Why OER for Engineering
OER for Engineering Is Needed Now More than Ever
With the pivot to online learning due to COVID-19, the need for and benefits of OER are even greater than before, as OER save instructors’ time, help cash-strapped students, and provide immediate online availability and accessibility. To illustrate this, BCcampus created an infographic showing the advantages of OER and published the article OER: Trial by COVID-19.
Regardless of the current situation, textbook costs for first-year engineering students can amount to hundreds of dollars per student/year. The CFEYC includes courses from a variety of STEM disciplines that have already demonstrated high numbers of OER adoptions in B.C. (e.g., physics, chemistry, and math).
As a number of engineering programs across B.C. are presently undergoing curriculum redesign as part of the CFYEC project, now is the perfect time to consider shifting to OER so that further reworking of the curriculum is not necessary down the road.
Excerpt from Blog Post: Exploring an Open Path for First-Year Engineering
Benefits for Engineering Faculty
OER are editable, customizable and can be aligned with the curriculum. Materials can be easily updated when standards or curriculum changes and faculty have academic freedom to modify these materials. This includes a variety of materials including textbooks, test banks, activities and instructor materials such as power point slides.
Benefits for Engineering Students
When a textbook is too expensive, it affects student success*: •
- 54% don’t purchase the required text
- 30% earn a lower grade
- 37% take fewer courses
- 26% don’t register for a specific course
- 17% drop or withdraw from a course
OER provides day one access to course materials that never expires. They are available in print or digital formats so students get to choose the best format for their needs. OER meets accessibility requirements and can be used with screen readers for example.
*Jhangiani, R.S., & Jhangiani, S. (2017). Investigating the perceptions, use, and impact of open textbooks: A survey of postsecondary students in British Columbia. The International Review of Research in Open and Distributed Learning.
