Open Educational Resources: OER Research

(2017) An analysis of student surveys and course grades that demonstrated no change in learning outcomes after switching to OER, but an appreciation of the fact that the textbook was customized to the course.

(2018) Investigates student performance and perceptions and found little difference in student performance but that students using the print format of a commercial textbook consider it to have superior quality.

(2015) A BYU dissertation study which found that students using open textbooks enrolled in more credits and earned lower grades, depending on the courses.

(2018) A slideshow presentation by Nicole Allen featuring higher education student demographics, the implementation of OERs, and the ethics of using OERs vs. major publishing companies.

(2015) Examines the effectiveness of UC Davis’ OER ChemWiki project, which found no difference in student learning outcomes between those using traditional textbooks and OERs.

(2018) A survey of 1400 institutions regarding challenges of student success, retention and completion, especially concerning the affordability of higher education and its impact on equity.

(2019) Compares perceptions, textbook use, and learning outcomes of students in general biology courses at four community colleges. Overall, grades and perceptions of quality were similar.

(2017) A study from USG compares student enrollment data and learning outcomes and found that OERs did not negatively impact students, but did save them money.

(2015) Research study on the efficacy of OER materials in undergraduate classes, with more favorable outcomes in several areas including course completion rates, course grades, and enrollment in additional courses.

(2014-2019) Includes a data report from the OER Research Hub revealing the impact of OER as well as its use, selection, and challenges, and an evidence report on the evidence from OER use, including the results of OER improving student performance and faculty reflecting on their teaching practice.

(2019) A compilation of research data and analysis of dozens of studies regarding OERs, textbook costs, and student outcomes.

(2017) This article explores OER created by students for students and its sustainability, successes, and integrations.

(2019) Compares math test results of elementary school students who either used open or commercial educational resources and found no differences in test scores.

(2019) A news article about federal support to increase the adoption of open textbooks, including establishing a grant program, strengthen price transparency requirements, and require the Government Accountability Office to report price trends on college textbooks to Congress.

(2019) A comparison chart of things which have become more or less expensive in the past few decades, including health costs, college textbooks, televisions, etc.

(2015) An NBC News story discusses the rise in textbook prices compared to inflation, as well as student trends toward renting textbooks and digital versions.

(2014) Breaks down the average student savings by switching from traditional to OER textbooks at 8 colleges. It concludes that 5% of US college students switching to OER would save 1 billion dollars per year.

(2012) A book exploring the economics of adopting an OER policy in more detail, including factors such as time invested in course design and increased retention.

(2014) A report showing how students’ concerns about high textbook costs impact grades, course loads, and textbook purchases. It recommends students and administrations work together on open textbook pilot programs.

(2010) Interviews of authors who distribute their works freely as well as examinations of sales data on print versions, which found that making books freely available also increased sales.

(2018) Examines over 600 courses and determines the average price spent for traditionally copyrighted materials per course is $134.26, while the average spent on OER (buying a printed copy, self-printing, companion homework system, etc.) is $17.32.

(2018) A report investigating high textbook prices, publisher tactics of limiting access code acquisition, schools reporting OER savings for students, and the impact of switching to OER nationwide.

(2020) Examines the behaviors and performances of students regarding high textbook costs, noting how marginalized students are disproportionately affected.

(2018) A discussion about the perception of quality versus cost in OERs and traditional textbooks which found that students perceived OERs as being worth less due to their lack of cost.

(2018) Compiles data and comments from Los Medanos College’s student survey into a spreadsheet, which found that most students were not able to take full loads or have all their books in the first three weeks of the semester due to prohibitive textbook costs.

A chronological list of the reports and research the Student PIRGs has published on textbooks and their affordability.

(2019) Surveys students on their textbook purchasing habits, including the time dedicated to bargain hunting and purchasing materials for courses.

(2018) A blog post by David Wiley discussing OpenStax’s sustainability model being re-calculated to include the cost of its print materials.

(2016) Examines the real costs of supporting faculty as they adopt OER as well as the decrease in drop rates among Tidewater students that allows tuition revenue retention to balance it out.

(2018) A blog post by Phil Hill reviews OpenStax’s data announcement that they have reduced student spending by $177 million.

(2017) Examines faculty perceptions of OpenStax textbooks, including quality, instruction changes, and student performance. The majority found OERs to be the same, if not better, than traditional textbooks.

(2013) A blog post discussing the quality and accuracy of open educational resources when compared to traditional resources, using results from a study of Wikipedia vs. Encyclopedia Britannica.

(2017) This study examines reviews of textbooks from the Open Textbook Network and finds that reviewers generally gave open textbooks high ratings (a median of 4.5/5 overall rating).

(2014) A brief guide for the creation and adoption of open textbooks, including questions and answers from various constituencies.

(2016) A guide from the Open Textbook Network that answers frequently asked questions about OERs, their impact on various student outcomes, and how to conduct similar research.

(2017) A brief guide to the myths and facts regarding OERs.

(2017) An article that studies various OER initiatives and outcomes and devises a set of guidelines for the implementation of OER.

(2018) An outline of OER talking points for chairs/deans, faculty, and students, complete with references.

(2013) Analyzes the collaborative approaches taken when remixing and reusing OER when compared to other domains.

(2019) Synthesizes findings on OER in psychology to assist instructors with making decisions about course materials, based on cost, outcomes, usage, and perceptions.

(2018) The article discusses the rise of OER-enabled pedagogy and offers criteria for evaluating whether a teaching form meets the definition.

(2017) Discusses the negative impact of copyright on education and how OERs better align with the “Education is Sharing” ideology.

(2018) Investigated OER as a means to enhance pre-service teacher education by integrating them into lesson design activities and presents a framework of principles and guidelines.

(2016) A paper examining the issues of openness for education researchers and creates a framework of ethics, evaluated in the context of the OER Research Hub’s “Open Research” course.

(2015) Impact findings from the OER Research Hub include increased student performance, educator reflection on their teaching practices, and the use of OER to supplement formal study.

(2010) Discusses how adding reuse licenses to learning objects makes them more widely available to individuals and organizations.

(2011) A dissertation examining use and challenges of OERs in rural Himalayan villages in Nepal.

(2013) Looks at the impact of OERs on the informal learning environment as well as the implications of the lack of social interaction between learners.

(2014) Examines the attitudes, opinions, and use of Open Educational Resources (OER) among teaching faculty in U.S. higher education, and finds that over half are unaware of OERs and the biggest barriers to adoption include the time and effort required to discover and evaluate resources.

(2012) Explores the concept of open scholars and the relationship between creativity, OER, and positive feedback loops.

(2019) A case study examining the use of open web annotation in online scientific research and communication communities to collaborate.

(2013) Examines the need for theoretical foundation in massive open online courses and other forms of distance learning and provides a potential framework of self-cultivation for open education.

(2019) Explores the perspectives of various stakeholders on openness and what it means for adopting open textbooks in undergraduate education, which reveals the difficulties and outcomes in implementation.

(2019) A survey of student perceptions in an introduction to education course about open pedagogy, actively creating lessons plans and projects with OER content. It found that students appreciated the cost savings and plentiful materials, but wanted course materials on paper.

(2018) Found that OER videos, namely TED Talks, can successfully enhance multicultural competence in English learners.

(2016) Explores the potential of OER in helping achieve women’s empowerment in developing countries, as well as the inequalities in digital access and technological barriers to participation.

(2017) A survey of students and faculty regarding textbook cost and OER identification and adaptation.

(2019) The City University of New York surveyed students on when and how they accessed their Zero Textbook Cost materials, and whether they would recommend them to others.

(2019) This study assigned college students a random excerpt of either an open or commercial sociology textbook and found learning performance was similar, but perceptions varied, with students preferring the open textbook’s presentation and the commercial textbook’s visual appeal and writing quality.

(2016) Analyzes faculty surveys regarding barriers to adopting OERs – namely, that they want more information, easily found repositories, and improved pedagogy.

(2017) A study which focuses on instructor motivations for adopting open textbooks, which include cost savings for students as well as similar or better quality and learning outcomes.

(2017) A survey of post-secondary students in British Columbia found that a majority of students report not purchasing at least one of their required textbooks and that a substantial portion of students report taking fewer courses and/or dropping courses based on textbook costs. Students favorably rated open textbooks, with 96% of survey participants stating that they were at or above average.

(2016) A white paper discussing student and faculty surveys and the implications for faculty OER adoption in California higher education. It found that adoption is easier with more support materials, printing options, and wi-fi access in classrooms.

(2016) Compiles the results of 16 studies to examine the influence and perceptions of OERs.

(2020) Compares perceptions of students from online and on-campus courses regarding textbook formats and use and found that online students were less likely to purchase their own textbooks but not necessarily more likely to prefer digital formats to printed ones.

(2019) A study in which students rated instructors using OER as being kinder, more encouraging, and more creative.

Florida Virtual Campus’ surveys regarding students’ textbook cost, use, and purchasing habits. Textbook costs continue to negatively impact students, fewer textbooks are used in courses, and students are more willing to rent textbooks to decrease costs.

(2017) A survey and interview of health psychology students found students primarily positive towards OERs, with minor usability issues.