In today's rapidly evolving educational landscape, the cost of textbooks and course materials continues to be a significant barrier for students. Open Educational Resources (OERs) provide an innovative solution to this issue, offering high-quality, free resources that can replace traditional textbooks. Faculty members looking to integrate OERs into their courses can leverage resources like the Affordable Learning Georgia (ALG) grants, which provide financial support and expertise.
What are OERs?
Open Educational Resources (OERs) are teaching, learning, and research materials that are freely available to the public for use, adaptation, and redistribution. They can include textbooks, lesson plans, course modules, multimedia, and more. The key defining feature of OERs is their open license, typically a Creative Commons license, which allows users to copy, modify, remix, and share the content without cost or legal barriers.
OERs come in various forms:
- Textbooks and course materials (e.g., open-access textbooks)
- Multimedia content (videos, podcasts, infographics)
- Assessment tools (quizzes, rubrics, surveys)
- Curriculum guides and syllabi
By replacing costly proprietary textbooks, OERs reduce the financial burden on students, promote equitable access to high-quality learning materials, and offer faculty greater flexibility in customizing and adapting resources to meet the specific needs of their courses.
Why OERs Matter for Adoption
The case for adopting OERs is compelling, particularly in today’s educational environment:
- Cost Savings for Students: The high cost of textbooks is a major financial strain for many students, sometimes even leading to students skipping required readings or dropping courses due to the cost of materials. OERs remove this barrier by being free or very low-cost.
- Improved Accessibility and Equity: OERs are available to all students, at any time, from any device. This helps create a more inclusive and accessible learning environment, where all students can engage with course materials regardless of their financial situation.
- Customization and Flexibility for Faculty: Unlike traditional textbooks, which are fixed in content, OERs can be customized to fit the unique needs of a course or teaching style. Faculty can adapt, remix, and update materials to keep them current and relevant.
- Enhanced Learning Outcomes: Studies suggest that students who use OERs perform just as well, or better, than students who use traditional textbooks. This may be due to the more flexible and personalized learning experiences that OERs facilitate.
How to Use ALG Grants to Fund Your OER Adoption
Affordable Learning Georgia (ALG) provides a range of grants designed to help Georgia’s faculty members adopt, adapt, or create OERs for their courses. These grants are available to support a variety of initiatives:
- Adoption Grants for faculty who want to replace costly textbooks with OERs that already exist.
- Adaptation Grants for faculty who want to customize or modify existing OERs to better align with their course content.
- Creation Grants for faculty who wish to develop new OERs that are tailored to their course or discipline.
These grants typically cover the costs of:
- Stipends for faculty time and effort in adopting or adapting OERs
- Professional development in OER-related topics
- Support for OER creation (if creating new resources)
ALG grants help remove the financial and logistical barriers that might prevent faculty from transitioning to OERs, providing both funding and expertise to ensure success.
How to Apply for an ALG Grant
Spring Deadline is March 10, 2025
The process for applying for an ALG grant is straightforward. Here’s a step-by-step guide:
- Review the Guidelines: Before applying, ensure that you are familiar with ALG’s funding priorities, which include promoting the use of OERs to reduce student costs and improve educational outcomes.
- Prepare Your Proposal: A strong proposal will outline:
- The course or courses in which you plan to use OERs
- The current cost of textbooks and other materials in your course
- How you plan to adapt, adopt, or create OERs
- Expected outcomes, including the number of students who will benefit
- A timeline for completing the project
- Submit Your Application: Applications are typically submitted online through the ALG portal. Be sure to double-check the application deadlines to ensure timely submission.
- Follow Up: Once your application is submitted, you may be asked to provide additional information or clarification. It’s important to stay in contact with ALG staff and respond promptly to any queries.
Support, Resources, and Events
As you embark on your OER journey, it’s important to know where to find support and resources. Several resources are available at Georgia State University and through ALG to help guide you through the process.
Upcoming Events:
- Georgia Highlands College In-Person Event: ALG is partnering with Georgia Highlands to offer a free professional development event on Feb 21. All are welcome! Please review details and registration instructions here.
- The GSU Libraries are also hosting the free online Open for Student Success Symposium on March 7.
Support & Resources:
- Georgia State University ALG Champions: Contact your GSU ALG Champions. Our Champion network is the best point of contact for Open Initiatives and efforts specific to your campus:
Atlanta Campus
Faculty Champion: Scott Jacques
[email protected]
Library Champion: Denise George
[email protected]
Design Champion: Walt Justice
[email protected]Perimeter College
Faculty Champion: Cyntoria Johnson
[email protected]
Design Champion: Mustafa Elsawy
[email protected] - CETLOE (Center for Excellence in Teaching, Learning, and Online Education): CETLOE offers workshops, consultations, and a variety of resources to help faculty incorporate OERs into their courses. They can provide guidance on teaching strategies, as well as the technical aspects of integrating OERs into learning management systems (LMS).
- Your Local (Georgia State) Subject Matter Librarian: Your subject librarian can be an invaluable resource when searching for appropriate OERs for your discipline. They are skilled in locating open-access materials and can help you navigate OER repositories, databases, and other resources that fit your course content. Librarians can also help you with copyright and licensing questions to ensure the OERs you use are compliant with educational standards.
- ALG Staff & Champions: The ALG team is dedicated to supporting faculty throughout the OER adoption process. They provide advice on grant applications, offer best practices for integrating OERs, and help with troubleshooting challenges. Additionally, OER Champions—faculty members who have successfully adopted OERs—serve as mentors and can share their experiences and tips. These champions can be a great source of encouragement and practical knowledge as you start or refine your OER efforts.
- Sign up for the ALG Newsletter: You will find news here about ALG sponsored events and other OER news across the USG.
Make It Happen
OERs represent a transformative opportunity for both faculty and students, providing cost savings, increased flexibility, and enhanced learning experiences. By leveraging ALG grants, faculty can gain the financial and professional support needed to successfully adopt, adapt, or create OERs. Moreover, with the help of ALG staff and champions, faculty can tap into a network of resources and expertise to ensure that their OER initiatives are successful.
By embracing OERs and applying for ALG grants, faculty members can make a significant impact on student success, contributing to a more accessible, affordable, and equitable educational experience for all.

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