3. Benefits of OER
Cost to students
The cost of higher education goes up each year in the U.S., including
the cost of textbooks.
Students cannot rely on the availability of less expensive, used copies
of textbooks.
Some courses will require the most recent editions of textbooks.
Equity
The increasing cost of textbooks will further widen equity gaps in
education, by ensuring some students are unable to access required
course materials.
Rising textbook prices may contribute to some student populations
extending their time in college and/or increasing their debt.
4. Benefits of OER
Student engagement
Instructor concern about rising cost of textbooks may increase
student “buy-in” to courses.
OER materials may mix modalities to better reach diverse student
populations.
Instructor flexibility
Instructors may update materials as needed, rather than being
locked in to the rigid structure of a textbook.
Relevance
OER materials can be revised to reflect changes within academic
disciplines, professions, and other social contexts.
5. Challenges of OER
Equity
OER materials do not address the digital divide (both in the U.S. and
internationally).
Accessibility
Not all OER materials are fully accessible. OER materials that are not
accessible may have modification restrictions in place, limiting an
instructor’s use of that resource.
Quality
Not all OER materials are created equal (nor peer reviewed). It is up
to each instructor to assess the quality of the OER material. Further,
each source must be assessed for quality.
6. Challenges of OER
Instructor workload
OER materials represent a significant time commitment from
instructors. This includes (but is not limited to):
Locating relevant OER materials
Assessing quality of OER materials
Assessing accessibility of OER materials
Modifying OER materials (if needed and allowed)
Correctly attributing all OER materials
Stigma
It is possible that the use of OER materials may label a course as
“easy” or “less than academic” by one’s colleagues and peers.
