One of the compelling arguments for OER is that open course materials reduce inequalities and increase access to learning materials. One organization that tracks affordability impacts closely is PIRG. in February 2021 they issued the third edition of their report on “Fixing the Broken Textbooks Market,” including data on the impacts of textbook affordability on students during the pandemic. For students without reliable internet access, online course materials and purchasing ‘access codes’ to access publishers’ course materials are both barriers to learning.
What can universities do? PIRG recommends they “continue to build infrastructure – grants, tech support, professional development and recognition, course release – to make it easier for professors to adopt open textbooks and to release their work under an open license.”
They also note that “hiring….scholarly communications or open educational resource librarians can provide critical support for faculty wishing to make the switch,” and add that institutions can support faculty through course releases to “adjust syllabus and materials” and recognize “contributions to the open sphere during the tenure and promotion process.”