Immediate and Permanent Access to Knowledge
Open Educational Resources (OER) are learning materials that are free to use, adapt, and share because they are either in the public domain or available under an open content license (such as those developed by Creative Commons). Open educational resources include:
- Full courses, course materials, content modules, learning objects, collections, textbooks, lecture captures and journals.
- Software to support the creation, delivery, use and improvement of open learning content including searching and organization of content, content and learning management systems, content development tools, and on-line learning communities.
The permissions of open licensing allow instructors to customize their materials for the specific needs of their students and for students to share their learning resources with the world.
OER@SCC
Scottsdale Community College cares about student textbook costs and equitable access to information. Many of SCC's faculty members have chosen to use openly licensed materials in their courses instead of expensive publisher textbooks. These materials maintain quality while radically decreasing student costs. View a sample of OER materials created and remixed by SCC faculty.
SCC’s OER Committee is committed to educate stakeholders on the benefits of OER, facilitate the discovery and creation of OER curriculum, and develop innovative strategies for sustainability.
To support faculty adoption and adaptation of open materials, SCC has the following in place:
- An OER Faculty Specialist to coordinate with departments and divisions to facilitate transitions to open resources.
- OER Student Specialists to work with faculty on development and design of open and renewable materials.
- Reassigned time to compensate faculty for authoring new materials, remixing existing materials, or managing master courses.
Additional information is available on our faculty resources page.
Maricopa Millions
Access, Equity, and Quality through Open Educational Resources
Scottsdale Community College works in close coordination with the Maricopa Millions OER Project, a district-wide initiative launched in 2013 to support grassroots efforts by faculty to lower the cost of learning materials for our students while contributing to global efforts at opening education.
Current information about the project’s grants is available at the Maricopa Millions open Canvas site. The Community Colleges Consortium for Open Educational Resources website and also provides a case study of the project’s first five years.
With the money I spent on textbooks, I could have…
Bought software
With the $150 I spent on textbooks this semester, I could have bought video editing software!
Moved out
With the $400 I spent on textbooks this semester, I could have saved money to move out!
Bought a bike
With the $300 I spent on textbooks I could have bought a bike!
See what students in Maricopa have to say about how OER has impacted their college success and access to knowledge.
For more information, contact:
- Center for Teaching and Learning
- Phone: (480) 425-6952
- scc-ctl@scottsdalecc.edu