From energy expenses to grocery bills, it seems that no facet of life has been left untouched by rising costs of living. Is there a way to combat this upward trend when it comes to workforce education? Enter: Open Educational Resources (OERs)!
According to Patrick Tompkins, President of NHTI-Concord’s Community College, OERs are “one of the more positively disruptive trends in education today.” Many businesses provide education and training to employees beyond school walls and college campuses that can be delivered with lower costs and higher impact using OERs.
This cost-effectiveness is one of the primary advantages of OERs. Traditional educational materials can be expensive, and businesses often face budget constraints when it comes to employee training and development. OERs eliminate the need for costly textbooks and proprietary course materials, allowing businesses to allocate resources more efficiently. This is particularly beneficial for small businesses that may have limited budgets for employee education.
Additionally, unlike traditional educational resources, which may not always align with a company’s unique needs, OERs can be adapted to create business/role-specific learning opportunities. These highly customizable resources are available in a multitude of formats—such as textbooks, course resources, videos, and other educational materials—that are suitable for a variety of applications.
Research has shown that the use of OERs in educational opportunities can improve learning outcomes and reduce educational costs; in fact, studies consistently find that OER and open educational practices (OEP) have a significant positive effect on learning achievement.
So, how does one find relevant OERs? Libraries are a great place to start! They typically employ information professionals, such as reference librarians, who can help connect you with OERs that meet your workforce education needs. There are also digital OER repositories that you can explore independently, such as openstax.org, oercommons.org, open.umn.edu/opentextbooks, and merlot.org.
With the help of its faculty and Learning Commons Library, NHTI-Concord’s Community College has leveraged OERs against the rising cost of course materials, thus expanding our open educational opportunities to more students.
From courses in the humanities to the applied sciences, OERs are helping put higher education within the economic reach of greater Concord, and beyond. By utilizing OERs, your business can similarly provide no-cost continuing education opportunities for your employees!