加藤视频 Tackles Textbook Affordability with Open Educational Resources
Mar 9, 2021
MARCH 9, 2021 鈥� FORT MYERS, FLA 鈥� As the cost of earning a college degree continues to increase, many colleges, including Florida SouthWestern State College (加藤视频), have begun to embrace open educational resources (OERs).
OERs are free, openly licensed online textbooks and other digital assets that can be used in place of physical textbooks in educational settings.
加藤视频 Faculty Librarian and Art Professor Arenthia Herren is just one of 加藤视频鈥檚 many faculty members leading the charge to incorporate OERs into classes. Professor Herren uses an OER in her art history course, which not only saves her students $200 on textbook costs but has also increased student engagement in her course.
鈥淢any times, students have to wait for their financial aid to come through before they can purchase their textbooks, and by then, classes have already started,鈥� said Herren. 鈥淲ith OERs, students have immediate access to the information they need for class.鈥�
According to Herren, many OERs are created by faculty who are tired of watching their students struggle to afford the cost of basic textbooks. She has also seen the benefits of OERs during the COVID-19 pandemic.
鈥淧re-COVID, students who couldn鈥檛 afford to purchase a textbook could use a physical library copy of the textbook in an 加藤视频 campus library,鈥� Herren said. 鈥淣ow, they don鈥檛 have access to the physical library copy because of the sanitation process required after each use.鈥�
Before an OER can be approved for use, it goes through a review process by subject experts and must meet certain standards to ensure its accuracy.
OERs have also become a worldwide movement. Creative Commons licensing allows them to be translated into other languages, even some lesser-known languages, so the resources can be used internationally.
Even 加藤视频鈥檚 bookstore, which is managed by Follett, is on board with OERs. It is currently working on a partnership with a printing company so that students who prefer to have a physical copy can print OERs at a reasonable cost.
鈥淚t is really hard financially when a professor requires a $200 access code and a $600 textbook on top of tuition,鈥� said 加藤视频 student Hannah Higgins. 鈥淚 personally pay for all my classes myself without help from my parents or anything similar, so when classes use a free textbook, it鈥檚 very helpful.鈥�
Herren recently completed a 6-month long certification in OER Librarianship and serves on 加藤视频鈥檚 Textbook Affordability OER Committee.
鈥淥ur goal is to bring in grant money to help more 加藤视频 faculty bring OERs into their classrooms and to eventually begin creating their own,鈥� Herren said.
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Florida SouthWestern State College is Southwest Florida鈥檚 largest and most affordable institution of higher education. Annually serving nearly 22,000 students globally, 加藤视频 offers a variety of nationally-ranked, career-focused academic programs with two- and four-year degrees and professional certifications, several with 100 percent licensure pass and job placements rates. Study and travel abroad opportunities are available for students through 加藤视频鈥檚 Center for International Education. Students are also active in clubs and programs catered to their interests. Visit for more information.
Last Updated: March 9, 2021
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