Open Education Resources

Library Collection Materials: From physical textbook lending and library reserve programs to course materials comprised of library-licensed collections and subscriptions, faculty across the state are saving students money by aligning their course learning outcomes with thousands of library-housed e-books, videos, and online scholarly journals.

Book Loan and Book Grant Programs: For courses using physical textbooks, book loan programs can help students by providing copies of textbooks for free to use throughout the semester. Book grants provide qualified students with funds to help subsidize the purchase of textbooks and course materials.

Inclusive Access Programs: Inclusive access programs are contract buying or direct billing programs that result from a partnership with university bookstores and publishers and provide digital textbooks to students below market rate on or before the first day of class.

Open Educational Resources (OER): According to the Hewlett Foundation, “Open Educational Resources are teaching, learning, and research resources that reside in the public domain or have been released under an intellectual property license that permits their free use and repurposing by others. OER includes full courses, course materials, modules, textbooks, streaming videos, tests, software, and any other tools, materials, or techniques used to support access to knowledge.”

Z-Degree Programs: The courses in z-degree programs use OER and other no-cost resources to offer an entire degree program without any required instructional materials costs.

AAC&U Open Educational Resources (OER) Research Database

Achieving the Dream Open Educational Resources Initiatives

Adams, S., & Joshi, E. (2026, July 28). What Tennessee's OER scaling efforts reveal about the future of open education. Achieving the Dream.

Benge Steele, C., Joshi, E., & Reynolds, D. (2026, June). Scaling open education: Institutional strategies and the emerging role of GenAI [Research brief]. SRI Education

Essmiller, K., Pate, J., & Reynolds, L. J. (Eds.). (2025). Open educational resources research case studies. Oklahoma State University Libraries.

Griffiths, R., Joshi, E., Pellerin, E., & Wingard, A. (2022). Teaching and learning with open educational resources (OER). SRI International.

Griffiths, R., Mishook, J., Johns, H., & Smith, C. (2020). OER at scale: The academic and economic outcomes of Achieving the Dream’s OER Degree Initiative. SRI International.

Joshi, E., Griffiths, R., & Lawrence, J. (2025). Students' and instructors' experiences with open and culturally responsive instruction: Findings from a state OER program. SRI International.

Long, L. (2025). Policy priorities for generative AI and open education: A report for the DOERS community. Idaho Pressbooks Consortium.

Potts, K. Brimm, D. & Mumpower, J.E. (2021). College course materials: Affordability initiatives across Tennessee. Tennessee Comptroller’s Office of Research and Education Accountability.

Spica, E. (2020). PERC Report: 2019 Tennessee Community College Student Course Materials Survey. Knoxville, TN: Postsecondary Education Research Center, University of Tennessee, Knoxville. Press Release.

Spica, E., and Biddix, J.P. (2021). Prices they pay: Academic achievement and progress to graduation barriers experienced by community college students due to the cost of course materials. Innovative Higher Education.  

Quesenberry, A. C., Gahn, P.G., & Watts, G.R. (2018). Springing for student textbooks? Exploring new directions for library collections. Proceedings of the Charleston Library Conference.

Watson, C. E., & Rush-Marlowe, R. (2023). Making the case for open educational resources. American Association of Colleges and Universities.

From Consumers to Contributors: Exploring How Participation in Open Publishing Influences Student Belonging

OEGlobal 2026 Lightning Talk 

This lightning talk presents an ongoing qualitative study exploring how participation in open publishing may shape students’ sense of belonging and academic identity. Drawing on semi-structured interviews with 15 MTSU students who participated in open-access publications and OER, the study examines students’ experiences of moving from consumers to contributors of knowledge. Emerging themes highlight connections with instructors, a sense of community with the university, and students’ developing identities as contributors to knowledge.

OE Week 2026

       MTSU Student Perspectives on Textbook Costs 
      
       MTSU OER Champions Showcase   
   
       Supporting Tennessee Educational Outcomes with Open Education

OE Week 2021

      2021 Open Education Week - YouTube   
 
      Introduction to Open Educational Resources 
   
      Panel Discussion on Infusing Diversity, Equity and Inclusion into OER

      Adopting OpenTextbooks for Tennessee Pre-Service Teachers  
   
      A Team Approach to Open Pedagogy through H.I.P. & Experiential Learning 
           
      Tennessee Community College OER Projects Panel  
   
      Using Data-Informed Approaches to Textbook Affordability and OER      

Why OER? (2016)

Introduction to OER

Introduction to OER (2020)

               Presentation Slides

               Q&A Document

               Presentation References