[{"document_url": "https://www.purdueglobal.edu/blog/student-life/open-educational-resources/", "unformatted_src": "/blog/online-learning/online_learning05.jpg", "src": "https://www.purdueglobal.edu/blog/online-learning/online_learning05.jpg", "formatted_filename": "online learning"}, null, {"document_url": "https://www.purdueglobal.edu/blog/student-life/open-educational-resources/", "unformatted_src": "/news-and-resources/articles-blogs-news/general_education/shutterstock_242216224_educational-partner150x150.jpg", "src": "https://www.purdueglobal.edu/news-and-resources/articles-blogs-news/general_education/shutterstock_242216224_educational-partner150x150.jpg", "formatted_filename": "shutterstock educational partner", "alt_text": "Open Educational Resources", "rendered_width": 150, "rendered_height": 150}, null]
Student Life

Open Educational Resources

October 28, 2016  |  Kerrie Houchens Open Educational Resources (OER) defined: “OER are teaching, learning, and research resources that reside in the public domain or have been released under an intellectual property license that permits their free use and re-purposing by others. Open educational resources include full courses, course materials, modules, textbooks, streaming videos, tests, software, and any other tools, materials, or techniques used to support access to knowledge.” (“Open Educational Resources,” n.d., para.2).

So what does that mean for Purdue Global?

Purdue Global offers Open Educational Resources in the form of free open courses through Open College. Since 2012, Open College has been teaming up with other Purdue Global schools to create open-access versions of some of Purdue Global’s most popular first-term/early term courses, like CMO 107: College Composition I, CMO 220: College Composition II, and CSO 204: Professional Presence, to name a few.

What are the benefits of open courses?

These open courses are free, self-paced, and faculty supported, mirroring the traditional Purdue Global course. There are 18 courses currently available―some of which offer a traditional Course Assessment in the event a student is seeking to obtain college credit for the course.* (Note: as of June, 2017)

Trends in OER

There are several notable user trends illustrating how educators, students, and learners are employing OERs to accomplish a variety of scholastic goals.

What’s next for OERs at Purdue Global?

Purdue Global now offers its first-ever open degree program through Open College, utilizing many OERs―the Bachelor of Science in Professional Studies. Through Purdue Global’s Open College, students create their own pathways to reaching goals through a variety of open educational materials and courses, both from within Purdue Global and outside.

This unique program offers the following:†

For more information on Purdue Global’s Open College courses or open degree program, including applicable tuition rates and fees, please visit https://opencollege.purdueglobal.edu/.


Open Educational Resources. (n.d.), In the William and Flora Hewlett Foundation. Retrieved from http://www.hewlett.org/programs/education/open-educational-resources

MIT Open Course Ware (2011). 2011 Program Evaluation Findings Summary. Retrieved from https://ocw.mit.edu/about/site-statistics/11_Eval_Summary_112311_MITOCW.pdf

Filed in: Student Life



Kerrie Houchens

I Can Get Academic Credit For That?
Time Management Tips for Busy College Students







*Open College courses include an opportunity to take an assessment that can lead to academic credit toward an undergraduate degree at Purdue Global. A nonrefundable fee of $100 is payable during the assessment enrollment process.

†Students enrolled in the BSPR program will pay a monthly tuition rate of $195.00. This includes an official review of your experiential learning portfolio. A fee of $100.00 is required for each Course Assessment taken. Access to learning materials, academic support, and Course Assessments is available for a monthly tuition rate of $195.00. Tuition for the capstone course and other program fees are additional. See the Tuition and Fees Supplement for complete information.
