Article: Learners and Learning
Impact on Student Learning and Academic Success
International Journal of Teaching and Learning in Higher Education
Our
Recommendation
This is one of the first research studies to provide robust evidence that OER significantly enhance academic performance and success, particularly amongst underserved student groups. The findings support the broader of adoption of OER to improve educational equity.
This article reports the results of a large-scale study (21,822 students) regarding the impact of course-level faculty adoption of Open Educational Resources (OER). Results indicate that OER adoption does much more than simply save students money and address student debt concerns. OER improve end-of-course grades and decrease DFW (D, F, and Withdrawal letter grades) rates for all students. They also improve course grades at greater rates and decrease DFW rates at greater rates for Pell recipient students, part-time students, and populations historically underserved by higher education. OER address affordability, completion, attainment gap concerns, and learning. These findings contribute to a broadening perception of the value of OERs and their relevance to the great challenges facing higher education today.
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