OU Libraries Grant Incentivizes Use Of Open Educational Resources

Instructors on the University of Oklahoma's Norman campus can apply for the “Alternative Textbook Grant," which offers up to $2500 to create or adopt affordable class material.

Open educational resources, learning materials in the public domain or openly licensed, can help ease students' financial burden and allow instructors to customize their course content.

OU Libraries said the resources are widely available and free to use. 

"Years from now when their textbook is wildly outdated and they want to find information, they can go to Google scholar or still have access to their OU libraries account," graduate teaching assistant and grant recipient Matt Bejar said. "We just need resources that are adapting to the next age and I think the professors using the grant and students learning from it are on the cutting edge of that."

On average, according to OU libraries, students spend over $600 annually just on books and supplies, but using Open Educational Resources comes at no cost.

Bejar said his students were able to academically "up their game" on class topics.

All OU Norman instructors have until March 6 to apply.