Open Educational Resources (OER): Learn More

What is the quality of open textbooks?

There is essentially no difference in the faculty vetting process carried out for open textbooks, compared to commercially published textbooks. The only thing different about an open textbook vs. a commerical textbook is the license (usually Creative Commons) and the price (free). OpenStax textbooks, for example, go through the same editorial processes as commercial textbooks.  As with all textbooks, open textbooks vary in quality. Faculty selection of textbooks is often a collaborative process driven by departmental faculty. Recommendations and reviews by other faculty, as well as use of resources in the review section of the LBCC OER guide, can help with the selection process, whether a textbook is open or not. Student input is also improtant, and with OER, you can fix any issues that the review process brings to light!

How can my students get a copy of the open textbook that I adopt?

Most open textbooks are available for viewing on a computer via the Internet or as a document that can be downloaded for off line viewing or printing by students. Faculty can provide their students with the webpage address where students can access the open textbook.  Alternatively, several print-on-demand services are available via the Internet that will provide students printed copies for a minimal fee. Additionally, you may be able to work with the LBCC bookstore to provide printed copies of the open textbook for sale.

What will my students think about using an open textbook?

Students traditionally have a fair amount of discretion in using textbooks that are assigned to them by faculty; open textbooks do not change that equation.  Open textbooks can provide the same quality and variety of content as commercially available textbooks, with the additional advantage that open textbooks will be more easily customized by faculty (to meet localized education needs), more accessible to people with disabilities, and available for sale to students for significantly less cost (free, or as low cost print versions) than commercially published textbooks.

Use of an open textbook for course readings may also lead students to think that you are concerned with the financial burden of higher education. 

Will my course transfer to other colleges and universities if I use an open textbook?

Articulation agreements between community colleges and universities generally do not include specific requirements about textbooks except to specify that the title or samples of the textbook should be included in the course outline. 

How will the adoption of open textbooks impact faculty authors of textbooks that are for sale?

Overall, introduction of open textbooks can create more opportunity for faculty who wish to publish commercial material, because faculty who wish to write commercial (for sale) material will be able to leverage open content by providing commercial (for sale) addendums to that open content.

For traditional textbooks sold at a reasonable price, adoption of open textbooks will likely have a limited impact.  However, if you can buy a printed version of an open textbook for $20 when the equivalent commercial version sells for $120, it is more likely that sales of the commercial textbook will be affected.

How will the adoption of open textbooks impact my campus bookstore?

Campus bookstores can profit from obtaining print copies of open textbooks and selling them just as they do for of publishers’ textbooks but only if the open access copyright allows commercialization. 

What are the advantages of using OER?
Some advantages of OER include:

• Allows instructors to customize materials, incorporating local information, new research, and diverse perspectives.
• OER are often created by educators and experts in the field
• Diversifies curriculum
• Reduces the cost of learning for students
• Engages a wider community and creates new partnerships
• Materials can be universally designed for divers learners
• Supports a learner centered approach. Students can even get involved in creation!
• Students can prepare for a course ahead of time and continue to access materials after the course is over.

What are the disadvantages of using OER?

Some disadvantages of OER include:

• Quality of available OER materials is inconsistent. However, this is also true of commercial textbooks, which vary widely in quality. As the number of open textbooks increases, there will be a concomitant increase in overall quality.
• Materials may not meet Section 508 ADA accessibility requirements and must be modified to bring into compliance. In fact, this is true of many commercial textbooks. Open textbooks will ultimately meet and exceed Section ADA accessibility requirements, as currently fulfilled on commercially available textbooks.
• Faculty need to check for accuracy of content of open content, just as they do with commercially available content.
• Customization may be necessary to match departmental and/or college curriculum requirements. However, customization of content will ultimately be more flexible in open content than it currently is in commercially available content.
• Technical requirements to access the content vary. Interoperability standards that permit transportability across many technology platforms are now in the making.

How can I get help with my OER question that wasn't answered here?

For additional help, contact OER & Textbook Affordability Librarian Michaela Willi Hooper at willihm@linnbenton.edu, or (541) 917-4641

This text is a derivative work of the FAQ on Open Textbooks from CCOER, which is licensed under a Creative Commons 3.0 Attribution License.

The Open Education Group is "an interdisciplinary research group that (1) conducts original, rigorous, empirical research on the impact of OER adoption on a range of educational outcomes and (2) designs and shares methodological and conceptual frameworks for studying the impact of OER adoption." The Open Ed Group uses the COUP Framework (Cost, Outcomes, Usage, Perceptions) to study the impact of OER. Use the links below to learn more:

• Bibliography of articles and book chapters by Open Ed Group members.
• A review of all known empirical research on the impacts of OER adoption

• Open Oregon Educational Resources. Oregon's state-funded textbook affordability advocacy group. Join an online or in-person event, read the FAQ, sign up for the email list, or browse resources adopted across the state.
• Community College Consortium for Open Educational Resources (CCOER). Watch a webinar, join the email group, and find out how other community colleges are leveraging OER.
• The Rebus Community. An emerging group that distributes detailed "how-to" guides on OER and allows creators to post their emerging OER and ask for support..