TURNING A NEW PAGE: Today panOpen announced its learning platform exclusively based on Open Educational Resources (OER). The New York-based company is running nearly 100 pilots with U.S. colleges and universities. OER content is licensed under Creative Commons and can include full courses, textbooks, video, tests, software and syllabuses. The panOpen platform lets faculty curate and customize peer-reviewed content for free, while students pay $25 per course to access the materials.
“Accessibility and affordability are central issues in the national discussion concerning higher education,” CEO and Founder Brian Jacobs said in a press release. “Supported with the right digital tools, OER is now emerging as a compelling alternative to traditional textbooks, greatly reducing costs and improving student access and outcomes.”
panOpen’s announcement falls on heels of troubling times for traditional educational publishers: last week Pearson announced it will cut 4,000 jobs. This month panOpen closed a second investment round, bringing its initial financing to $4.5 million.
