For many students, the cost of course materials is a barrier. For Dr. Simon Lolliot, it’s a challenge he’s working to solve through open educational resources.
For over a decade, Dr. Simon Lolliot, an associate professor of teaching in UBC’s department of psychology, and Dr. Kayli Johnson, a professor of teaching in UBC’s department of chemistry, have collaborated to create accessible, open course materials at UBC.
In recognition of their work, Dr. Lolliot and Dr. Johnson are co-recipients of a 2026 Open Education Resources (OER) Excellence and Impact Award. This award recognizes outstanding work by faculty who advance the use of open educational resources in credit courses at UBC.
For Dr. Lolliot, this recognition reflects nearly a decade of ongoing work to reduce barriers for students. As affordability remains a key issue for students, he has focused on developing open textbooks and integrating interactive elements that support learning while lowering costs.
“Open educational resources are about making students’ lives a little easier. If we can reduce financial pressure and remove barriers, that can have a real impact.”
Student feedback has been a key indicator of that impact. Dr. Lolliot says that students frequently mention the value of free, accessible materials in course evaluations, particularly the cost savings and being able to engage with interactive content.
Much of Dr. Lolliot’s OER work has been shaped by his collaboration with Dr. Johnson. Through this partnership, he was introduced to tools like H5P, which allows educators to create, share, and reuse interactive HTML5 content. Together, they have explored ways to embed interactivity into open resources, using branching videos that respond to student answers and address misconceptions in real time. Their collaboration extends beyond their own disciplines, encouraging new approaches to teaching across fields.
Dr. Lolliot and Dr. Johnson have been recognized for their OER work through H5P awards as well. For two consecutive years, the collaborators received awards for impressive use of multimedia and outstanding visual design.
“Working together has pushed me to think more creatively about how these tools can be used, not just in psychology, but across different areas of teaching.”
Dr. Lolliot is also involved in organizing the UBC H5P Symposium, a free, online event that brings together educators to share and demonstrate interactive teaching practices. Held every two years, the symposium continues to draw participants from across Canada and beyond.
At the core of this work is accessibility. Dr. Lolliot says that the cost of course materials can be a significant burden for students, particularly alongside other expenses such as housing and food.
“If there are high-quality resources available at no cost, it’s worth taking a serious look at how we can use them. Even small changes can make a meaningful difference.”
Please join us in congratulating Dr. Lolliot and Dr. Johnson on this recognition.
