Open Educational Resources
"Open Educational Resources (OER) are teaching, learning or research materials that are in the public domain or released with intellectual property licenses that facilitate the free use, adaptation and distribution of resources" (UNESCO, 2019).
Jonathas Mello, Image source: Wikimedia Commons
Why OER?
Textbook Prices
Textbook prices continue to rise more than three times faster than inflation. Open Educational Resources are free.
Student Performance
Research indicates that adopting OER improves grades and decreases withdrawal rates for all students.
Societal Benefit
Although it is hard to prove, it's easy to think, reducing students' costs will improve their ability to stay enrolled in college and take more courses and that will help everyone.
- Open Access Organic Chemistry Text coming soonJohn McMurry's textbook Organic Chemistry has helped millions of students across the globe pass the infamous gauntlet of its namesake class -- also known among stressed-out pre-med students as "orgo" -- since the book was first printed in 1984. For his bestseller's 10th edition, McMurry has decided to part ways with his longtime publisher, the industry giant Cengage, which has published the book since the beginning. He recently sold the rights to OpenStax, a nonprofit based at Rice University that is dedicated to developing open education resources (OER), learning and research materials created and licensed to be free for the user.