Advancing OER Initiatives: A Responsible Use of COVID-19 Emergency Relief Funds. WICHE Insights

One approach to the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic is the use of Open Educational Resources (OER), which, as a high-impact practice, have been found to increase student success and institutional efficiency. Implementation of OER is a wise investment, as it reduces the costs of course materials lik...

Full description

Saved in:
Bibliographic Details
Published inWestern Interstate Commission for Higher Education
Main Author Diaz Solodukhin, Liliana
Format Report
LanguageEnglish
Published Western Interstate Commission for Higher Education 01.11.2021
Subjects
Academic Achievement
College Students
COVID-19
Educational Finance
Open Educational Resources
Pandemics
State Aid
Online AccessGet full text

Cover

More Information
Summary:One approach to the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic is the use of Open Educational Resources (OER), which, as a high-impact practice, have been found to increase student success and institutional efficiency. Implementation of OER is a wise investment, as it reduces the costs of course materials like textbooks; broadens collaboration among faculty, staff, and administration; improves student outcomes; and can be a key part of achieving postsecondary strategic goals and state policy priorities. State investment in OER is a bold and research-driven way to close skills and equity gaps, increase institutional efficiency, and increase student success. Importantly, OER can be revised, remixed, and redistributed indefinitely, before and after a course, making a state's investment in OER long-lasting. OER is a fiscally responsible approach to increase postsecondary access and increase student completion, a goal that has been immediately jeopardized by the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic. Supporting OER and OER leaders already doing this work is one effective way to meet a state's postsecondary goals and priorities, as well as a responsible use of COVID-19 emergency relief funds. All states in the West have some level of OER activity and infrastructure in place, ensuring that any emergency relief funds appropriated to OER would be used to advance ongoing work to increase students access and success, faculty professional development and innovation, and institutional efficiency and transparency. OER is a wise and responsible use of state dollars that just makes sense.