Alison Moffat
Manager of Library Services
715.319.7336
Email Alison
Open educational resources (OER) are free, openly licensed materials that users can retain, reuse, revise, remix, and redistribute at any time. These resources provide significant benefits to both educators and students in higher education.
For college students, OER offer substantial financial savings by eliminating the need to purchase expensive course materials like textbooks. This financial relief allows students to redirect funds towards other essential needs such as food, health insurance, or tuition. Additionally, OER enable students to access course materials from day one without delays, leading to improved academic performance and promoting lifelong learning and engagement in education.
The use of OER enhances the learning experience by providing more targeted and adaptable resources that cater to students' diverse needs. Students using OER have been shown to perform as well as or better than those using traditional materials, highlighting the positive impact of OER on student outcomes. By granting users the freedom to retain, reuse, revise, remix, and redistribute educational materials, OER empower faculty to customize course content effectively, creating a more personalized and engaging learning environment for college students.
