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Weber State saves students millions with free textbooks
https://www.weber.edu/wsutoday/010925-oer-free-textbooks.htmlOGDEN, Utah — Faculty at Weber State University are expanding efforts to provide free textbooks to students, with an ultimate goal to make college more accessible and affordable.
The university’s Stewart Library first introduced an Open Educational Resources initiative in 2019 to provide free course materials to students via Canvas, an online teaching and learning software used by schools across the country.
OER materials can replace physical textbooks and help students save thousands of dollars over the course of their education. Because OERs are openly licensed and available for anyone to use, professors can also adapt or localize the material.
While Weber State has one of the most affordable tuition rates in Utah, textbooks can still be expensive, particularly in the healthcare field, said Jim Hutchins, professor who spearheaded OER efforts in the Department of Health Sciences. Over the past three years, health sciences made free OER textbooks available for every course in the department, saving students an estimated $3 million.
The university’s Stewart Library first introduced an Open Educational Resources initiative in 2019 to provide free course materials to students via Canvas, an online teaching and learning software used by schools across the country.
OER materials can replace physical textbooks and help students save thousands of dollars over the course of their education. Because OERs are openly licensed and available for anyone to use, professors can also adapt or localize the material.
While Weber State has one of the most affordable tuition rates in Utah, textbooks can still be expensive, particularly in the healthcare field, said Jim Hutchins, professor who spearheaded OER efforts in the Department of Health Sciences. Over the past three years, health sciences made free OER textbooks available for every course in the department, saving students an estimated $3 million.
Cross-posted in education.