By Chris Diaz, Digital Publishing Librarian
According to the Northwestern Student Finance Office, Northwestern students are likely to spend more than $1,600 per year for books and supplies. The costs of textbooks in particular can be very stressful for students living on tight budgets. Often, students will share textbooks, download pirated copies, or try to keep up with the work without purchasing the textbook at all.
OER is becoming a popular alternative to traditional textbooks. OER stands for “Open Educational Resources,” meaning any digital materials used in an educational context, like textbooks, that are distributed under a free and open copyright license. Although OER is often born digital and used digitally, it can also be printed and bound at cost, making it the most accessible option in most cases.
For those who are new to OER, here’s a brief introduction on what sets it apart from traditional textbooks:
- Costs of OER: Zero. Students don’t pay anything to download the PDF of an OER textbook, for example. Faculty do not pay anything to assign an OER textbook. The only costs to students are completely optional, such as the costs of printing. The only cost to faculty is the time it takes to review and integrate the OER textbook in the course.
- Copyright for OER: Unlike traditional print or digital textbooks, OER textbooks are distributed under an open license, usually a Creative Commons license. This removes the need for students to create accounts with commercial online platforms or use proprietary software in order to access the content. Open licenses grant free, unlimited permissions to copy and distribute the work so long as the authors are cited. Many OER textbooks also come with permissions for faculty to modify, adapt, and remix the content to fit a particular teaching context, such as providing updated questions or re-ordering the content to fit a curricular sequence.
In March 2019, the Affordable Instructional Resources (AIR) initiative launched the first OER Grant Program designed to encourage faculty to swap out their traditional course materials with OER in undergraduate courses. The grants were awarded to faculty in the sciences, social sciences, and languages. The projects are currently in development and are expected to bring OER textbooks to 11 undergraduate courses serving over 750 Northwestern students.
While textbook costs can sometimes delay or obstruct a student’s ability to fully participate in a course, OER ensures that all students have equal access to their required materials on the first day of class. A good starting point for finding an OER textbook for one of your courses is the Open Textbook Library.
If you are interested in learning more about OER, email air@northwestern.edu to set up an OER consultation with a librarian.