In This Guide
Use this guide to learn about what open education resources are as well as:
Find Out More
If you want to learn more about open educational resources, check out these free books and online classes.
Books
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An Open Education ReaderEdited by David Wiley for a graduate class at Brigham Young University, this book is a collection of readings covering the basics of OERs.
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OER Handbook for EducatorsThis book is aimed at educators actively looking to use or create an OER.
Online Classes
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Introduction to Open Educational ResourcesCreated by OpenStax, this short lesson on OERs includes tips on finding and creating them, as well as using public domain resources and how to store OERs.
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How to Use Open Educational ResourcesAnother short, introductory workshop on OERs, created by OpenWashington.
What are Open Educational Resources?
Open educational resources are any material used in the classroom to help students learn that have been made freely available online and licensed for others to reuse them.
The movement for OERs started in response to rising costs of traditional college textbooks. 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. The College Board estimates college students are supposed to spend $1,200 a year on books and supplies based on their class requirements.
Chart created by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.
However, students often can't afford their textbooks and other supplies. The 2015 National Survey of Student Engagement found that 31 percent of first-year college students and 40 percent of seniors did not buy required classroom materials due to cost, an increase from 27 percent and 34 percent, respectively, in 2012. Almost half of students (48 percent) have said the costs of books has impacted their decision on which classes to take, according to a report by the Student Public Interest Research Groups,
The goal of OERs is to make sure all students have access to materials necessary for their academic achievement.
Why Open Education Matters (video)
Nicole Allen at the OER Summit (video)
Social Sciences Librarian
Mathewson-IGT Knowledge Center
University of Nevada, Reno
Open Educational Resource Examples
These are examples of open textbooks in a variety of disciplines that have received multiple peer reviews and average four to five stars.
Guide Licensing
University of Nevada, Reno Scholarly Communication and Open Access Guide by Teresa Auch Schultz is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License.