Open Educational Resources

Customization

Most open educational resources can be customized, enabling instructors to tailor the content and organization to best support student learning. Different open textbooks can also be combined into one, or new chapters can be created by the professor or as part of a student project.

Easy access

Students can access digital OER from their computer, phone, or tablet, meaning they can do the reading from anywhere. In many cases, OER can be downloaded and accessed without an internet connection.

Better preparation and retention

Open educational resources can be made available to students before they take a course, allowing them to feel better prepared for course content.  Students can also access these materials at a later time, increasing retention of that knowledge.

Affordability

The soaring prices of course materials contribute to student debt and will lead some students to go without the textbook, drop the course, or even change their major. Open resources are free in digital form

Instructor resources

Some open textbooks, like those published by OpenStax, include lecture slides, quiz banks, and can be integrated with affordable learning management systems.