We help students save money!
97% of students said OER courses saved them a significant amount of money.
98% of students would recommend OER courses.
Students in OER courses had higher GPAs and pass rates.
100% of faculty would teach an OER course again.
The Open Educational Resource Initiative
Due to exorbitant cost, 80% of PCCC students have taken a class without purchasing the required textbook, leaving them at a disadvantage in successfully completing their coursework and making progress towards a postsecondary degree. The estimated cost of textbooks for full-time students is $1,600 per year, accounting for 50 percent of educational costs.
To address this issue, PCCC embarked on an Open Educational Resource (OER) initiative in Spring of 2017 to lower economic barriers for students. OER materials for teaching or learning are either in the public domain or have been released under a license that allows them to be freely used, changed, or shared with others.
Today, over 100 distinct OER courses have been developed, and PCCC is recognized as a statewide leader in OER. Going forward, the College will incrementally increase OER course offerings, saving students about $2.75 million annually.
Additionally, assessment data from PCCC’s Institutional research department has indicated that student success in OER courses was on par with or better than non-OER courses. This success rate for OER vs. non-OER courses has been consistent since the inception of the OER initiative in 2017. Moreover, when surveyed about OER, student and faculty survey results have demonstrated that OER is recognized as a positive element within PCCC’s teaching and learning environment.