INSTRUCTORS TAKE NOTE – OER CAN HELP - the Advocate Online

With the start of Winter Term, many MHCC students once again felt the burden of the cost of textbooks weighing on their wallet. Open Education Resources (OER) could help alleviate that burden, and more Mt. Hood instructors should embrace them. A study published by the Student Public Interest Research Groups (Student PIRGs) last year states, “Since 2006, the cost of textbooks has increased four times the rate of inflation.” And, due to the lack of textbook market competition, students are forced to purchase materials required for classes, meaning it’s essentially out of their control. The people who do have control are the professors or instructors choosing the textbooks for classes. The same PIRG study put the national average of textbook cost per course at $153; when compared to a course that uses OER, the average drops to $31. http://www.advocate-online.net/instructors-take-note-oer-can-help/