Research shows
that students perform just as well, if not better, when using open
textbooks compared to traditional ones (Lambert
& Habiba, 2022).
That’s a win-win for learning and affordability.
But the perks
don’t stop there! Here’s what else OERs bring to the table:
For your career:
·
Support
career goals with a learning and teaching narrative
·
Start
a scholarship of learning and teaching project
·
Align
with your values, e.g., sustainability, innovation, social justice, DEI
(diversity, equity and inclusion)
For your teaching:
·
Address subject
issues, e.g., threshold concepts
·
Embrace OERs as a
high impact learning and teaching practice
·
Cut down on admin
headaches from students who can’t access their textbooks
For your students
·
Boost
engagement, outcomes and retention
·
Reduce
stress about money and study prep
·
Demonstrate
student learning through online renewable assessment artefacts
️For JCU
·
Support
JCU Learning, Teaching and Assessment Policy (1.2 and 2.5)
·
Help
JCU meet digital-first, place-based, and connected teaching goals
·
Keep
JCU competitive in the higher education marketplace
Benefits that speak for themselves
Switching to OERs isn’t just about helping students save
money - it’s about giving you more flexibility in how you teach and making your
subject materials accessible to a more diverse group of learners.
Want to explore OERs for your subjects?
Choosing
already published OERs is easier than you might think. It’s just like identifying
and evaluating a prescribed textbook from an academic publisher.
Start by
checking out the JCU Library’s OER Discovery Collections, organised by discipline. You might be
surprised by what’s already available!
Need a hand?
Reach out to your Liaison Librarian - we’re happy to help you locate
already published OERs that could work for your subject needs.
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