September 25, 2020
Story and photo by Joe Vinduska
A dozen different courses at听91快活林听are now offered with no textbook costs听thanks to an effort by instructors to shift to other types of resources. The movement in higher education is called Open Educational Resources (OER). At Barton, it鈥檚 referred to as听Low-Cost (LC) and No-Cost (NC).听Low cost means there might be fees for materials or a book, but it would be less than $50.听听
OER听are educational resources that are openly licensed or are in the public domain that can be retained, modified, and redistributed.听
Barton Department Chair for Life Science and Math Oleg听Ravitskiy听has transitioned some of his courses to the OER format to help his students.听听
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鈥淥ER can offer drastic savings in the cost of education,鈥 he said.听鈥淪ome students, who otherwise cannot afford to buy expensive textbooks or other course听materials appreciate听this more affordable setup.鈥澨
However,听Ravitskiy听said it鈥檚 not just about the cost savings.听听
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鈥淪tudents who take challenging science courses often like to look over course materials before the term begins,听and with OER they are able to do that and it听helps听them make more informed decisions in choosing their courses,鈥 he said. 鈥淚t听gives听them the opportunity to prepare themselves听because they can access听digital course materials on the first day of class at no cost.鈥澨
Ravitskiy听said there are also many benefits for the instructors.听
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鈥淥ER course content can be edited and updated frequently and simply, personalized for听various听teaching styles and accessed by students on the first day of class into perpetuity,鈥 he said. 鈥淚t also offers students increased interaction with course content. My students spend less but learn more due to efficient study tools and engaging courseware features.听Students听that want to听revisit their course materials after the听class is over听to refresh their memories听can do so because the material is always available.鈥澨
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Ravitskiy听said the experience of switching to OER has been positive.听听
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鈥淚 have greater freedom in my teaching methods and course content,鈥 he said. 鈥淚 would like to express听my sincere gratitude to Lee Miller, Director of Innovation and Compliance, who guided, supported, and mentored me in this journey.听Colleges and universities regularly embark on new initiatives that ensure students have the best options for learning.听However,听some schools are more forward-thinking than others when it comes to making changes. Barton continues to explore instructional听strategies that can improve success outcomes for students.听 Barton is committed to meeting the needs of all students to听help them succeed in college-level courses and beyond.鈥澨
Barton Director of Innovation and Compliance Lee Miller听agreed that there are many advantages with other opportunities yet to be explored.听
鈥淲e are now about a year and a half into the Barton OER initiative and its success is directly a result of the faculty鈥檚 willingness and hard work to transition courses to OER. I have appreciated Dr.听Ravitskiy鈥檚听patience and willingness to work through and pilot different opportunities for instruction through the use of OER materials. It is exciting to see how excited faculty get when they realize new ways of approaching their course by utilizing OER.鈥澨
For more information, visit bartonccc.edu/OER.