Leddy Library and Centre for Teaching and Learning Launch Learning Materials Affordability Hub
Open Education Week 2026, March 2nd to 6th, is an annual global celebration dedicated to sharing and promoting achievements in Open Education. This year the Centre for Teaching and Learning and the Leddy Library are focusing on student affordability.
Affordable access to high-quality learning materials is essential to student success. Rising educational costs can negatively affect learning outcomes and students’ ability to engage fully with required course resources1. The Centre for Teaching and Learning (CTL) and the Leddy Library both support instructors in mitigating the rising cost of course materials by promoting course reserves and open educational resources (OERs) to help reduce financial barriers while sustaining academic quality.
To support this work, the CTL and Leddy Library have launched a new Learning Materials Affordability website designed to help instructors find, create, and adopt affordable learning materials for their courses.
The site brings together key resources and services that support cost-conscious course design, including course reserves, OER, and guidance on communicating material costs clearly to students. The initiative makes it easier for instructors to explore alternatives to traditional textbooks, or to supplement them with additional learning materials. It highlights how course reserves can provide reliable, no-cost access to required readings, and how OERs offer flexible, openly licensed materials that can be tailored to specific teaching contexts. Aligned with the recent provincial requirement to report the costs of textbooks and other learning materials, using affordable learning resources helps demonstrate the university’s commitment to supporting students.
An online workshop on integrating learning affordability into your courses, co-hosted by the Centre for Teaching and Learning (CTL) and Leddy Library, will take place on May 12. Registration details will be posted on the CTL Teaching with Technology webpage.
Developed through close collaboration between the Leddy Library and CTL, the website reflects a shared commitment to high-quality teaching, meaningful student engagement, and coordinated academic support. It also underscores the value of cross-unit partnerships in strengthening institutional processes and enhancing the overall learning environment.
Faculty and instructors are encouraged to explore the Learning Materials Affordability site and connect with the library or CTL for individualized support in identifying affordable options for their courses.
Learn more: https://www.uwindsor.ca/ctl/696/learning-materials-affordability
1. Mullens, A.M., Hoffman, B. The Affordability Solution: a Systematic Review of Open Educational Resources. Educ Psychol Rev 35, 72 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10648-023-09793-7
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