Open Education
Open educational resources (OER) are teaching, learning, and research materials in any medium — digital or otherwise — that reside in the public domain or are released under an open license that permits no-cost access, use, adaptation, and redistribution by others with few or limited restrictions.
OER often include digital textbooks, which are created and distributed free of charge and allow users to retain, revise, and modify the materials as needed. OER have the potential to reduce or eliminate textbook costs while increasing opportunities for access, participation, and achievement for all learners.
A Message from the President
The cost of printed educational materials is often high and forces students to choose between buying textbooks or purchasing groceries and other necessities. When our students don’t have access to all of the resources to participate fully in class, their grades suffer. And no student should have to go hungry to learn. As an institution, we want the best educational experience for our students.
Open Educational Resources are a great opportunity for us to help make education more accessible for our students. Educational material licensed under Creative Commons can include the same kind of high quality materials as their more expensive commercial counterparts. It can also help us to stand apart as a tech focused institution by allowing our students to access materials on their terms — through a device, tablet or low cost printed materials.
Where possible, I want to encourage our faculty and staff to consider the adoption of open educational resources. Let’s help our students achieve their greatest potential and get the most out of their education.
Dr. Steven A. Murphy, President and Vice-Chancellor, Ontario Tech University