2026 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

This paper reviews the utilization of Open Educational Resources (OER) at a maritime-focused institution to identify and address roadblocks that exist towards the implementation of low-cost or zero-cost courses. This is especially relevant for a maritime institution as there can be higher than average additional costs to complete programmatic experiences such as labs or practicums. While copies of textbooks are often available for free online through illegal postings, faculty should not be encouraging piracy, especially at a “boat school”.

In tangible numbers, college faculty (82%) acknowledge that textbooks are too expensive but rarely (8%) initiated cost-savings programs for students (https://educationdata.org/average-cost-of-college-textbooks). These textbooks have increased in cost significantly faster than inflation, outstripping even the cost of tuition, though e-textbooks and e-rentals have changed the cost structures recently. Ironically, students have been reporting less and less spending on textbooks, down 48% from 2011 to 2021 (https://publishers.org/news/a-victory-for-affordability-student-spending-on-course-materials-declines-22-during-the-2021-2022-academic-year/) One of the key factors: students simply do not buy the textbooks. Unfortunately, that can lead to decreased learning outcomes. Data has shown that utilizing OER can improve student performance, with the highest impacts being on Pell grant recipients and historically underserved students (https://files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/EJ1184998.pdf).

To address these issues, this paper will discuss the current campus perceptions surrounding OER at a maritime-focused institution, document additional costs incurred by students to obtain U.S. Coast Guard credentialing as licensed engineers on marine vessels, lay out a proposed intervention involving workshops and peer mentorship, and document the results of a pilot program with projected cost savings.