OER Faculty Guide: Finding & Using OER

Why Use OER?

There are many compelling reasons to use OER!

OER materials are available to students on day one of class, avoiding delays due to financial difficulties, and enhancing student equity.

With OER texts, instructors determine their own revision schedule, thereby avoiding publisher pressure to change editions.

Students also benefit from reduced textbook costs. Since Skyline College faculty began adopted OER resources for their classes, students have saved hundreds of thousands of dollars.

In short, OER has been shown to increase student learning while breaking down barriers of affordability and accessibility. Feldstein et al. (2012) conducted a research study at Virginia State University, where OER were implemented across nine different courses in the business department. Researchers found that students in courses that used OER more frequently had better grades and lower failure and withdrawal rates than their counterparts in courses that did not use OER.

-Information compiled by Pennsylvania State University

Why Use OER?

On this page you'll find: 

A brief video to help you better understand OER

Data from Skyline's 2021 OER student survey

How to find answers to Frequently Asked Questions about OER & ZTC 

Skyline's first ZTC cohort in Respiratory Therapy, 2018

How to contact your ZTC Support Team

Why Adopt OER for your Courses? Skyline's 2021 Student Survey found: 

Students in Skyline College's Respiratory Care Program enjoyed Zero Textbook Costs due to faculty's adoption of OER and other freely accessible resources.

Skyline College Respiratory Care A.S. cohort, the first degree pathway to be a zero-textbook cost program, Fall 2018. Photo by:

Content included in the OER Faculty Guide by Skyline Library is licensed CC BY 4.0 unless otherwise indicated.