Veronica Van Ry, a first-generation college graduate and sociology professor at Boise State University, is committed to supporting students from diverse backgrounds and making her classes accessible and engaging. One way she achieves this is through open educational resources, which inspired her to enroll in eCampus’s Open Education Development Series.
“Boise State is actually the first place I’ve ever encountered a course like this, and I was genuinely glad to see it offered,” Van Ry said.
The Open Education Development Series is a five-part, scaffolded exploration of Open Education, designed for faculty teaching online courses and aimed at supporting their understanding and engagement with this innovative instructional approach. In the last three years, faculty who have authored Open Educational Resources through the Open Education Development Series have saved students $172,010 each year.
“Since there was no existing textbook for the class, I wanted to make sure students had high-quality, accessible materials to support their learning,” Van Ry said. “The Open Education Development Series gave me the tools and structure to develop an Open Educational Resource textbook tailored to SOC 122, while also making the course more affordable and engaging for students.”
When Van Ry began teaching SOC 122, which she teaches in an asynchronous online format, she realized there were many ways the course can be taught. She found it important to make sure students had high-quality, accessible materials to support their learning. The Open Education Development Series helped support her goal.
Van Ry completed Parts I-IV of the Open Education Development Series in 2023, where she created the first Open Educational Resource textbook for SOC 122. She then took Part V in the summer of 2025, using student feedback to write additional chapters and publish a second edition.
“In that revision, I not only added features like H5P activities, real-world examples and a glossary; I also wrote new text of my own to strengthen sections that students had identified as unclear or needing more depth,” she said.
Van Ry’s experience with the Open Education Development Series was better than she ever expected. She found the eCampus faculty and staff to be an incredible resource and appreciated how approachable and responsive everyone was throughout the course. She also enjoyed working with her peers by sharing challenges, celebrating victories and learning from each other.
“Overall, the experience was both supportive and motivating,” she said. “Most importantly, I came away with a stronger sense of community and support from colleagues who were also committed to Open Educational Resources.”
If you are interested in taking the Open Education Development Series, you can find more information on the eCampus website.
“I would absolutely recommend taking the course,” Van Ry said. “The Open Education Development Series provides not only the technical skills to create an Open Educational Resource, but also the guidance and support to see the project through from start to finish. You don’t have to come in with everything figured out — the faculty and staff walk alongside you, and the peer community is incredibly encouraging. If you’re considering it, I’d say go for it. It’s a rare opportunity to create something meaningful for your students while also developing professionally.
“For every $1 we spend on the Open Education Development Serie, we save students $70 per year in textbooks. Open Educational Resource is not just about cost savings; Open Educational Resource increases retention, graduation rates, and lifelong learning. It’s about improving student success,” Assistant Director of eCampus Research and Innovation Amy Vecchione said. “Faculty-authored textbooks are precisely tailored to the student experience, ensuring the material is relevant not just for the course, but also for long-term career success.”
About the Research and Innovation Team
The Research and Innovation Team is dedicated to supporting faculty success by providing faculty with evidence-based practices and cutting-edge technologies to deliver high-quality learning experiences. Through collaboration, we integrate innovative strategies into online courses and programs, as well as support faculty in utilizing and conducting high-impact research and evaluation related to the online learning experience. Visit the Research and Innovation website to learn more.