Yes, we’re open

Yes, we're open

Implementing Open Educational Resources at Fanshawe.

Gone are the days of the traditional one-size-fits-all course packet.

Futurists once predicted a world in which students and professors would have free access to high-quality educational resources. Those visions have quickly become reality. In 2021, Fanshawe launched a fully functional suite of services focused on developing and delivering Open Educational Resources (OER).

OER are any teaching, learning or research materials that include copyright access allowing free and perpetual permission to engage in what are known as “the 5Rs” – OER can be retained, reused, revised, remixed and redistributed.

OER can be fully modified based on faculty preferences, meaning the content can be tweaked to make it more current, relevant and engaging for students. They allow professors and researchers a quick way to customize and repurpose quality content at minimal cost and with more control over format.

Since most OER are completely cost free, they also help break down barriers of affordability and accessibility. OER also tend to be easier to find and generally contain more up-to-date information.

At Fanshawe, the OER Design Studio provides support to faculty in researching, adopting and creating open-license resources. Funded by Fanshawe’s eLearning Organizational Development Group, the Student Technology Fund, eCampus Ontario and Fanshawe’s Library and Learning Commons, the studio helps faculty take advantage of the Fanshawe Open Education Grant Program, providing funding and support to benefit teaching and learning.

Since May 1, 2021, more than 50 projects have been supported by OER research, adoptions, adaptations and the creation of open courses for the College’s move to an Open Learning Management System. These projects have resulted in approximately $2 million in annual savings for students.

As more tools and materials continue to move away from traditional copyright models, who knows what the future may hold?