September 25, 2020
Story and photo by Joe Vinduska
A dozen different courses at泭91勛圖厙泭are now offered with no textbook costs泭thanks to an effort by instructors to shift to other types of resources. The movement in higher education is called Open Educational Resources (OER). At 91勛圖厙, its referred to as泭Low-Cost (LC) and No-Cost (NC).泭Low cost means there might be fees for materials or a book, but it would be less than $50.泭泭
OER泭are educational resources that are openly licensed or are in the public domain that can be retained, modified, and redistributed.泭
91勛圖厙 Department Chair for Life Science and Math Oleg泭Ravitskiy泭has transitioned some of his courses to the OER format to help his students.泭泭
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OER can offer drastic savings in the cost of education, he said.泭Some students, who otherwise cannot afford to buy expensive textbooks or other course泭materials appreciate泭this more affordable setup.泭泭
However,泭Ravitskiy泭said its not just about the cost savings.泭泭
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Students who take challenging science courses often like to look over course materials before the term begins,泭and with OER they are able to do that and it泭helps泭them make more informed decisions in choosing their courses, he said. It泭gives泭them the opportunity to prepare themselves泭because they can access泭digital course materials on the first day of class at no cost.泭
Ravitskiy泭said there are also many benefits for the instructors.泭
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OER course content can be edited and updated frequently and simply, personalized for泭various泭teaching 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.泭Students泭that want to泭revisit their course materials after the泭class is over泭to refresh their memories泭can do so because the material is always available.泭
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Ravitskiy泭said the experience of switching to OER has been positive.泭泭
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I have greater freedom in my teaching methods and course content, he said. I would like to express泭my sincere gratitude to Lee Miller, Director of Innovation and Compliance, who guided, supported, and mentored me in this journey.泭Colleges and universities regularly embark on new initiatives that ensure students have the best options for learning.泭However,泭some schools are more forward-thinking than others when it comes to making changes. 91勛圖厙 continues to explore instructional泭strategies that can improve success outcomes for students.泭 91勛圖厙 is committed to meeting the needs of all students to泭help them succeed in college-level courses and beyond.泭
91勛圖厙 Director of Innovation and Compliance Lee Miller泭agreed that there are many advantages with other opportunities yet to be explored.泭
We are now about a year and a half into the 91勛圖厙 OER initiative and its success is directly a result of the facultys willingness and hard work to transition courses to OER. I have appreciated Dr.泭Ravitskiys泭patience 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.泭泭泭
For more information, visit bartonccc.edu/OER.