Why Use OER?
To increase access to higher education.
By making sure that each course includes all of the course materials and resources that students need, we are putting all students on the same level. Each student has equal access to the same information, ensuring fairness and equality among all students enrolled in the OER course.
To make higher education more affordable.
By eliminating the burden of additional textbook costs for students, the actual cost of taking an OER course is reduced. Often, this is a significant reduction in cost which translates to considerable savings over time. This can result in much lower student debt, making attaining the Associate Degree easier and more valuable.
To increase student success.
By giving all students in an OER course equal access, and removing the burden of additional expenses to those who can least afford them, students have a better chance of being successful in the course, continuing their enrollment, and achieving their academic goals.
Excerpt from the presentation description for The OER Trifecta: Access, Affordability and Student Success presented by Dr. Wm. Preston Davis for WCET, Nov 21, 2014.
The Open Education Group is an interdisciplinary research group that (1) conducts original, rigorous empirical research on the impact of OER adoption on a range of educational outcomes and (2) designs and shares methodological and conceptual frameworks for studying the impact of OER adoption. See some of their publications on OER adoption.
This video explains the "big picture" of OER including how content can be shared, reused, and remixed by educators.
This video was created by Nadia Paola Mireles Torres and won third prize in a recent U.S. Department of Education video contest. The video is licensed under the Creative Commons license Attribution CC BY 3.0 US.