Open and Affordable Education Committee launches new website.
The high cost of textbooks has become a major problem for many students. However, there is a group at Iowa State working against the cost barrier by advocating for the use of less costly course materials in the classroom.
The Open & Affordable Education Committee, a partnership between the University Library, CELT (Center for Excellence in Learning and Teaching), ISU Book Store, the Senior Vice President and Provost, Student Government, and others, provides support for faculty interested in affordable course materials at Iowa State.
The committee can provide support to help faculty understand the options available to them to make their courses more affordable for students including access to course reserves and open educational resources (OER), among others.
One way the committee has worked to raise awareness about affordable course material options is by creating a website about OER: free, openly licensed educational materials that can be edited by instructors.
News, events, and information about the services available to faculty interested in OER and other affordable course materials available at Iowa State will be shared via this website oer iastate.
An important feature on the site is the OER Trailblazers Showcase, which highlights the work that select instructors at Iowa State University are doing to make their courses more affordable for students.
To learn more about Open Educational Resources at ISU, visit the new OER website or contact Abbey Elder, Open Access & Scholarly Communication Librarian.