Tennessee Open EducationTextbook costs continue to be a barrier to student learning and equitable access. As part of a statewide, broad-based response to this challenge, the THEC Textbook Affordability for Student Success Task Force started TN Open Education, a statewide movement to expand the development and use of open educational resources (OER).
The OER Grant Project will provide opportunities for teams of Community College, Technical College, and LGI university faculty and professional staff members to redesign courses currently using commercially published textbooks to courses using OER and other more affordable materials. In addition, the grant will support adoption of new practices that allow greater student agency and voice; increase opportunities for students to collaboratively generate, apply, or critique new knowledge; and incorporate more inclusive content. Combined with the no- or low-cost materials, these practices, known as open educational practices (OEP), have the potential to improve students’ academic engagement and performance, especially for traditionally underserved students.
