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.

The people living in Texas before European contact had to survive in different conditions, from beaches to mountains, forests to deserts. A wide diversity of life existed. From the complex society of the Caddoes of East Texas, to the trading culture of the Antelope Creek society in the Panhandle, to the warlike, barely surviving society of the coastal Karakawas, Native Americans adapted to their surroundings.

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.

If you have found yourself searching for, adapting or creating materials for your heritage classes because of a lack of readily available commercial resources, this site is for you!

This module will provide a broad overview of OER across the state. This includes discussion of the results of a recent landscape survey by DigiTex, a snapshot look at recent Texas legislation related to OER, and a variety of examples from colleges and universities who are offering OER Degree pathways and OER courses across their curriculum.

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.

Reality Czech is a next generation openly licensed Czech textbook and curriculum currently under development by Dr. Christian Hilchey from the Department of Slavic and Eurasian Studies in collaboration with the Center for Open Educational Resources and Language Learning (COERLL) at the University of Texas at Austin. Currently, a series of videos are available on the website.

Eventually, all materials will be freely available online under a Creative Commons license to any university or individuals who wish to use or adapt them:

- In-class Activity Book
- Online Grammar and Cultural Units
- Printable Homework Exercises

COERLL has partnered with Rose Potter and Betsy Arnold to publish Recorridos-Don Quijote, a pair of openly-licensed books for the study of Cervantes’ Don Quijote in upper level Spanish courses, including AP. The student workbook, accessible online for free, deepens students’ understanding of the text through reading, pre-reading, and post-reading activities and glosses. The companion teacher support facilitates the teaching of Don Quijote through student-centered strategies and activities, historical and cultural information, quizzes, exams and more.

COERLL has partnered with Rose Potter and Betsy Arnold to publish Recorridos-Don Quijote, a pair of openly-licensed books for the study of Cervantes’ Don Quijote in upper level Spanish courses, including AP. The student workbook, accessible online for free, deepens students’ understanding of the text through reading, pre-reading, and post-reading activities and glosses. The companion teacher support facilitates the teaching of Don Quijote through student-centered strategies and activities, historical and cultural information, quizzes, exams and more.

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

During the 83rd Texas Legislature, Regular Session, the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board (THECB) was directed to undertake a study with the Virtual College of Texas (VCT) on the availability and use of open educational resources (OER) as described in Section 52 of the General Appropriations Act. Section 52. The 2014 report includes recommendations related to the following areas:
- professional development programs to support faculty at institutions of higher education in using OER
-how to establish a statewide digital repository for all OER developed with state funds
-methods for encouraging the use of OER at public and private institutions of higher education

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.