Using OERs to Flex your Professional Development Muscle

In higher education, the implementation of OERs is often associated with textbook costs. However, this cost has varied implications for students and faculty. Students often enjoy a cost-saving benefit, while for faculty there is the cost of time. Many faculty members are not able to engage in the publishing process, which may be critical to gaining promotions within their field. OERs have been missing from this discussion and can be posited as having value within the promotion process. Therefore, advocating for the use of OERs and highlighting its role in faculty professional development should be discussed simultaneously. After all, for faculty, there are multiple benefits to the process of implementing OERs. This session will highlight the research supporting this and discuss how faculty can use OERs to flex their professional development muscles.