{"id":2833,"date":"2020-12-09T10:00:26","date_gmt":"2020-12-09T18:00:26","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/educationalventures.oregonstate.edu\/stories\/?p=2833"},"modified":"2026-03-03T09:14:17","modified_gmt":"2026-03-03T17:14:17","slug":"oer-at-work-open-textbook-is-a-path-to-continuous-improvement","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/educationalventures.oregonstate.edu\/news\/oer-at-work-open-textbook-is-a-path-to-continuous-improvement\/","title":{"rendered":"OER at Work: Open textbook is a path to \u2018continuous improvement\u2019"},"content":{"rendered":"

John Morris\u2019 foray into open educational resources was spurred by a series of questions, and they all led to the same conclusion: Textbooks are too expensive for college students.<\/p>\n

This is a widely held view in academia, and Morris,\u00a0a senior instructor in Oregon State University\u2019s College of Business, decided to implement a no-cost alternative in his integrative strategic experience course. He did so with the support of the OSU Open Educational Resources Unit<\/a>.<\/p>\n

You can read more about Morris\u2019 experience adapting an open textbook in part one of his OER at Work story<\/a>. Below, he shares his thoughts on the strengths and challenges of OERs and gives advice to fellow faculty members.<\/p>\n

What surprised you about working with OERs?<\/h2>\n

\u201cI thought I was on my own if this was going to be important to me. But hearing about the open textbook initiative<\/a> put a lot of resources behind my interest. It\u2019s not just the grant, although that was nice, but also the WordPress platform and trained expertise the group brings to the project.\u201d<\/p>\n

What challenges did you face in bringing an open textbook into your course?<\/h2>\n

\u201cThe book has become an integral part of what I\u2019m teaching. I\u2019ve modified the language of my book and the language I use in my Canvas course to steadily be synchronous. That is, students can see a stronger linkage between what they read in the textbook and what they are asked to do in their assignments. This has put me into a continuous improvement mode. It\u2019s not a set-and-forget resource.<\/p>\n

\u201cIn my next edition, I plan to create a tighter linkage between the textbook and the computer simulation. In business, there are lots of \u2018local usages,\u2019 like profit vs. net income or sales vs. revenue; these terms mean the same things, but they can confuse even senior-level students.<\/p>\n

“<\/span>You may start asking yourself the same question I did: Isn\u2019t there a better way? There is \u2014 it\u2019s OER.”<\/span><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

\u201cBecause I can\u2019t change the language that my simulation vendor uses and I can<\/em> the language that my textbook uses, the challenge will rest on me to make those linkages more explicit.\u201d<\/p>\n

What is the greatest strength of OERs?<\/h2>\n

\u201cI appreciate that Stefanie (Buck, the director of the OSU Open Educational Resources Unit<\/a>) is continuously improving the open textbook initiative. I have worked with two directors for the project and received three grants in total. Each time, there is more to draw from the initiative for what I want to do.\u201d<\/p>\n

What\u2019s your advice for faculty who want to use OERs in their courses?<\/h2>\n

\u201cPrior to getting motivated to use an OER textbook, I had an experience that was telling. I was planning an open book final exam and conducting an exam review the week before finals week. A student asked if I had an extra copy of the textbook to borrow for the exam. As is probably the case for most instructors, I had several older editions in my office, so I asked the class if anyone else would like to borrow one. To my surprise, about a dozen students raised their hands.<\/p>\n

\"John

John Morris, a senior instructor in Oregon State’s College of Business and proponent of OER.<\/p><\/div>\n

\u201cI asked why so many needed a book. None had actually purchased the textbook. When I dug deeper, several admitted to sharing one, but a few acknowledged that the book was so expensive they just couldn\u2019t afford to buy it. They were muddling their way through their education without the benefit of a textbook.<\/p>\n

\u201cThat was an eye-opener for me. But my experience was reinforced over the following several quarters as I asked more sections of the course about the book. I usually got the same kind of answers about the cost, and I would bring my piles of out-of-date books to final exams.<\/p>\n

\u201cWith an OER textbook I don\u2019t have to worry about access and affordability anymore; now it\u2019s more an issue of motivation and time management.<\/p>\n

\u201cIf you assume your students all bought or rented the textbook, I\u2019d recommend asking. You may be surprised at their response, and you may start asking yourself the same question I did: Isn\u2019t there a better way?<\/p>\n

\u201cThere is \u2014 it\u2019s OER.\u201d<\/p>\n

\n

Learn more about the OSU Open Educational Resources Unit and the support resources available to faculty.<\/em><\/p>\n

Explore OER services<\/a><\/h3>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Reading Time: <\/span> 3<\/span> minutes<\/span><\/span>John Morris\u2019 foray into open educational resources was spurred by a series of questions, and they all led to the same conclusion: Textbooks are too expensive for college students. This is a widely held view in academia, and Morris,\u00a0a senior instructor in Oregon State University\u2019s College of Business, decided to implement a no-cost alternative in … OER at Work: Open textbook is a path to \u2018continuous improvement\u2019<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":4,"featured_media":2834,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false},"categories":[6,1],"tags":[10,75,9,8],"class_list":["post-2833","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-affordable-learning","category-latest","tag-oer","tag-oer-at-work","tag-open-educational-resources","tag-open-textbooks"],"yoast_head":"\nOER at Work: Open textbook is a path to \u2018continuous improvement\u2019 - 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