LibGuides: Affordable Learning Upstate: Affordable and Open Educational Resources: Affordable Learning

What is Affordable Learning?

Affordable Learning seeks to minimize the costs of textbooks and other course materials for students by using no-cost or low-cost resources.

Affordable Learning relies on three types of resources:

1) Library resources licensed and provided free of charge.

2) Open Education Resources (OER) - teaching, learning, and research resources that are free to access and also carry legal permission of open use. They are available in a multitude of formats, including textbooks, full courses, modules, videos, labs, assignments, and assessments published under Creative Commons licenses .

3) Free web resources, including many trade publications, government documents, and works in the public domain.

In addition, the Upstate Bookstore offers several ways to mitigate the cost of conventionally-published textbooks: renting new books, renting or buying used books, a price comparison guide where students can find the best deals, and helping faculty set up "inclusive access" arrangements with publishers.

OER Network

OER Network
The OER Network is open to all in the Upstate community interested in OER and affordable resources. Join this MS Team to be kept up to date on Upstate's OER initiative and to network with others on campus!

PASCAL SCALE

South Carolina Affordable LEarning (SCALE) is a state-wide initiative of the Partnership Among South Carolina Academic Libraries (PASCAL) that seeks to reduce the overall cost of higher education for students by promoting the use of quality low-cost and no-cost learning materials. Through PASCAL, USC Upstate is a consortial member of the Open Education Network, sponsor of the Open Textbook Library.