Dr. Alison Simons is a TXWes Textbook Hero! Dr. Simons, professor of sociology, is using an Open Educational Resource (OER) in her SOC 2301 Intro to Sociology class. OER are no- or low-cost course materials. Dr. Simons adopted Introduction to Sociology 3e from OpenStax, in place of a commercial textbook, saving each student about $96.

When asked why using OER is important, Dr. Simons responded, “This has provided me with so much more flexibility as I don’t feel constrained to the text and trying to get the student’s their money’s worth out of the text.  I can focus on some chapters, skip some and not even cover others. [It] allows for more control and for students to learn more in-depth about subjects they are interested in.”

Thank you, Dr. Simons, for being a TxWes Textbook Hero!

Are you currently teaching with OER? Let us know! Want to learn more about OER? Contact Marquel Anteola, or visit our OER subject guides.