A new national study showing the widespread benefits of Open Educational Resources to student success has prompted the American Association of Colleges and Universities to name OER a “high-impact practice.”
It is the 12th high-impact practice, alongside first-year seminars, internships and capstone experiences, that AAC&U deemed worthy of highlighting for educators seeking ways to improve student outcomes – particularly for underserved populations. OER is the first new teaching and learning practice to be added to the list in nearly a decade, a reflection of the strong evidence base necessary to merit recognition.
The decision was propelled by findings of a two-year study funded by the William and Flora Hewlett Foundation of nearly 700,000 student records and 200 instructors at 15 diverse institutions demonstrating the positive impact of OER.
In addition to cost savings, the data show that students in OER courses were more apt to earn higher grades, less likely to withdraw from school, and tended to complete their credentials sooner. When faculty were provided with adequate support, the study showed many instructors embraced OER, changing their teaching and learning practices.
“If you think about the big challenges for higher education today – student debt, graduation rates, and quality of student learning – OER speaks to all three of those,” said C. Edward Watson, vice president for digital innovation and lead author of the AAC&U report. “It’s rare to find something that has multiple benefits – but OER indeed does.”
[View full report: Open Educational Resources: A New High-Impact Practice]
Beyond affirming OER can save students money, the findings provide several positive influences on student success – when done well. Context matters and it’s critical that institutions create a supportive environment for OER to flourish. Watson said faculty can be more creative with their courses when using OER and more awareness is needed among administrators about what is needed to adequately support instructors.
For OER to be most effective, the report recommends institutions give instructors autonomy, financial compensation, and course release time, as well as professional development and personnel support from the librarians and instructional designers
This is the largest study of its kind demonstrating the value of OER. It builds on the research and formal literature on open educational resources listed in the OER Research Database.
Now, with information from students at six Carnegie-derived institutional classifications, along with feedback from faculty focus groups, there is even more solid data available to make the case for expanding open practices.
“There’s a really strong argument for why OER should be considered by all institutions, whether you’re an R1 or a community college,” Watson said. “OER is a logical high-impact impact practice to include in your portfolio of pedagogical approaches.”
At a time when concerns about AI in higher education are dominating much of the conversation, Watson noted this report is a welcome reminder of the proven opportunities with OER: “Now there is a massive, large-sample size study that can be used as part of that advocacy message on any campus for administrators seeking funding support for OER.”