This report presents the results of a biennial independent survey done by the Institute for the Study of Knowledge Management in Education (ISKME) commissioned by the Digital Higher Education Consortium of Texas (DigiTex), in collaboration with the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board (THECB), to examine the landscape of Open Educational Resources (OER) programs, policies, and practices at higher education institutions in Texas.

This is a template workflow for Creator Communities to adapt for their own needs.

This report presents the results from the third biennial Texas OER Landscape Survey, administered in 2023 and commissioned by the Digital Higher Education Consortium of Texas (DigiTex) and the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board (THECB). The survey aimed to explore the open educational resources (OER) landscape, policies, and practices at 169 higher education institutions, including 11 health-related institutions, across the state.

The 2023 Texas OER Landscape Survey revealed an OER landscape marked by institutional commitment, diverse adoption goals, and the instrumental role of OER champions on campus. This report not only highlights areas for improvement but also underscores the necessity of ongoing collaboration and faculty support. The trajectory observed in OER adoption is institutionally driven, placing a growing emphasis on student learning impacts and resource quality alongside financial considerations. As librarians and other key stakeholders play pivotal roles, the landscape unfolds organically, showcasing the self-sufficiency of institutions in advancing OER use and development to reach their goals for student success.

Learn more about how to create and use Hubs and groups on OERTX. 

This resource includes the recordings and practice activities for the OER Core Elements Academy which consists of three synchronous, virtual sessions:Introduction to Open Educational Resources & Practices - Exploration of the what, why, and how of OER, highlighting use cases involving successful adoption and implementation of OER at Texas institutions.Discovery, Evaluation & Curation - Hands-on training aimed at supporting effective search, quality evaluation, and curation strategies to collaboratively identify, evaluate, and organize OER relevant to desired use.Authoring & Remixing - Deep dive into courseware improvement, developing collaborative workflows to utilize authoring tools to design, create and remix resources. Leverage supports for peer-review, reflection, and refinement of resources.Participants will have assignments to complete between synchronous sessions. Two opportunities for office hours with OER experts will also be offered:Office Hours – Option for informal discussion with OER experts.Participants are required to attend 4.5 hours of instruction and complete approximately 7 hours of practice activities to find, curate, publish, and share OER.

This resource includes the recordings and practice activities for the OER Core Elements Academy which consists of three synchronous, virtual sessions:June 2: Introduction to Open Educational Resources & Practices - Exploration of the what, why, and how of OER, highlighting use cases involving successful adoption and implementation of OER at Texas institutions.June 16: Discovery, Evaluation & Curation - Hands-on training aimed at supporting effective search, quality evaluation, and curation strategies to collaboratively identify, evaluate, and organize OER relevant to desired use.June 30: Authoring & Remixing - Deep dive into courseware improvement, developing collaborative workflows to utilize authoring tools to design, create and remix resources. Leverage supports for peer-review, reflection, and refinement of resources.Participants will have assignments to complete between synchronous sessions. Two opportunities for office hours with OER experts will also be offered:June 9 and June 23: Office Hours – Option for informal discussion with OER experts.Participants are required to attend 4.5 hours of instruction and complete approximately 7 hours of practice activities to find, curate, publish, and share OER.

These storytelling activities are intended to support OER Fellows in drafting their stories of impact, and include a warm up core story exercisce and story spine activity.

OER Fellows are invited to remix this OER Storytelling Template to share their stories of impact with Open Educational Resources (OER).

This report is based on an independent survey commissioned in 2019 by the Digital Higher Education
Consortium of Texas (DigiTex), in collaboration with the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board (THECB),
and the Institute for the Study of Knowledge Management in Education (ISKME).

The Open Educational Resources (OER) in Texas Statewide Playbook is a resource developed by practitioners and advocates actively involved in the labor of open education to guide new and expanding OER work at institutions of higher education. The Playbook is the result of partnerships between the Division of Digital Learning, the Institution for the Study of Knowledge Management in Education (ISKME) – creators of OER Commons and experts in open education practice and research – and faculty, librarians, staff, and administrators from institutions and systems across Texas. It aims to support institutions as they work to build capacity and drive systems change around OER. It also serves as a guiding document for institutions that have not yet engaged in OER work or taken advantage of existing programs and opportunities. The hope is that the Texas OER Playbook will serve as a companion on the journey towards OER awareness and advocacy at your institution.

This report shares the results of an OER Gap Analysis completed by the Institute for the Study of Knowledge Management in Education (ISKME) for the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board (THECB). The analysis identified free, openly licensed full courses and textbooks for 25 highly transferable, high-enrollment courses required for two-year or four-year degree paths in high-wage/high-demand fields. Most courses selected for the scan are also Texas Core Curriculum courses. Texas high-wage/high-demand fields were identified using data from the Texas Workforce Commission and included nursing, business, accounting, computer science, engineering, and health administration. The following courses needed for multiple degree paths in these fields were selected for the scan:Science: Anatomy and Physiology I and II; Biology I; Chemistry I; Physics IMath: College Algebra; Elementary Statistical Methods; Pre-Calculus; Calculus I; Calculus IISocial Sciences: Texas Government; Federal Government; General Psychology; Introduction to Sociology; Principles of Macroeconomics, Principles of MicroeconomicsHumanities: US History I and II; Introduction to Ethics; Introduction to Philosophy; Public Speaking; Composition I; Composition IIBusiness: Business Computer Applications; Principles of Finance

This report presents the findings of a research study, funded by the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board (THECB) and conducted by the Institute for the Study of Knowledge Management in Education (ISKME), aiming to identify the characteristics, challenges, and needed supports of institutions with low engagement with Open Educational Resources (OER); explore which higher education regions in Texas need additional support with OER; and investigate factors that promote and hinder OER advancement in institutions that are relatively early in on their journey with OER. Utilizing the 2019 and 2021 OER Landscape Survey data and drawing from interviews with nine administrators across five higher education institutions, the report concludes with recommendations for advancing OER in Texas and beyond.

How to use the THECB AI Group from the Division of Digital Learning.