We know that the cost of textbooks can be a barrier to student success. We've all had those conversations with students, and many faculty actively seek out ways to improve access, relevance, and engagement with their course materials.
For a good overview of some of the challenges around textbooks and course resources, check out this Toronto Star article from September, 2024.
OERs are free, openly-accessible resources of many shapes and sizes, including (but not limited to!)...
Image source: Image by BCcampus adapted from
"5R framework" by David Wiley licensed under CC BY 4.0.
OER allow you to adapt and build upon the work of others in your field, while improving resource access for your students. This can start small and lead to great things.
Zero Textbook Cost initiatives broaden the list of available resources for faculty wishing to reduce resource and textbook cost for their course(s). Zero Textbook Cost, or ZTC, includes freely accessible materials to help provide students with access to the materials they need to succeed in their courses.
ZTC Wheel by Ame Maloney for Skyline ZTC is licensed CC BY.
Take a look at our Zero Textbook Cost page for ideas and examples of how this might work for your course.
Estimate of student savings by moving from commercial textbooks to OER at Georgian (as of Winter 2025).
$665,000 / year
This number does not include courses that adopt OER but did not previously have a commercial textbook. The number will fluctuate as faculty review and adopt new OER materials. There are so many benefits for students and faculty beyond cost savings.
Help us keep our records up to date! Use this form to record your OER use (Georgian login required) or let us know about changes.
Take a look at our Success Stories to see how your colleagues are implementing OER in their courses.