JoAnn Wood, lecturer of accountancy in the College of Business and Economics at Boise State University, recently encountered a challenge where the extensive textbooks available to her and her students did not align with the time constraints of her MBA accounting course.
“Many MBA textbooks are 700 pages long, but the class is taught in seven or 16 weeks, so my syllabus was creating issues for students,” Wood said.
To bridge the gap, Wood turned to the Open Education Development Series (OEDS) offered by the eCampus Center. Her goal was simple but ambitious: create an Open Educational Resource (OER) textbook that was concise, accessible, and aligned with her teaching style.
Tailoring the Content
Wood’s decision to develop an OER was born out of necessity. In the world of MBA accounting, few open resources exist that hit the right high-level notes without getting bogged down in endless side stories.
By creating her own material, she was able to allow students to focus on core concepts without navigating irrelevant filler, embed instructional videos directly into each section of digital text, and maintain a single clear voice throughout examples.
“You can take a format that is overwhelming and base it on how you teach,” she said. “This way, students aren’t struggling between the concept and the delivery.”
Navigating the Development Process
The transition from consumer to creator came with a learning curve for Wood. Working with Pressbooks, Boise State’s platform for creating and publishing OER, required patience and some help from eCampus staff. She noted that the software can be “quirky,” but despite a few technical hurdles, support from eCampus Center staff proved invaluable.
“The experience was really good because there were only a handful of participants, so I got a lot of one-on-one time,” she said.
While going through the OEDS, the eCampus team assists with technology, accessibility standards, and legalities of open licensing, ensuring the final product is professional and compliant.
Insights for Faculty
For those considering creating their own OER, Wood offers a few pieces of advice. Many faculty, like Wood, believe that OER will be too difficult to create, but she found that she was surprised by how easy it actually was.
“You have to be a little more creative with your approach to grading,” she said. “But the payoff is worth the effort.”
She also noted that an OER isn’t a final published work but something to be edited and rewritten as she finds students need clarity.
Lastly, she recommends other faculty don’t go at it alone.
“Find another faculty member who has done it before and talk to them so you know what you are getting yourself into,” she said.
Impact on Students
The feedback from students has been overwhelmingly positive. During the 2025-26 academic year, Boise State students who enrolled in courses with zero cost materials or very low cost materials (some of which are OER) saved over $1,800,000 in textbook costs. Beyond the financial relief, students are often shocked to find out their textbook is not only completely free but accessible beyond their college years.
Boise State student Courtney Pedersen is grateful for Wood’s work on the OER.
“Not only was JoAnn Wood’s accounting book free, but because she wrote it herself, the lessons felt personal and easy to connect with. That understanding ended up helping me both academically and financially,” Pedersen said.
Listen to Esteban Gonzales describe his experience using Open Educational Resources.
About The eCampus Center
The eCampus Center partners with faculty to design and develop high-quality online learning experiences. We offer personalized support and expert guidance in online program development, course development, instructional design, and online teaching preparation. Through collaboration, we help create accessible, engaging, and career-relevant online courses and programs to meet the needs of both faculty and students at Boise State University. Visit the eCampus Center website to learn more at https://www.boisestate.edu/ecampus-center/