Back in 2018, I decided to take the plunge and move to an OER textbook. Now, for those who aren’t familiar, OER, or Open Educational Resources, are course materials under an open license which allows others to access and reuse them at no cost. There’s been a movement lately in institutions, particularly community colleges, to incorporate more OER materials as a way to curb the rising costs of higher education.
At the time I made my OER commitment, there were limited open textbook options available. After bouncing around a few, I finally settled on OpenStax, a free online textbook platform through Rice University. I selected OpenStax because of the many resources they provided, such as PowerPoint lecture slides, instructor solution files, and even LMS cartridges for online classes. All this sounded great, but despite the numerous resources many OER sites now provide, educators are still hesitant to adopt the materials, citing a fear of errors. I’m here to tell you that concern is valid. Many OER providers trust in a peer review system to help eliminate publishing costs. Yes, there will be errors, but, I’m totally fine with it! Indeed, I embrace it. Why? Because of the unintended benefits those errors bring to building a cooperative class.
Challenges with OER Materials
Before enrolling, students are aware that my course uses OER materials, thanks to a special notation in the school’s schedule of classes. Then, on the first day of class I share with them the benefits and detriments of using open-source materials. The main benefit is that the textbook is free to them. Textbooks for an introductory accounting class can range from $100 -$300. The downside is that errors may be present in the text. However, I then provide them with a five-step process to follow when they locate an error:
- Note the error.
- Review the error with me.
- Submit a correction to OpenStax.
- Forward the OpenStax confirmation to me.
- Receive extra credit!
Students perk up at hearing that last step in the process (extra credit?!?!), and they pay special attention as I detail each step. The first step is for students to document the error by noting the page number and paragraph in the book and, if possible, taking a screen shot or picture of the text containing the error. Next, the student must review the error with me–this step is where the magic happens.
Broadening Student Communication
Before using an OER textbook, students rarely visited me to inform me they did not understand the reading. Now, I’ve found students are empowered to speak up because there is the possibility they have located an error, and heck, they may even be awarded extra credit for finding it! It seems to alleviate any hesitation they may have felt about speaking up. Now the reason they are confused could be due to an error in the writing rather than a shortfall in their understanding. This gives us the opportunity for open dialogue and learning. When reviewing the error with me, students must tell me why they think it is an error. I can tell you that about 70% of the time the student has not located a true error. In their explanation to me, they either come upon the answer themselves and see why it is not an error, or we walk through it together until we arrive at that conclusion. Students leave our discussion with a greater understanding of the concepts and now are more comfortable approaching me in the future with any question. It really has become a great experience for both of us, and it’s something I didn’t experience until I started using OER.
Actual Errors
For the students who do locate an actual error, we go onto the next step of reporting it. Luckily, OpenStax has a very easy process for reporting errors, which is one of the many reasons why I selected them as my provider. With the student present, I pull up the OpenStax website and show them where to find the “Suggest a Correction” section for our specific textbook. Now a different type of learning experience ensues: how to problem solve and report concerns in the real world. Yes, I’m one who subscribes to the notion that we college instructors are not just teaching our students a subject, but we’re also preparing them for real-world experiences. Students complete the submission process on their own at a later time so they can upload any screenshots or photos as well as their suggested correction. I’ve found that students that go through this process feel pride in taking on the role of subject-matter expert by suggesting a correction to the error they have located, and they’re glad to know that their submission will help future students understand the material more clearly.
After the suggestion is submitted, OpenStax immediately sends them a confirmation email. Students forward me this confirmation and I award them their well-deserved extra credit. Granted, the students that did not locate a true error do not receive any extra credit, but I’ve never had one complaint as they did receive a clearer understanding of the material, a true “ah-ha” moment, which can be so much more valuable. But, of course, they are still on the lookout for other errors, because who doesn’t want a little extra credit?
I know there still may be concerns about switching to open textbooks, which may contain errors; however, anytime a new technology, product or service comes to market, growing pains are expected. With $90M awarded to OpenStax which was received from the National Science Foundation to enhance their library, I’m sure the resources will only get better. I just hope they keep a few errors in there for my students and me to find.
Teresa Thompson has enjoyed 17 years in higher education and is a tenured accounting professor at West Valley College in Saratoga, California. She first discovered her enthusiasm for teaching as a tutor at her community college, where she assisted peers with subjects like statistics, Spanish, and, of course, accounting. Thompson always knew she wanted to return to the community college level to teach full-time.
Thompson loves being in the classroom and is known for her innovative and engaging teaching methods. From a Pokémon-themed syllabus to a ‘Squid Games’ escape room, she loves integrating pop culture into her assignments to make learning fun and memorable. She has received the Excellence in Teaching, Service to the Community, and Program Excellence awards from her college as well as being awarded the White House’s Gold Presidential Award for Community Service. Beyond teaching, Teresa serves as the director of West Valley College’s Entrepreneurship Center. In this role, she collaborates with brilliant and passionate students, helping them turn their dreams into reality. In her spare time, Teresa loves traveling with her husband and daughter. She also enjoys snuggling up with her two-toned, one-eyed cat, Rex, to read mystery novels.
