OERs are broadly defined as educational resources that live online and are designed for anyone to openly share, revise and create material. The most recognized and relevant example of OERs are open textbooks. Often, these textbooks are designed in a way where instructors can remove chapters, replace older examples with newer or more course-relevant examples, or even integrate their own research into the readings. Open textbooks can save students hundreds of dollars, allowing professors to maximize their pedagogical tools rather than telling their students to purchase numerous textbooks for access to just one or two chapters.
This interim paper will offer a series of recommendations that are representative of the principles and concerns of Ontario undergraduate students. These recommendations will be aimed at the Ontario government and other provincial stakeholders, with a respect for evidence-based policy maintained throughout. This paper will highlight and advocate for the following overarching goals: initiatives to increase awareness of OERs, ensuring there is adequate data collection and processing regarding the quality and user friendliness of OERs, the prioritization of OERs by the government, and the development of institutional infrastructure to ensure institutions face little-to-no barriers in implementing OERs on their campuses.