It’s no secret that a college education is a costly pursuit – and the educational materials that are used in classrooms typically only add to the ever-increasing list of charges students incur while working towards their degree. Educators often feel limited in how many resources they can reasonably ask students to obtain for a course due to the quickly climbing cost that comes with obtaining multiple textbooks, softwares, or medias. For instructors struggling to support students in their learning journeys without breaking the bank, a new FLC being offered this spring, Exploring Open Educational Resources (OER) in Your Course, is here to help.

What are Open Educational Resources?

Open Educational Resources (OER) are educational resources such as texts, media, notes, or testing instruments that are freely available to the public. Because OER either reside in the public domain or are released under licensing that permits free use, OER may be repurposed, edited, or adapted by educators to suit their course needs for free. OER are especially beneficial when it comes to cost reduction and accessible education for students who may struggle to gain access to the often highly-priced texts that are commonly used in college classrooms. This FLC, facilitated by Tracy Stout, will dive deeper into what qualifies something as an OER, what proper use of OER entails, and the broader world of open licensing and open pedagogy. Participants can expect to learn the benefits and barriers of OER, how to set goals for OER integration and use, and more about other zero cost resource options.

Learning to Use OER

The use of OER in academic settings promotes the access of all students to high-quality educational materials. Learning to utilize these resources in the classroom allows instructors to take on a flexible and inclusive role in curating learning, using the vast world of freely available resources to guide students through their educational journeys without having to consider the cost that may be accruing. OER expand the world of education for both students and instructors alike, and this FLC will guide faculty through this collaborative and exciting world. This FLC will enable you to gain hands-on experience with OER repositories and teach you how to locate, evaluate, and integrate OER materials into your courses alongside peers.

Going Beyond the Basics

This FLC was designed for faculty with little to no experience with OER use, but covers more than the basics of finding and utilizing already-established materials. Participants will gain guidance in complex concepts and processes such as licensing and remixing, designing, adapting, and integrating, open pedagogy and renewable assessment, and more! Sign-up for this FLC now to dive into the world of OER and other low-cost educational resources and learn how to integrate these collaborative, inclusive, and exciting materials into your courses!

This FLC begins on February 11, 2026. To find a full list of dates and times for this FLC, visit the University Calendar here.