Report Reveals New Ways to Reduce Costs for Learners Through OER
New Report highlights the increased use of Open Educational Resources (OER) at Ontario postsecondary institutions to improve affordability and access to education
eCampusOntario and Brock University’s Inclusive Research Lab have released On a Path to Open, a new report detailing key results from a study conducted with Ontario’s publicly-supported colleges, universities, and Indigenous institutes about their capacity to support open educational practices (OEP).
Results from this sector-wide survey have found that Open Educational Resources (OER) are emerging as a critical tool in addressing education affordability, promoting equity, and fostering innovation across Ontario’s higher education sector.
“We have the opportunity to reimagine the future of higher education in Ontario as one which embraces Open Educational Practices as a norm rather than an exception,” says Rajiv Jhangiani, Ph.D., Vice Provost, Teaching and Learning, Brock University. “As postsecondary institutions navigate challenging fiscal realities, strategic investments in Open Education can yield the greatest return on institutional investments while widening equitable access, increasing pedagogical flexibility, and supporting student success.”
The report provides institutions with a pathway to to reduce educational costs for students in line with recent government legislation (the Strengthening Accountability and Student Supports Act, 2024). Included is the cost of textbooks and ancillary fees. As part of supporting this effort institutions are asked to encourage their faculty to use OER “to help make education more affordable for students,” with a reference to the eCampusOntario Open Library included.
“By investing in Open Educational Practices, institutions can enhance affordability, increase access to high-quality resources, and support the academic success of students.” says Robert Luke, CEO, eCampusOntario. “eCampusOntario is actively supporting these efforts through the Open Library, tools, and advocacy, helping to build a stronger and more inclusive future for Ontario’s postsecondary system.”
The government’s Virtual Learning Strategy invested in OER and OEP and is a catalyst for supporting lower educational costs for students. As the costs of education are of increasing importance to all institutions, the government’s encouragement of OER use may help adoption become more widespread.
However, the report found that institutions and educators currently face challenges along the path to open education, including bilingual support, budget limitations, curriculum integration, and policy support. On a Path to Open and eCampusOntario’s newly released Affordable Learning, Lasting Impact: How OER and Partnerships Save Students Money have found that building strategic partnerships could be the catalyst for OEP growth in Ontario and beyond.
“Open Educational Resources are not just about reducing costs; they are about creating equitable access to education and fostering innovation in teaching and learning,” says Catherine Lachaîne, Open Education Librarian (interim) at the University of Ottawa Library. “Through strategic partnerships between the institution’s leadership teams, Libraries, Centres for Teaching and Learning, and student associations, we can ensure that OER continues to benefit learners and educators across the province.”
“We must strive to enhance the educational journey for learners who navigate multiple marginalized identities, both visible and invisible, by developing more accessible educational environments,” says Oya Pakkal, PhD student in Brock University’s Psychology Department and graduate student member of the Inclusive Education Research Lab. “Using OER can create significant cost savings for students, especially when this alleviates the costs associated with purchasing or leasing expensive commercial textbooks.”
Read On a Path to Open to discover the key findings, challenges and recommendations that aim to identify practical next steps for Ontario institutions to support open educational practices (OEP).
About Open Education
Open education is a philosophy about the way people produce, share, and build on knowledge. Proponents of open education believe everyone in the world should have access to high-quality educational experiences and resources, and work to eliminate barriers to this goal, whether these are high monetary costs, outdated or obsolete materials, or legal mechanisms that prevent or inhibit collaboration among scholars and educators.
Open educational practices (OEP) often centre on the use of open educational resources (OER), which are learning, teaching, and research materials available in various formats that are either in the public domain or released under an open (e.g., Creative Commons) license that permits no-cost access, re-use, re-purpose, adaptation and redistribution by others. This may include textbooks, articles, interactive simulations, videos, images, and other learning objects. OER empowers educators with greater pedagogical flexibility, enabling them to customize course materials without the restrictions of traditional copyright, while ensuring that learners can enjoy immediate, cost-free, and unfettered access to required course materials.
About The Inclusive Education Research Lab
The Inclusive Education Research Lab is a research laboratory at Brock University that investigates open educational practices, inclusive teaching, and ethical approaches to educational technologies. The laboratory functions on the belief that higher education achieves its transformative potential when it ensures equitable access, supports inclusion, fosters belonging, and is designed for justice, especially for students and scholars from historically, persistently, or systemically marginalized groups.
Brock University actively supports Open Educational Practices in Ontario and beyond. Valuable resources include:
Brock’s OER Adoption and Adaptation Grant programs, which are jointly funded with the Brock University Students’ Union: https://brocku.ca/library/oer/grants/
The inclusion of a strategic priority related to supports for OER in Brock’s Academic Plan: https://brocku.ca/vp-academic/academic-plan/
The recognition of the development of OER as part of “innovative methods in teaching and other contributions to the teaching activities” in the faculty tenure & promotion process: https://bufa.ca/wp-content/uploads/2023/08/20232026bufacollectiveagreement.pdf
The recent conferring of the Student Award in Open Education Global’s Awards for Excellence to the Brock University Students’ Union: https://brocku.ca/brock-news/2024/09/busu-vp-receives-global-nod-for-open-education-work/
About eCampusOntario
eCampusOntario is a not-for-profit organization funded by the Ontario Ministry of Colleges and Universities that supports innovation, collaboration and education in Ontario’s colleges, Indigenous institutes, and universities. eCampusOntario provides the sector with platforms, programs and services to advance digital transformation in postsecondary education. One of our strategic priorities is supporting the adoption of Open Educational Resources (OER) via the Open Library, the largest repository of OER in Canada.