September 25, 2020
Story and photo by Joe Vinduska
A dozen different courses atÌýºìÐÓÊÓƵÌýare now offered with no textbook costsÌýthanks to an effort by instructors to shift to other types of resources. The movement in higher education is called Open Educational Resources (OER). At ºìÐÓÊÓƵ, it’s referred to asÌýLow-Cost (LC) and No-Cost (NC).ÌýLow cost means there might be fees for materials or a book, but it would be less than $50.ÌýÌý
OERÌýare educational resources that are openly licensed or are in the public domain that can be retained, modified, and redistributed.Ìý
ºìÐÓÊÓƵ Department Chair for Life Science and Math OlegÌýRavitskiyÌýhas transitioned some of his courses to the OER format to help his students.ÌýÌý
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“OER can offer drastic savings in the cost of education,†he said.Ìý“Some students, who otherwise cannot afford to buy expensive textbooks or other courseÌýmaterials appreciateÌýthis more affordable setup.â€ÌýÌý
However,ÌýRavitskiyÌýsaid it’s not just about the cost savings.ÌýÌý
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“Students who take challenging science courses often like to look over course materials before the term begins,Ìýand with OER they are able to do that and itÌýhelpsÌýthem make more informed decisions in choosing their courses,†he said. “ItÌýgivesÌýthem the opportunity to prepare themselvesÌýbecause they can accessÌýdigital course materials on the first day of class at no cost.â€Ìý
RavitskiyÌýsaid there are also many benefits for the instructors.Ìý
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“OER course content can be edited and updated frequently and simply, personalized forÌývariousÌýteaching styles and accessed by students on the first day of class into perpetuity,†he said. “It also offers students increased interaction with course content. My students spend less but learn more due to efficient study tools and engaging courseware features.ÌýStudentsÌýthat want toÌýrevisit their course materials after theÌýclass is overÌýto refresh their memoriesÌýcan do so because the material is always available.â€Ìý
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RavitskiyÌýsaid the experience of switching to OER has been positive.ÌýÌý
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“I have greater freedom in my teaching methods and course content,†he said. “I would like to expressÌýmy sincere gratitude to Lee Miller, Director of Innovation and Compliance, who guided, supported, and mentored me in this journey.ÌýColleges and universities regularly embark on new initiatives that ensure students have the best options for learning.ÌýHowever,Ìýsome schools are more forward-thinking than others when it comes to making changes. ºìÐÓÊÓƵ continues to explore instructionalÌýstrategies that can improve success outcomes for students.Ìý ºìÐÓÊÓƵ is committed to meeting the needs of all students toÌýhelp them succeed in college-level courses and beyond.â€Ìý
ºìÐÓÊÓƵ Director of Innovation and Compliance Lee MillerÌýagreed that there are many advantages with other opportunities yet to be explored.Ìý
“We are now about a year and a half into the ºìÐÓÊÓƵ OER initiative and its success is directly a result of the faculty’s willingness and hard work to transition courses to OER. I have appreciated Dr.ÌýRavitskiy’sÌýpatience and willingness to work through and pilot different opportunities for instruction through the use of OER materials. It is exciting to see how excited faculty get when they realize new ways of approaching their course by utilizing OER.â€ÌýÌýÌý
For more information, visit bartonccc.edu/OER.