educational resources (OER) and practices (OEP) effective in improving learning achievement? A meta-analysis and research synthesis. Int J Educ Technol High Educ 20, 54 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1186/s41239-023-00424-3

Problem based learning using open educational resources to enhance higher order thinking skills in physics learning.

Sulisworo, D., & Basriyah, K. (2021). Problem based learning using open educational resources to enhance higher order thinking skills in physics learning. In Journal of Physics: Conference Series, 1783(1), 012108.

Trends and Gaps in Empirical Research on Open Educational Resources (OER)

Otto, D., Schroeder, N., Diekmann, D., & Sander, P. (2021). Trends and gaps in empirical research on open educational resources (OER): A systematic mapping of the literature from 2015 to 2019. Contemporary Educational Technology, 13(4), ep325.

A Comparative Study of National Infrastructures for Digital (Open) Educational Resources in Higher Education

Marín, VI; Bond, M; Zawacki-Richter, O; Aydin, CH; Bedenlier, S; Bozkurt, A; Conrad, D; et al. (2020). A Comparative Study of National Infrastructures for Digital (Open) Educational Resources in Higher Education. Open Praxis, 12 (2) pp. 241-256.

Facilitating Student Success: The Role of Open Educational Resources in Introductory Psychology Courses

Students' Use and Perceptions of the Relevance and Quality of Open Textbooks Compared to Traditional Textbooks in Online and Traditional Classroom Environments

What Happens When Trained Graduate Student Instructors Switch to an Open Textbook? A Controlled Study of the Impact on Student Learning Outcomes

An Open versus Traditional Psychology Textbook: Student Performance, Perceptions, and Use

Saving Students Money

Texas Senate Bill 810

Textbook Prices' Impact on Student Behavior