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.