Dec. 30, 2021, Austin, TX – OERTX, the state’s digital repository of open educational resources (OER), celebrated its one-year anniversary with sessions and workshops during the week of October 11-15. An initiative from the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board (THECB), OERTX houses free and customizable resources for higher education.
In its first year, over 100,000 educators and learners accessed resources from the OERTX Repository, which includes 10,000 curated and original resources. All OERTX materials are free, available to any user, and licensed with a Creative Commons license or in the public domain. The OERTX website also fosters OER community engagement through interactive groups and professional networking hubs.
“By ensuring that students and educators across Texas can access high quality educational materials, OERTX promotes affordable learning and minimizes barriers to higher education for Texas students,” said Commissioner of Higher Education Harrison Keller. “As we partner with institutions in this effort, OERTX also drives innovation and strengthens collaboration in the higher education sector.”
“OERTX has played a significant role in increasing awareness and advancing the use of open educational resources across Texas,” said Michelle Singh, assistant commissioner of digital learning for the THECB. “As we celebrate the one-year anniversary of OERTX, we want to thank the dedicated faculty and librarians who built a robust community hub and resource site that supports affordable learning and student success. We will continue to build partnerships and support innovations in open educational resources across the state and beyond.”
The one-year anniversary event showcased how the repository has contributed to widespread use of OER across the state and presented survey results on OER gains since 2019, priority areas, and challenges for institutions as they expand OER adoption and use.
OERTX is a result of the 86th Texas Legislature’s House Bill 3652, which called for the THECB to develop and maintain a web portal for institutions of higher education, students, and others to access open educational resources. Partners in this work include the Institute for the Study of Knowledge Management in Education (ISKME) as well as Texas institutions.
THECB Mission Statement
The mission of the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board is to provide leadership and coordination for Texas higher education and to promote access, affordability, quality, success, and cost efficiency through 60x30TX, resulting in a globally competitive workforce that positions Texas as an international leader.
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