OpenEd 2021 - ZTC/OER for Student Success

Open Ed Week 2021: OER - The Gift of Flexibility
Monday March 1, 2021 - ZTC/OER and Student Success

What are “Open” Resources?

Open educational resources (OER) are materials available under an open license that permits no-cost access, use, adaptation and redistribution by others (UNESCO, 2019).

OER and other zero cost course materials (ZTC) allow students day one access to their course materials and reduce the financial barriers associated with higher education. ZTC/OER have been demonstrated to yield many benefits, including: higher grades in classes, fewer course withdrawals, and students take more credits per semester allowing students to graduate faster (Fischer et al., 2015). These benefits are especially prominent for first generation, Pell-eligible, minority, or part-time students (Colvard et al., 2018).

Open licensing also allows faculty to customize content to best suit their course: adding or removing content to best align with course learning outcomes, including examples relevant for local conditions and students, adjusting the content delivery method, and even inviting students to be content creators (Nusbaum, 2020; Howard, 2017)! These qualities are especially valuable during alternate delivery, when so many students experience disrupted access to the basic tools they need to be successful (their course resources, a home computer, robust internet access, etc.).

Myths about OER

“OER are low quality, or based on faulty material.”
Just like quality varies between commercial textbooks, the quality of OER will vary. Available materials are improving rapidly, and there are a variety of Open textbook repositories — like the Open Textbook Library and the BC Campus OpenEd Textbook Directory — containing peer-reviewed books and resources.

“OER textbooks lack ancillary materials, like slides, test banks or homework systems.”
While OER ancillaries have lagged in the past, there are a variety of high-quality ancillary materials for many popular OER texts. Some homework platforms — like OpenStax Tutor, Lumen Learning and subject-specific OpenLab systems — offer full homework systems, though often for a marginal fee.

SIGNIFICANT savings using ZTC/OER!

UAA students report that cost is a significant barrier to their success (2020 UAA We Miss You Survey; 2020 UAA RISC Survey), and UAA faculty are taking GREAT strides to help students access their course materials without cost barriers. In Spring 2021, at least 155 courses serving over 2800 students used OER or ZTC materials, saving an estimated $285,000!

Interested in making a difference but you’d rather not go it alone? The Textbook Affordability Fellows program has provided structured support and $2,500 compensation to 19 UAA faculty who have transitioned from commercial to ZTC/OER course materials over the past 2 years. Together, current and former Fellows have taught 218 sections of 29 unique courses reaching over 5,200 students since Fall 2019. That represents a total savings of over $500,000 for their students!

Ready to become an OER adopter?

Do some initial searches or schedule a meeting with D’Arcy Hutchings to see what current OER and ZTC options exist for your courses.

Consider applying for the 2021 Textbook Affordability Fellows program.

Participating in the global Open Education Week is part of UAA's Textbook Affordability initiative to make college more affordable. This series will provide you with practical tips and inspiration for improving student success by reducing the cost of course materials and incorporating open educational practices.

Join us tomorrow for “OER Creation, Collaboration, and Adaptation: The Author’s Perspective.”

Sources: UNESCO (2019); Fisher, Hilton, Robinson, & Wiley (2015); Colvard, Watson, & Park (2018); Nusbaum 2020; Howard, 2017; Open Oregon (2017), UAA We Miss You Survey (2020), RISC Survey (2020).

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Learn more about UAA’s Textbook Affordability initiative.

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