Open Educational Resources

What are OER?

Open Educational Resources (OER) are teaching, learning, and research materials—including textbooks, tools, modules, tests, and software—that are free to use and modify under an open license. They allow no-cost access, adaptation, and redistribution with few or no restrictions.

The benefits of OER are:

  • Expanded access to learning | OER are accessible by anyone from anywhere, at any time, as often as needed
  • Academic distinction and excellence | Using OER positively influences student success outcomes and has been linked to higher grades and lower course withdrawal rates (see AAC&U report)
  • Less expense for students | OERs can be used in place of traditional textbooks and other materials, substantially reducing the cost of course content for students
  • Equity, diversity, inclusion | OER are easily modified to enhance accessibility, reflect local issues, and incorporate student perspectives

Open Educational Resources & WashU Libraries

The WashU Libraries support OER by helping integrate free resources into the curriculum, creating and adapting materials, and fostering collaboration across academic communities.

ScholPub provides several digital publishing tools to modify or create OER, including Open Books and WebPubs. Please visit our Digital Publishing Support page for more information about our digital publishing tools.

The WashU Open Educational Resource (OER) Interest Group meets monthly to prioritize and execute OER initiatives that increase awareness of affordability needs and OER activity across campus and build support, infrastructure, and incentives for OER activity to progress. Members bring skills and competencies in copyright, open access, information literacy, project management, preservation, and hands-on experience using and promoting OERs.

Visit the Open Educational Resources Research Guide for resources and help finding, creating, and evaluating OER.

Open Educational Resources at WashU

OER and affordable course content initiatives are part of larger efforts to broaden access to learning materials, reduce costs, and increase student success. There are many individuals and groups engaged with these issues on campus, including: