Open Educational Resources (OER)

OER are free teaching materials intended to be widely distributed and modified to fit the needs of instructors. Examples of OER used by TWU faculty include textbooks, Canvas modules, lab manuals, and workbooks. OER are used as alternatives to expensive textbooks by providing students with high-quality course materials at no cost.

Learn more about OER at TWU

OER Course Redesign Mini-Grants

Each year, the TWU Libraries offer Open Educational Resource (OER) Course Redesign mini-grants in the amount of $1,000. With this grant, our faculty can develop, adopt, or adapt OER for their courses.

If you are interested in transitioning your course(s) to free learning materials but need support, consider one of these mini-grants!

For more information, contact Adrian Shapiro at ashapiro1@twu.edu.

Eligibility/Application

Applications must meet the following criteria:

Submitted by one or more TWU employees with teaching responsibilities.
The proposal includes the intent to use an Open Educational Resource in a credit-bearing course.

Applications are ranked by:

Total students impacted: average course enrollment in the prior academic year
New purchase price for the current primary textbook(s) used in the course

Expectations for grant recipients are:

Meet with librarians for an individualized OER consultation to discuss a timeline and work plan.
Check in periodically or as needed to report progress and request support.
Publish any new or derivative OER under a Creative Commons license using the Libraries' digital publishing services.
Participate in at least one speaking engagement or interview to share your experience of creating an open resource with the TWU community.
Completed projects are expected to be implemented in a course offered by Fall 2025.
Store a copy of any OER created through the mini-grant in the Repository@TWU or OERTX.

Submit an OER Mini-Grant Application