Development of an Open Educational Resource for Fundamentals of Communication

Abstract

The use of Open Educational Resources (OERs) across higher education is on the rise. In a survey of higher education faculty across the U.S. 33% of respondents reported using an OER for the 2024-2025 school year. This is up from 15% just 5 years earlier (Bay View Analytics, n.d.). By providing students with a zero textbook cost resource, like an OER, we can lower the barrier of textbook expenses without significantly affecting student outcomes (Brockman et al., 2025).

At the Community College of Baltimore County (CCBC), providing an accessible, affordable and high-quality education is a core part of our mission (Community College of Baltimore County, n.d.). For years, department administrators and faculty have been encouraged to provide students with more affordable resources. With these factors in mind, the Communication Arts Department decided to develop a new OER for Fundamentals of Communication (CMNS 101), one of the college’s highest enrolled credit courses. Our goals were to reduce financial barriers for students while also modernizing course materials to better reflect how today’s students engage with content. To do this we combined traditional written materials with multimedia learning tools designed to create a more accessible and engaging learning experience across all course modalities that we could offer at zero cost to our students.