Welcome to Arkansas State University!

Why Use OER's?

There are many reasons instructors might want to use OER: 

Free and Legal to Use, Improve and Share

  • Save time and energy by adapting or revising resources that have already been created
  • Tailor educational resources to the specific content for your course
  • Expand opportunities for interdisciplinary teaching and learning by allowing you to integrate and revise multiple educational resources
  • Redefine "traditional" learning by incorporating multi-media or scenario-based education
  • Go beyond the confines of "teaching to the book"

Network and Collaborate with Peers 

  • Access educational resources that have already been "peer reviewed" by other experts in your field
  • Review or annotation features and texts so other instructors have more in-depth knowledge of the resource and its quality quickly
  • Make learning and teaching a team project using collaborative platforms

Lower Educational Cost and Improve Access to Information

  • Reduce the cost of course materials, particularly textbooks so that all students have access and aren't as financially burdened
  • Find and access information instantly on virtually any topic, on various devices.
  • Give learners the option of looking at course content openly before enrolling.
  • Reduce the load students bear, possibly increasing graduation and retention rates

  • OER Implementation Process

    The OER Application must be submitted to the A-State Online Faculty Support team prior to beginning course any course development or re-development. If a faculty member decides to use OER after course development has begun then they will not be eligible for the stipend.A-State Online Services is currently offering a stipend to faculty who implement Open Educational Resources within their A-State Online course. Faculty members who implement OER's into their course are eligible for a $500 per credit hour stipend. When a faculty member wishes to update their course to eliminate the textbook and rely solely on Open Educational Resources, the following conditions must be met:

    1) Fill out the OER Application (Please fill out the form for each course you wish to add OER's to)

    Once you have filled out the application form an Instructional Designer from A-State Online Faculty Support will be in touch. During this time they will help you plan, research and implement the OER's into your course. As well as help answer any questions you may have about them. 

    2) OER's must completely remove cost associated with a textbook or any other learning materials from the student. 

    3) Once you and your Instructional Designer have integrated OER's into the course it will then be reviewed against the Quality Matters Rubric.

    Note: In order to receive the stipend the course must pass the review with an 85% or higher meeting all 21 essential standards. 

    4) Once the course passes the review with an 85% and meeting all 21 essential standards the stipend will be processed. 

    If you have any questions about this process or Open Educational Resources please contact a member of A-State Online Faculty Support (aos@astate.edu)

  • Open Educational Resources Helpful Links