Open Education

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Open educational resources (OER) support Sask Polytech's commitment to innovative teaching and learning. Through the adoption, adaptation and creation of OER, Sask Polytech enhances learning experiences, helps reduce the financial burden on students and fosters a culture of sharing and collaboration.

As a partner in the Saskatchewan Open Educational Resources (SaskOER) network, Sask Polytech contributes and shares open educational resources that support learners, educators and communities across Saskatchewan. Through Pressbooks and other open publishing initiatives, faculty and staff can create, adapt and share accessible learning materials that support student success.

Did you know icon
The Sask Polytech Library celebrates Open Education Week by hosting a series of events. You can access past Open Education Week event recordings on our YouTube channel.

 

Open education at a glance

Open educational resources (OER) include digital and print course content, open textbooks, teaching materials, learning modules and more. Often, they are made available through copyright-friendly means such as the public domain or Creative Commons licences. Students and instructors can freely access, use, share and, where licensing permits, adapt OER to support teaching and learning.

Impact at Sask Polytech

Open education is helping improve access to learning while reducing educational costs for students. 

  • 39 OER projects completed or under development.
  • 18 Zero Textbook Cost (ZTC) projects.
  • More than 12,000 students benefiting annually.
  • More than $2.6 million in annual student savings.

Explore OER

Discover Pressbooks
Explore textbooks created by the Sask Polytech community.
View Pressbooks
Explore supplementary collection
Access supplementary learning materials that support program curriculum and student success.
View collection
Find resources by program area
The OER by subject directory organizes open educational resources according to Sask Polytech schools and program areas, making it easier to identify resources relevant to your courses.
View by program area


Adopt, adapt or create

Open education offers flexible ways to support teaching and learning. Whether you are looking for an existing resource or developing new content, Sask Polytech can help.

Adopt
Open education offers flexible ways to support teaching and learning. Whether you are looking for an existing resource or developing new content, Sask Polytech can help.
Adapt
Many open educational resources can be modified to better support local curriculum, teaching approaches and learner needs. Adaptation allows instructors to build on existing resources rather than starting from scratch.
Create
Sask Polytech uses Pressbooks to support the creation and publication of open educational resources. Faculty and staff can develop textbooks, learning modules, handbooks, lab manuals and other educational materials that can be shared with learners and educators. Pressbooks was implemented to support the use, repurposing and redistribution of OER materials as part of Sask Polytech's Technology Enhanced Learning initiatives.

Open textbook grants

By transitioning your course to zero textbook cost (ZTC) or developing an OER, you can support innovation in teaching and delivery and eliminate textbook costs for students all while maintaining or even enhancing learning effectiveness.

Zero textbook cost grants

Sask Polytech Zero Textbook Cost (ZTC) Development Grants are intended to: 

  • Encourage and support our instructors in the transition of courses to ZTC  
  • Supporting innovation in teaching and delivery 
  • Eliminating textbook costs for students while maintaining or even enhancing learning effectiveness 

Sask Polytech ZTC Development Grants are generously funded by the Government of Saskatchewan.

Apply for ZTC Development Grant

OER Development Grants  

Sask Polytech OER Development Grants are intended to: 

  • Encourage and support our instructors in the adaptation, creation and curation of open education resources 
  • Reduce overall costs for students 
  • Enrich learning and teaching by offering greater flexibility and interactivity 

Priority is given to OER development in the areas of: 

  • Reconciliation with Indigenous peoples 
  • Accessibility for people with disabilities 

Sask Polytech OER Development Grants are generously funded by the Government of Saskatchewan.

Apply for OER Development Grant

Contact us

Whether you are new to open education or developing a resource of your own, support is available.

Library staff can assist with:

  • Accessibility considerations
  • Adopting and adapting existing resources
  • Copyright and Creative Commons licensing
  • Finding and evaluating OER
  • Pressbooks publishing support
  • Resource discovery and curriculum alignment

Contact your liaison librarian today. 

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