OER & ZTC: Open Educational Resources & Zero-Textbook Cost Classes

Section 67423 of the California Education Code defines Open Educational Resources (OER) as     

"high-quality teaching, learning and research resources that:

1. Reside in the public domain or

2. Have been released under an intellectual property license, such as the Creative Commons license, that permits their free use and repurposing by others, and

3. May include other resources that are legally available and free of cost to students.

Open educational resources include, but are not limited to, full courses, course materials, modules, textbooks, streaming videos, tests, software, and any other tools, materials, or techniques used to support access to knowledge."

OER does not simply mean the content is freely accessible online. Instead, it is content that has been given certain permissions for its use or is formally in the public domain.

The terms "open content" and "open educational resources" describe any copyrightable work (traditionally excluding software, which is described by other terms like "open source") that is either (1) in the public domain or (2) licensed in a manner that provides everyone with free and perpetual permission to engage in the 5R activities:

1. Retain - make, own, and control a copy of the resource (e.g., download and keep your own copy)
2. Revise - edit, adapt, and modify your copy of the resource (e.g., translate into another language)
3. Remix - combine your original or revised copy of the resource with other existing material to create something new (e.g., make a mashup)
4. Reuse - use your original, revised, or remixed copy of the resource publicly (e.g., on a website, in a presentation, in a class)
5. Redistribute - share copies of your original, revised, or remixed copy of the resource with others (e.g., post a copy online or give one to a friend)

Here is an example of an attribution (in lieu of a formal citation) that is used for OER content (some of which is being used for this page):

This material is based on original writing by David Wiley, which was published freely under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 license at: Defining the "Open" in Open Content and Open Educational Resources.

Between 2008 and 2016 the cost of college textbooks has risen 88% (Bureau of Labor Statistics), and the College Board estimates that full-time students in 2-year colleges will spend as much as $1,420 per year (2017-18) on textbooks. Struggling students and their families are increasingly forced to make hard choices about whether to purchase required course materials that they cannot afford or attempt to pass their courses without them. Though students are the ones that have to pay for course textbooks, they may have very little ability to influence the textbook market. Only faculty members have the power to determine the amount of money students will have to spend on their course materials.

Open Textbooks...

• Save students money. Open textbooks offer both digital editions and printed copies. Students can download digital editions for free or order print copies at a low price.
• Allow for flexible content. Students can access the content in their preferred format on their preferred devise. Professors can customize the material to match their course needs. Video, audio, and other interactive content can be embedded into digital editions.
• Help students succeed. A recent, multi-institutional study showed that students using open textbooks in their courses performed as well or better than students using traditional textbooks and that they enrolled in more courses the following semester. Students using online open textbooks also gain ICT (information communication technology) skills.