Open Education encompasses resources, tools, and practices that are free of legal, financial, and technical barriers and can be fully used, shared, and adapted in the digital environment. Open Education maximizes the power of the Internet to make education more affordable, accessible, and effective.
(Scholarly Publishing and Academic Resources Coalition)
The OER Adoption Impact formula can clarify many of the potential impacts of adopting OER versus traditionally copyrighted materials.
Measuring Formula:
Cost Savings for 1 semester = (number of sections) x (average number of students per section) x (cost of book being replaced).
Cost Savings for 1 semester = (cost of students using the OER that semester) x (cost of book being replaced)