Open Educational Resources (OER)

There is a spectrum of "affordable course materials".

• OER, which are free and open, sit on one end of the spectrum.
• In the middle, there are free educational resources that are not OER because they are not openly licensed. "Free" and "open" are different things. (Just because a resource is freely available online does not mean that it is an open resource.) Resources in this category include:
  • Library-licensed resources
  • Open access articles and monographs (where some or all rights are retained)
  • Free web-based resources that are in copyright and not openly licensed
• On the other end are "low-cost" educational resources provided by commercial publishers (increasingly offered as part of automatic textbook billing (often referred to as Inclusive Access) - see the Inclusive Access section below for more). 

All of these resources can lower costs for students; however, OER are the only type of resource in this landscape that:

• Permit editing, customization, and unrestricted printing, sharing, and retention
• Do not lock libraries or instructors into contracts or relationships with commercial publishers that reduce choice and undermine academic freedom
• Do not collect or share students' personal data

The chart, "Can I Do That?" Affordable Course Material Options compares features across several types of affordable course materials. The center column focuses on OER; the advantages of OER over other types of affordable materials are clear.

You may have heard about "Inclusive Access" or "Equitable Access" programs offered by commercial publishers or the bookstore. These models add the cost of course materials to students’ tuition and fees.

While the advertised benefits of these programs have been widely discussed, it is also important to examine the potential challenges and long-term implications.

• Check out the recording or slides for this webinar, "Inclusive or Exclusive? Examining “Inclusive Access” Textbook Programs" for an in-depth look at these models.
• See the sidebar for a viewable and downloadable PDF flyer that defines Inclusive Access, lists pros and cons, and provides recommendations.