As educators in the classroom or behind the scenes in courseware development, we all want students to have access to higher education, including the resources needed to succeed. Open books are now being used in 2,500 U.S. courses in the 2015—2016 academic year. These open education resources (OERs) include the availabil­ity of open licensing and the ability to reuse and remix content. As awareness of OERs spreads, we need to be conscious of the barriers they may present. For example:

• A comprehensive catalog of resources is limited, requiring educators to commit a great deal of time to finding, reviewing, selecting, modifying, and implementing OERs.
• Content can be out of date and subpar in quality, which will not improve student performance.
• OERs are difficult to integrate into the technology being used at many institutions.
• While most courses have common goals, OERs may not fit them. In addition, not all instructors may be using the same resources, making those goals even less obtainable.

Paradigm Education Solutions offers a comprehensive suite of student content, as well as instructor tools and resources. We deliver resources that assist in course planning and delivery. We provide exceptional content within sophisticated learning management systems (LMS) many instructors desire. Robust analytics and instant performance insight give instructors the feedback they want and students need to achieve course goals. Additionally, we are able to communicate current information about Microsoft changes, as well as updates that may affect courseware or other issues related to features and functionality. Students need real-world experience, not simulations or YouTube videos. Instructors are starting to notice that OERs may not be the best way to teach students the high-quality information they need. SourcesOpening the Curriculum: Open Educational Resources in U.S. Higher Education, 2014Educational Marketer: Simba Information 2016