About the Project

OER Defined

What are Open Educational Resources (OER)?

Open Educational Resources (OER) are teaching, learning and research materials in any medium – digital or otherwise – that reside in the public domain or have been released under an open license that permits no-cost access, use, adaptation and redistribution by others with no or limited restrictions.


UNESCO: Open Educational Resources

OER can be anything used in the classroom for teaching and learning such as textbooks, slides, assignments, syllabi, videos, readings, and more. While most OER are digital, they can exist in any format.

The Five R’s of OER

Open Educational Resources are published with a license that allows users to do some or all of the following:

Retainmake, own, and control a copy of the resource (e.g., download and keep your own copy)
Reuseuse your original, revised, or remixed copy of the resource publicly (e.g., on a website, in a presentation, in a class)
Reviseedit, adapt, and modify your copy of the resource (e.g., translate into another language)
Remixcombine your original or revised copy of the resource with other existing material to create something new (e.g., make a mashup)
Redistributeshare copies of your original, revised, or remixed copy of the resource with others (e.g., post a copy online or give one to a friend) 
image of students studying together

Culturally Relevant OER

EDI Statement for the ROTEL Project

ROTEL’s Open Textbook Coordinating Council (OTCC) is committed to equity and inclusion. We encourage proposals from members of groups with historical and/or current barriers to equity, including by not limited to:

  • First Nations and all other Indigenous Peoples
  • Members of groups that commonly experience discrimination due to race, ancestry, color, religion and/or spiritual beliefs, or place of origin
  • Persons who identify as women
  • Persons of marginalized sexual orientations, gender identities, and gender expressions

We recognize that many of these identities intersect, and therefore equity, diversity and inclusion can be complex. We value the contributions that each person brings and are committed to full and equal participation for all in our community.

(Adapted from British Columbia bccampus Expression of Interest: Development of Open Courses)

OER Benefits Students

A 2019 study from Florida Virtual Campus, student reported that they made the following choices as a result of not being able to purchase textbooks and/or ancillaries:

  • Not purchase a required textbook (64.2%)
  • Take fewer courses (42.8%)
  • Not register for a specific course (40.5%)
  • Earn a poor grade (35.6%)
  • Drop, withdraw from or fail a course (58.2%) 

Lack of access to textbooks has consequences. A number of studies have shown that free, openly licenced textbooks benefits students in a number of ways: 

  • Reduces the costs of attending college 
  • Makes college more affordable
  • Addresses issues of inequity
  • Ensures students have access to the textbook on the first day or class
  • Improves student learning
  • Improves student success (i.e., persistence and completion)

Pell eligible and minoritized students can also specifically benefit from having access to OER. In the University of Georgia’s pilot study, student success measures improved. “When considering Federal Pell eligibility, we observed an increase in A through B+ letter grades and a decrease in B though DFW grades. A significant decrease in DFW rates for Pell-eligible students was found (a 4.43 percent change) when OER was adopted as the textbook for the class. This research [also] revealed significant differences in academic performance (average final grade) for both White and non-White students enrolled in OER courses.” In the Achieving the Dream community college study, 48% of Pell Grant recipients and 52% of underrepresented minorities said OER courses had a significant impact on their ability to afford college compared to 41% for other students. 

Centering EDI

The benefits of access to OER are clear. The OTCC believes that by diversifying the authorship of existing OER, centering equity and inclusion, and including local perspectives, students at our six institutions will benefit even more. There is no magic, cookie-cutter approach or checklist to transform an existing open textbook to a culturally relevant textbook. Faculty will need to review resources on accessibility and EDI (equity, diversity, and inclusion). ROTEL OER should “affirm cultural identities, elevate historically marginalized voices, and multiple expressions of diversity (e.g., race, social class, gender, language, sexual orientation, nationality, religion, ability.)” (from Culturally Responsive-Sustaining Education Framework)

The OTCC will assist you to find the training and resources you need. We highly recommend partnering with colleagues from other departments or at the other five institutions who have deep expertise in EDI. The OTCC will help you make those connections.

Ways of Centering EDI in OER

  • Include your perspective! Especially if you are a faculty of color or an underrepresented group, we need your voice
  • Prioritize accessibility
  • Be intentional about representation through the use of names, pronouns, images
  • Translate existing texts into other languages
  • Explore open pedagogy
  • Include an EDI statement and land acknowledgement

Some resources to review