Libraries Offer Open Educational Resources Office Hour Tuesdays in September

Graphic design by Ariel Romero

Open Educational Resources are "free and openly licensed educational materials that can be used for teaching, learning, research and other purposes" (Creative Commons Wiki 2018). When used in the classroom, they can be accessed by students for free or at a minimal cost. By collaborating to create high-quality shared texts, the academic community can dramatically lower the cost of textbooks and class materials for the students they teach.

If you are wondering how to improve your students' access and use of course materials, Open Educational Resources may provide the answer. The University Libraries and Global Campus have teamed up to support the adoption, creation and re-mixing of OER at the University of Arkansas. Adopting OER is a way to provide students with textbooks they can afford (free!) on the first day of class and years after the class has ended. OER can also allow faculty to control the materials they want to assign their students and help them think creatively about pedagogy. Faculty can learn more about how OER contributes to student success in this video and visit our resources on OER and how to find them. View OER created by U of A faculty on our Pressbooks platform and in the ScholarWorks@UARK institutional repository.

Do you have questions about OER? Want to learn more? U of A faculty are invited to drop in and participate in a casual, virtual OER office hour from 3-4 p.m. every Tuesday in September with Elaine Thornton, open education and distance learning librarian. Email oer@uark.edu with questions or for more information.