Journal of Online Learning Research and Practice Volume 7, Number 2, 2019 | Page 17

Journal of Online Learning Research and Practice
trends related to the global institutional
move to OERs and adjusting their business
models accordingly.
In a highly competitive higher
education learning environment that
seeks to increase student enrollment
and against a backdrop of financial
constraints, competition might force
institutions to join the OER movement.
Trends are driving changes in higher
education. For example, the decision to
move forward with OER conversions
in 2017 provided APUS with a great
opportunity to evolve and continue to
fulfill its mission. As previously referenced,
those who chronicle the higher
education space noted the high costs
that texts add to already skyrocketing
college tuition. Such researchers have
published articles illuminating the fact
that some students face painful economic
decisions as a result. Other articles
have pointed to the disruptive
power of OERs in radically transforming
the traditional textbook publishing
space—with major publishing houses
potentially losing significantly, while
students benefit.
Overview of the APUS
OER Project
The ongoing OER Conversion
Project at APUS involves collaboration
across multiple departments
and includes faculty members,
program directors, and deans, in
addition to the teams from Academic
Instructional Technology (AIT), the
Library, and BookList, Copyright, and
Classroom Support departments. It is a
university-wide effort. In 2017, APUS
converted 222 course materials to OERs.
In 2018, 192 additional OER-enabled
courses were converted and launched.
These course conversions have resulted
in additional savings for the ECM
budget. Table 1 reflects the number of
courses slated for conversion in 2018
by each of the six APUS Schools: (1)
School of Arts and Humanities (SoAH),
School of Business (BUSN), School of
Education (SoE), School of Health Sciences
(SoHS), School of Security and
Global Studies (SSGS), and School of
STEM (STEM). Table 1’s shaded highlights
indicate relative course-launch
volume by month.
Table 1: 2018 American Public University System
Course Conversions by Month and School
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