OpenStax College and Lumen Learning Partner to Expand Adoption of Open Educational Resources
Rice University-based publisher OpenStax College today announced a partnership with open education services provider Lumen Learning, combining OpenStax College's free textbooks with Lumen Learning's support services to help higher education institutions and faculty members successfully transition to using open educational resources (OER).
"Although a growing number of free, high-quality educational materials are available, many instructors and academic leaders are uncertain about how to begin taking advantage of these resources," said David Harris, editor-in-chief of OpenStax College, in a press release.
OpenStax College provides peer-reviewed, open-education textbooks that meet the scope and sequence requirements of many college courses. Lumen Learning helps both two- and four-year institutions implement and sustain successful OER pilots and programs. Under the partnership, OpenStax College and Lumen Learning will offer open textbooks as well as faculty training and support for the adoption of OER-based courses that align course content with an institution's specific learning objectives.
OpenStax College uses a funding model in which foundations underwrite the costs of producing high-quality textbooks that are published online free for all college students and instructors. The publisher's growing catalog includes titles for introductory physics, anatomy and physiology, sociology, statistics and biology, and it will eventually cover 25 of the nation's most-attended college courses, according to the company.
In a prepared statement, Wendy Riggs, a biology instructor at College of the Redwoods and an OpenStax user for nearly two years, noted the impact open educational resources have had on her students. "Using open textbooks, my students don't have to wait for financial aid or make tough budgeting choices to buy the textbook," Riggs said. "They are also doing better. They hit the ground running from the very beginning of the course."
About the Author
Rhea Kelly is editor in chief for Campus Technology, THE Journal, and Spaces4Learning. She can be reached at [email protected].