A study conducted at Tidewater Community College between Fall 2013 and Spring 2015 that compared students enrolled in courses that used traditional textbooks versus those who used OER textbooks found that students who took face-to-face and online courses that used OER textbooks were “less likely to withdraw from a course and more likely to receive a C or higher in the course than their peers who took non-Z courses.” (Hilton III, Fischer, Wiley, & Williams, 2016)
An algebra instructor at Georgia College found that her students were able to save 75% by using affordable textbooks. Similar to the study conducted at Tidewater Community College, fewer students dropped the course after OER materials were implemented. (Chiorescu, 2017).
Using OER promotes open pedagogy—the practice of involving students in the design and implementation of their learning experience. Jesse Stommel discusses how incorporating open pedagogical practices not only allow more agency for the instructor, but “gives [students] opportunities to think critically about that information and abut who controls what is ‘true’ in a given discipline” (Stommel, 2018).
An additional benefit of involving students directly in the learning process is that students can show their knowledge by creating materials that can be shared with and adapted by another audience. Wiley, Webb, Weston, and Tonks (2017) describe a high school Digital Photography course which provides students with opportunities to contribute OER materials such as photos and tutorial videos. Students who performed well were given an opportunity to be a teaching assistant and participate in course development. This example also fall under Goal 4.2: Foster academic innovation to drive enrollment and improve operational performance. Involving students in creating materials for other students also gives them a more significant role in their education and leverages student experience and expertise.
According to the U.S. Public Interest Group (as cited in U.S. News & World Report), students spend nearly “1,200 each year on textbooks and supplies alone.” (2014). This has resulted in many students foregoing the textbook due to cost. The survey also found that textbook prices impacted the courses that students decided to enroll in. (U.S. PIRG, 2014).
A survey released in 2016 by CampusBooks.com (as cited in Campus Technology) had similar findings. Additionally, the survey found that more students are choosing to purchase used books, rent textbooks, or find the content for the textbook online rather than purchasing a new textbook.
Using OER also enables instructors to provide equitable access to learning materials, materials that can be used by learners of all abilities. By creating or using materials that incorporate principles of Universal Design for Learning, you can be proactive in providing your students with an equitable learning experience.
This video from Lumen Learning explains the benefits of OER, including easy and affordable access to course materials and the ability of faculty to adapt OER materials to meet their course learning outcomes.
This LibGuide is a derivative of the Austin Community College Library Services Guide on Open Educational Resources created by Carrie Gits and is used under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License, except where otherwise noted.