Abstract
The escalating price of instructional materials creates significant economic and academic hardship for many students. Open educational resources (OER) are instructional materials that are typically electronic and copyrighted under a license that allows free student use. Adopting OER is one strategy that has gained traction from higher education institutions and faculty to increase textbook usage while decreasing material costs. However, effective implementation of alternative resources requires a consideration of user perceptions, resource efficacy, and barriers to adoption. Thus, a systematic review of 97 peer-reviewed journal articles published between 2002 and 2023 was conducted to answer three research questions: (a) what are student and faculty perceptions of OER, (b) which incentives and barriers impact OER adoption and use, and (c) what is the impact of OER on student achievement? Analysis of findings suggested that students and faculty have positive views of OER and believe they are of similar quality to paid instructional materials. Across culturally diverse studies, faculty and students reported incentives such as cost savings, accessibility, and increased academic engagement when using OER, but also reported technological and institutional barriers to using and adopting these materials. Student academic performance is stable across course grades, exam grades, and retention rates when using OER and especially beneficial for disadvantaged student achievement. Practical implications for instructors, university administrators, and researchers are advanced to mitigate barriers toward OER utilization and to enhance the potential for academic effectiveness.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Abramovich, S., & McBride, M. (2018). Open educational resources and perceptions of financial value. The Internet and Higher Education, 39, 33–38. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.iheduc.2018.06.002
Academic Materials. (2020). Cal Education Code § 66400–66410. https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/codes_displayText.xhtml?division=5.&chapter=6.&part=40.&lawCode=EDC&title=3
Affordability Counts. (2022). About affordability counts. Retrieved from https://www.affordabilitycounts.org
Allen, G., Guzman-Alvarez, A., Smith, A., Gamage, A., Molinaro, M., & Larsen, D. S. (2015). Evaluating the effectiveness of the open access ChemWiki resources as a replacement for traditional general chemistry textbooks. Chemistry Education Research and Practice, 16, 939–948. https://doi.org/10.1039/C5RP00084J
Anderson, T., & Cuttler, C. (2020). Open to open? An exploration of textbook preferences and strategies to offset textbook costs for online versus on-campus students. International Review of Research in Open and Distributed Learning, 21(1), 40–59. https://doi.org/10.19173/irrodl.v20i5.4141
Anderson, T., Gaines, A., Leachman, C., & Williamson, E. P. (2017). Faculty and instructor perceptions of open educational resources in engineering. The Reference Librarian, 58(4), 257–277. https://doi.org/10.1080/02763877.2017.1355768
Arinto, P. B., Hodgkinson-Williams, C., King, T., Cartmill, T., & Willmers, M. (2017). Research on open educational resources for development in the Global South: Project landscape. In C. Hodgkinson-Williams & P. B. Arinto (Eds.), Adoption and impact of OER in the Global South (pp. 3–26). https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.1038980
Baas, M., Admiraal, W., & van den Berg, E. (2019). Teachers’ adoption of open educational resources in higher education. Journal of Interactive Media in Education, 1(9), 1–11. https://doi.org/10.5334/jime.510
Baas, M., van der Rijst, R., Huizinga, T., van den Berg, E., & Admiraal, W. (2022). Would you use them? A qualitative study on teachers’ assessments of open educational resources in higher education. The Internet and Higher Education, 54, 100857. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.iheduc.2022.100857
Baker, E. W., & Sibona, C. J. (2020). Digital OER impact on learning outcomes for social inclusion. Journal of Computer Information Systems, 62(2), 278–289. https://doi.org/10.1080/08874417.2020.1802789
Banks, G. C., Kepes, S., & Banks, K. P. (2012). Publication bias: The antagonist of meta-analytic reviews and effective policymaking. Educational Evaluation and Policy Analysis, 34(3), 259–277. https://doi.org/10.3102/01623737124416144
Belikov, O. M., & Bodily, R. (2016). Incentives and barriers to OER adoption: A qualitative analysis of faculty perceptions. Open Praxis, 8(3), 235–246. https://doi.org/10.5933/openpraxis.8.3.308
Biswas-Diener, R., & Jhangiani, R. S. (2017). Introduction to open. In R. S. Jhangiani & R. Biswas-Diener (Eds.), Open: The philosophy and practices that are revolutionizing education and society (pp. 3–7). Ubiquity Press. https://doi.org/10.5334/bbc.a
Bliss, T. J., Hilton, J., Wiley, D., & Thanos, K. (2013a). The cost and quality of open textbooks: Perceptions of community college faculty and students. First Monday, 18(1–7). https://doi.org/10.5210/fm.v18i1.3972
Bliss, T. J., Robinson, T. J., Hilton, J., & Wiley, D. A. (2013b). An OER coup: College teacher and student perceptions of open educational resources. Journal of Interactive Media in Education, 2013(1), 4. https://doi.org/10.5334/2013-04
Bol, L., Esqueda, M. E., Ryan, D., & Kimmel, S. C. (2021). A comparison of academic outcomes in courses taught with open educational resources and publisher content. Educational Researcher, 51(1), 17–26. https://doi.org/10.3102/0013189X211052563
Bond, J. D., Huddleston, B. S., & Sapp, A. (2021). Faculty survey on OER: Perceptions, behaviors, and implications for library practice. Journal of Librarianship and Scholarly Communication, 9(1), eP2401. https://doi.org/10.7710/2162-3309.2401
Butcher, N. (2015). A basic guide to open educational resources (OER). United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization. Retrieved from https://unesdoc.unesco.org/ark:/48223/pf0000215804
Cardoso, P., Morgado, L., & Teixeira, A. (2019). Open practices in public higher education in Portugal: Faculty perspectives. Open Praxis, 11(1), 55–70. https://doi.org/10.5944/openpraxis.11.1.823
Chang, I. (2020). Open versus traditional textbooks: A comparison of student engagement and performance. International Journal of Teaching and Learning in Higher Education, 32(3), 488–498. https://isetl.org/ijtlhe/pdf/IJTLHE3865.pdf
Chetna, N. (2021). “Opening” art history: Exploring the motivations and practices of faculty using open educational resources in lower-level and general education art history courses. Journal of Interactive Media in Education, 2021(1), 23. https://doi.org/10.5334/jime.677
Chiorescu, M. (2017). Exploring open educational resources for college algebra. International Review of Research in Open and Distributed Learning, 18(4), 50–59. https://doi.org/10.19173/irrodl.v18i4.3003
Choi, Y. M., & Carpenter, C. (2017). Evaluating the impact of open educational resources: A case study. Libraries and the Academy, 17, 685–693. https://doi.org/10.1353/pla.2017.0041
Clinton, V. (2018). Savings without sacrifice: A case report on open-source textbook adoption. Open Learning: The Journal of Open, Distance, and E-Learning, 33(3), 177–189. https://doi.org/10.1080/02680513.2018.1486184
Clinton, V. (2019). Cost, outcomes, use, and perceptions of open educational resources in psychology: A narrative review of the literature. Psychology Learning & Teaching, 18(1), 4–20. https://doi.org/10.1177/1475725718799511
Clinton, V., & Khan, S. (2019). Efficacy of open textbook adoption on learning performance and course withdrawal rates: A meta-analysis. AERA Open, 5(3), 1–20. https://doi.org/10.1177/2332858419872212
Clinton-Lisell, V. (2022). How does OER efficacy vary based on student age and course modality? A multi-institutional analysis. American Journal of Distance Education, 2022, 1–17. https://doi.org/10.1080/08923647.2022.2077061
Cohen, J. (1992). Statistical power analysis. Current Directions in Psychological Science, 1(3), 98–101.
Coleman-Prisco, V. (2017). Factors influencing faculty innovation and adoption of open educational resources in United States higher education. International Journal of Education and Human Development, 3(4), 1–12. http://ijehd.cgrd.org/images/vol3no4/1.pdf
Collins, M. E., Mitchell, N. K., & Nojeim, M. J. (2020). Removing the excuse. Using free materials to improve student success in general studies courses. Journal of Higher Education Theory and Practice, 20(5), 110–125. https://doi.org/10.33424/jhetp.v20i5.3041
Colvard, N. B., Watson, C. E., & Park, H. (2018). The impact of open educational resources on various student success metrics. International Journal of Teaching and Learning in Higher Education, 30(2), 262–272. http://isetl.org/ijtlhe/pdf/IJTLHE3386.pdf
Cooney, C. (2017). What impacts do OER have on students? Students share their experience with a health psychology OER at New York City College of Technology. International Review of Research in Open and Distributed Learning, 18(4), 155–178. https://doi.org/10.19173/irrodl.v18i4.3111
Croteau, E. (2017). Measures of student success with textbook transformations: The Affordable Learning Georgia Initiative. Open Praxis, 9(1), 93–108. https://doi.org/10.5944/openpraxis.9.1.505
Cummings-Clay, D. (2020). Impact of OER in teacher education. Open Praxis, 12(4), 541–554. https://doi.org/10.5944/openpraxis.12.4.1112
Cuttler, C. (2019). Students’ use and perceptions of the relevance and quality of open textbooks compared to traditional textbooks in online and traditional classroom environments. Psychology Learning & Teaching, 18(1), 65–83. https://doi.org/10.1177/1475725718811300
Declercq, K., & Verboven, F. (2015). Socio-economic status and enrollment in higher education: Do costs matter? Education Economics, 23(5), 532–556. https://doi.org/10.1080/08645292.2015.1047822
Delgado, H., Delgado, M., & Hilton, J. I. I. I. (2019). On the efficacy of open educational resources: Parametric and nonparametric analyses of a university calculus class. International Review of Research in Open and Distributed Learning, 20(1), 184–203. https://doi.org/10.7202/1057979ar
Delimont, N., Turtle, E. C., Bennett, A., Adhikari, K., & Lindshield, B. L. (2016). University students and faculty have positive perceptions of open/alternative resources and their utilization in a textbook replacement initiative. Research in Learning Technology, 24. https://doi.org/10.3402/rlt.v24.2992
Dempsey, M. (2021). The impact of free and open educational resource adoption on community college student achievement and course withdrawal rates. International Journal of Open Educational Resources, 4(1), 45–59. https://doi.org/10.18278/ijoer.4.1.5
DeRosa, R., & Robison, S. (2017). From OER to open pedagogy. In R. S. Jhangiani & R. Biswas-Diener (Eds.), Open: The philosophy and practices that are revolutionizing education and science (pp. 115–124). Ubiquity Press. https://doi.org/10.5334/bbc.i
dos Santos, A. I., Nascimbeni, F., Bacisch, P., Atenas, J., Aceto, S., Burgos, D., & Punie, Y. (2017). Policy approaches to open education – Case studies from 28 EU member states. Publications Office of the European Union. https://doi.org/10.2760/283135
Engler, J. N., & Shedlosky-Shoemaker, R. (2019). Facilitating student success: The role of open educational resources in introductory psychology courses. Psychology Learning & Teaching, 18(1), 36–47. https://doi.org/10.1177/1475725718810241
Farrow, R., Pitt, R., de los Arcos, B., Perryman, L., Weller, M., & McAndrew, P. (2015). Impact of OER use on teaching and learning: Data from OER Research Hub (2013–2014). British Journal of Educational Technology, 46(5), 972–976. https://doi.org/10.1111/bjet.12310
Feldstein, A., Martin, A., Hudson, A., Warren, K., Hilton, J. III., & Wiley, D. (2012). Open textbooks and increased student access and outcomes. European Journal of Open, Distance, and E-Learning, 2, 1–9. https://files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/EJ992490.pdf
Fialkowski, M. K., Calabrese, A., Tilinghast, B., Titchenhal, C. A., Meinke, W., Banna, J. C., & Draper, J. (2020). Open educational resource textbook impact on students in an introductory nutrition course. Journal of Nutrition Education and Behavior, 52(4), 359–368. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.neb.2019.08.006
Fine, M. B., & Read, H. (2020). Factors impacting student perception of open educational resources. E-Journal of Business Education & Scholarship of Teaching, 14(1), 151–173. https://www.proquest.com/scholarly-journals/factors-impacting-student-perception-open/docview/2426551416/se-2?accountid=10003
Finlayson, C. (2020). Opening world regional geography: A case study. Open Praxis, 12(2), 271–282. https://doi.org/10.5944/openpraxis.12.2.1087
Fischer, L., Belikov, O., Ikahihifo, T. K., Hilton, J., Wiley, D., & Martin, M. T. (2020). Academic librarians’ examination of university students’ and faculty’s perceptions of open educational resources. Open Praxis, 12(3), 399–415. https://doi.org/10.5944/openpraxis.12.3.1081
Fischer, L., Hilton, J. III, Clinton-Lissel, V., Xiong, Y., Wiley, D., & Williams, L. (2021). The interaction of open educational resources (OER) use and course difficulty on student course grades in a community college. International Journal of Open Educational Resources, 4(1), 9–22. https://doi.org/10.18278/ijoer.4.1.3
Fischer, L., Hilton, J., III., Robinson, T. J., & Wiley, D. A. (2015). A multi-institutional study of the impact of open textbook adoption on the learning outcomes of post-secondary students. Journal of Computing in Higher Education, 27, 159–172. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12528-015-9101-x
Florida Postsecondary Academic Library Network. (2021). FL Statutes § 1006.73. http://www.leg.state.fl.us/statutes/index.cfm?App_mode=Display_Statute&Search_String=&URL=1000-1099/1006/Sections/1006.73.html
Florida Virtual Campus. (2022). 2022 Student textbook and course materials survey. Retrieved from https://dlss.flvc.org/documents/210036/1314923/FLVC+Textbook+Survey+Report+-+2022.pdf/818e20cb-1daa-3565-a948-192f5287917c
Ford, A., & Alemneh, D. (2021). Equitable educational planning: Embracing open educational resources for the post-pandemic era. Educational Planning, 28(3), 21–30.
Gil, P., Candelas, F. A., Jara, C. A., Garcia, G. J., & Torres, F. (2013). Web-based OERs in computer networks. International Journal of Engineering Education, 29(6), 1537–1550. https://www.ijee.ie/latestissues/Vol29-6/21_ijee2802ns.pdf
Government of Canada. (2022). Budgeting for student life. Canada.ca. https://www.canada.ca/en/financial-consumer-agency/services/budgte-student-life.html
Grewe, K. E., & Davis, W. P. (2017). The impact of enrollment in an OER course on student learning outcomes. International Review of Research in Open and Distributed Learning, 18, 231–238. https://doi.org/10.19173/irrodl.v18i4/2986
Grimaldi, P. J., Basu Mallick, D., Waters, A. E., & Baraniuk, R. G. (2019). Do open educational resources improve student learning? Implications of the access hypothesis. PLoS One, 14(3), e0212508. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0212508
Grinias, J. P., & Smith, T. I. (2020). Preliminary evidence on the effect of an open-source textbook in second-year undergraduate analytical chemistry courses. Journal of Chemical Education, 97, 2347–2350. https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.jchemd.0c00293
Grissett, J. O., & Huffman, C. (2019). An open versus traditional psychology textbook: Student performance, perceptions, and use. Psychology Teaching & Learning, 18(1), 21–35. https://doi.org/10.1177/147525718810191
Gurung, R. A. (2017). Predicting learning: Comparing an open educational resource and standard textbooks. Scholarship of Teaching and Learning in Psychology, 3(3), 233–248. https://doi.org/10.1037/stl0000092
Hardin, E. E., Eschman, B., Spengler, E. S., Grizzell, J. A., Moody, A. T., Ross-Sheehy, S., & Fry, K. M. (2019). What happens when trained graduate instructors switch to an open textbook? A controlled study of the impact on student learning outcomes. Psychology Learning & Teaching, 18(1), 49–64. https://doi.org/10.1177/1475725718810909
Harold, S., & Rolfe, V. (2019). “I find the whole enterprise daunting”: Staff understanding of open education initiatives within a UK university. Open Praxis, 11(1), 71–83. https://doi.org/10.5944/openpraxis.11.1.918
Hassall, C., & Lewis, D. I. (2017). Institutional and technological barriers to the use of open educational resources in physiology and medical education. Advanced Physiological Education, 41, 77–81. https://doi.org/10.1152/advan.00171.2016
Hendricks, C., Reinsberg, S. A., & Rieger, G. (2017). The adoption of an open textbook in a large physics course: An analysis of cost, outcomes, use, and perceptions. International Review of Research in Open and Distributed Learning, 18(4), 78–99. https://doi.org/10.19173/irrodl.v18i4.3006
Herbert, M. J., Clinton-Lisell, V., & Stupinsky, R. H. (2023). Faculty motivation for OER textbook adoption and future use. Innovative Higher Education, 48, 371–388. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10755-022-09625-6
Hillman, A. R., Brooks, A. R., Barr, M., & Strycker, J. (2021). Evaluation of open educational resources for an introductory science course. International Review of Research in Open and Distributed Learning, 22(2), 72–86. https://doi.org/10.19173/irrodl.v22i2.5028
Hilton, J. I. I. I. (2016). Open educational resources and college textbook choices: A review of research on efficacy and perceptions. Educational Technology Research Development, 64, 573–590. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11423-016-9434-9
Hilton, J. I. I. I. (2019). Open educational resources, student efficacy, and user perceptions: A synthesis of research published between 2015 and 2018. Educational Technology Research Development, 68, 853–876. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11423-019-09700-4
Hilton, J., III., Fischer, L., Wiley, D., & Williams, L. (2016). Maintaining momentum toward graduation: OER and the course throughput rate. International Review of Research in Open and Distributed Learning, 7(6), 18–27. https://doi.org/10.19173/irrodl.v17i6.2686
Hilton, J. I. I. I., Gaudet, D., Clark, P., Robinson, J., & Wiley, D. (2013). The adoption of open educational resources by one community college math department. The International Review of Research in Open and Distributed Learning, 14(4), 37–50. https://doi.org/10.19173/irrodl.v14i4.1523
Hilton, J., III., & Laman, C. (2012). One college’s use of an open psychology textbook. Open Learning, 27(3), 265–272. https://doi.org/10.1080/02680513.2012.716657
Hunsicker-Walburn, M., Guyot, W., Meier, R., Beavers, L., Stainbrook, M., & Schneweis, M. (2018). Students’ perceptions of OER quality. Economics & Business Journal: Inquiries & Perspectives, 9(1), 43–55. https://nebeconandbus.org/journal/EBJIP2018v9WalburnGuyotetalOER_42-55.pdf
Ikahihifo, T. K., Spring, K. J., Rosecrans, J., & Watson, J. (2017). Assessing the savings from open educational resources on student academic goals. International Review of Research in Open and Distributed Learning, 18(7), 126–140. https://doi.org/10.19173/irrodl.v18i7.2754
Illowsky, B. S., Hilton, J., Whiting, J., & Ackerman, J. D. (2016). Examining student perception of an open statistics textbook. Open Praxis, 8(3), 265–276. https://doi.org/10.5944/openpraxis.8.3.304
Jaggars, S. S., Folk, A. L., & Mullins, D. (2018). Understanding students’ satisfaction with OERs as course materials. Performance Measurement and Metrics, 19(1), 66–74. https://doi.org/10.1108/PMM-12-2017-0059
Jhangiani, R. S., Dastur, F. N., Le Grand, R., & Penner, K. (2018). As good or better than commercial textbooks: Students’ perceptions and outcomes from using open digital and open print textbooks. The Canadian Journal for the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning, 9(1), 1–21. https://doi.org/10.5206/cjsotl-rcacea.2018.1.5
Jhangiani, R. S., & Jhangiani, S. (2017). Investigating the perceptions, use, and impact of open textbooks: A survey of post-secondary students in British Columbia. International Review of Open and Distributed Learning, 18(4), 172–192. https://doi.org/10.19173/irrodl.v18i4.3012
Jung, E., Bauer, C., & Heaps, A. (2017). Higher education faculty perceptions of open textbook adoption. International Review of Research in Open and Distributed Learning, 18(4), 123–141. https://doi.org/10.19173/irrodl.v18i4.3120
Jung, I., & Lee, J. (2020). A cross-cultural approach to the adoption of open educational resources in higher education. British Journal of Educational Technology, 51(1), 263–280. https://doi.org/10.1111/bjet.12820
Kalaf-Hughes, N. (2019). Reaching students with low interest: Subject interest and perceptions of open educational resources in an introductory American government course. Journal of Political Science Education. https://doi.org/10.1080/15512169.2019.164530
Kersey, S. (2019a). The effectiveness of open educational resources in college calculus. A quantitative study. Open Praxis, 11(2), 185–193. https://doi.org/10.5944/openpraxis.11.2.935
Kersey, S. (2019b). Student perceptions on teaching and learning using open educational resources in college calculus. Journal of Computers in Mathematics and Science Teaching, 38(3), 249–265. https://www.learntechlib.org/primary/p/188268
Kinskey, C., King, H., & Miller, C. L. (2018). Open educational resources: An analysis of Minnesota State colleges and universities student preferences. Open Learning: The Journal of Open, Distance, and e-Learning, 33(3), 190–202. https://doi.org/10.1080/02680513.2018.150087
Lantrip, J., & Ray, J. (2020). Faculty perceptions and usage of OER at Oregon Community Colleges. Community College Journal of Research and Practice, 45(12), 896–910. https://doi.org/10.1080/10668926.2020.1838967
Lawrence, C. N., & Lester, J. A. (2018). Evaluating the effectiveness of adopting open educational resources in an introductory American government course. Journal of Political Science Education, 14(4), 555–566. https://doi.org/10.1080/15512169.2017.1422739
Lin, H. (2019). Teaching and learning without a textbook: Undergraduate student perceptions of open educational resources. International Review of Research in Open and Distributed Learning, 20(3), 1–18. https://doi.org/10.19173/irrodl.v20i4.4224
Lindshield, B. L., & Adhikari, K. (2013). Online and campus college students like using an open educational resource instead of a traditional textbook. Journal of Online Learning and Teaching, 9(1), 26–38. https://www.jolt.merlot.org/vol9no1/lindshield_0313.pdf
Lovett, M., Meyer, O., & Thille, C. (2008). The open learning initiative: Measuring the effectiveness of the OLI statistics course in accelerating student learning. Journal of Interactive Media in Education, 2008(1), 13. https://doi.org/10.5334/2008-14
Magro, J., & Tabaei, S. V. (2020). Results from a psychology OER pilot program: Faculty and student perceptions, cost savings, and academic outcomes. Open Praxis, 12(1), 83–99. https://doi.org/10.5944/openpraxis.12.1.007
Martin, M. T., Belikov, O. M., Hilton, J., Wiley, D., & Fischer, L. (2017). Analysis of student and faculty perceptions of textbook costs in higher education. Open Praxis, 9(1), 79–91. https://doi.org/10.5944/openpraxis.9.1.432
Martin, T., & Kimmons, R. (2020). Faculty members’ lived experiences when choosing open educational resources. Open Praxis, 12(1), 131–144. https://doi.org/10.5944/openpraxis.12.1.987
Matthew, S., & Kashyap, U. (2019). Impact of OER materials on students’ academic performance in an undergraduate astronomy course. Journal of STEM Education, 20(1), 46–51. http://www.jstem.org/jstem/index.php/JSTEM/article/view/2369/2123
Medley-Rath, S. (2018). Does the type of textbook matter? Results of a study of free electronic reading materials at a community college. Community College Journal of Research and Practice, 42(12), 908–918. https://doi.org/10.1080/1066926.2017.1389316
Murphy, J. (2020). Social mobility elevators: An analysis of low-income student enrollment and outcomes at four-year colleges and universities. Ed Reform Now. http://edreformnow.wp-content/uploads/2020/11/Social-Mobility-Elevators-Issue-Brief.pdf
Nagashima, T., & Hrach, S. (2021). Motivating factors among university faculty for adopting open educational resources; Incentives matter. Journal of Interactive Media in Education, 2021(1), 19. https://doi.org/10.5334/jime.678
National Center for Education Statistics. (2019). Average total cost of attendance for first-time, full-time undergraduate students in degree-granting postsecondary institutions, by control and level of institution, living arrangement, and components of student costs: Selected years, 2010–11 through 2018–19. https://nces.ed.gov/programs/digest/d19/tables/dt19_330.40.asp?current=yes
Nguyen, D. J., & Herron, A. (2021). Keeping up with the Joneses or feeling priced out? Exploring how low-income students’ financial position shapes sense of belonging. Journal of Diversity in Higher Education, 14(3), 429–440. https://doi.org/10.1037/dhe0000191
OECD. (2019a). Education at a glance 2019: OECD indicators. OECD Publishing. https://doi.org/10.1787/f8d7880d-en
OECD. (2019b). Education indicators in focus: How does socioeconomic status influence entry into tertiary education? OECD Publishing. https://www.oecd-ilibrary.org/deliver/b541bfcd-en.pdf?itemId=%2Fcontent%2Fpaper%2Fb541bfcd-en&mimeType=pdf
Oelfke, A. L., Sadowski, J. A., Ramseier, C. M., Iremonger, C., Volkert, K., Dykman, E., Kuhl, L., & Baumann, A. (2021). Using open educational resources at Viterbo University: Faculty and student feedback. International Review of Research in Open and Distributed Learning, 22(1), 79–90. https://doi.org/10.19173/irrodl.v22i1.4970
Open Education Group. (n.d.). The COUP framework. Openedgroup.org. https://openedgroup.org/coup
Ozdemir, O., & Hendricks, C. (2017). Instructor and student experiences with open textbooks from the California open library for education (Cool4Ed). Journal of Computing in Higher Education, 29, 98–113. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12528-017-9138-0
Page, M. J., McKenzie, J. E., Bossuyt, P. M., Boutron, I., Hoffman, T. C., Mulrow, C. D., …, Moher, D. (2021). The PRISMA 2020 statement: An updated guideline for reporting systematic reviews. BMJ, 2021(372), n.71. https://doi.org/10.1136/bmj.n71
Paré, G., Trudel, M., Jaana, M., & Kirsiou, S. (2015). Synthesizing information systems knowledge: A typology of literature reviews. Information & Management, 52, 183–199. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.im.2014.08.008
Pell Institute. (2021). Indicators of higher education equity in the United States. http://pellinstitute.org/downloads/publications-Indicators_of_Higher_Education_Equity_in_the_US_2021_Historical_Trend_Report.pdf
Petrides, L., Jimes, C., Middleton-Detzner, C., Walling, J., & Weiss, S. (2011). Open textbook adoption and use: Implications for teachers and learners. Open Learning: The Journal of Open, Distance, and e-Learning, 26(1), 39–49. https://doi.org/10.1080/02680513.2011.538563
Pitt, R. (2015). Mainstreaming open textbooks: Educator perspectives on the impact of OpenStax college open textbooks. International Review of Research in Open and Distributed Learning, 16(4), 133–155. https://doi.org/10.19173/irrodl.v16i4.2381
Pitt, R., Ebrahimi, N., Arundel, A., McAndrew, P., & Coughlan, T. (2013). Assessing OER impact across organisations and learners: Experiences from the Bridge to Success project. Journal of Interactive Media in Education, 3, 17. https://doi.org/10.5334/2013-17
Pitt, R., Farrow, R., Jordan, K., de los Arcos, B., Weller, M., Kernohan, D., & Rolfe, V. (2019). The UK open textbook report 2019. Open Education Research Hub. http://ukopentextbooks.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/05/UK-Open-Textbooks.pdf
Pitt, R., Jordan, K., de los Arcos, B., Farrow, R., & Weller, M. (2020). Supporting open educational practices through open textbooks. Distance Education, 41(2), 303–318. https://doi.org/10.1080/0587919.2020.1757411
Plass, J. L., & Kalyuga, S. (2019). Four ways of considering emotion in cognitive load theory. Educational Psychology Review, 31, 339–359. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10648-019-09473-5
Popay, J., Roberts, H., Sowden, M., Arai, M., Rodgers, M., Britten, N., Roen, K., & Duffy, S. (2006). Guidance on the conduct of narrative synthesis in systematic reviews. A Product from the ESRC Methods Programme Version, 1(1), b92.
Pounds, A., & Bostock, J. (2019). Open educational resources (OER) in higher education courses in aquaculture and fisheries: Opportunities, barriers, and future perspectives. Aquaculture International, 27, 695–710. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10499-019-00355-9
Rosenthal, R. (1979). The “file drawer problem” and tolerance for null results. Psychological Bulletin, 86(3), 638–641. https://doi.org/10.1037/0033-2909.86.3.638
Ross, H. M., Hendricks, C., & Mowat, V. (2018). Open textbooks in an introductory sociology course in Canada: Student views and completion rates. Open Praxis, 10(4), 393–403. https://doi.org/10.5944/openpraxis.10.4.892
Rowan-Kenyon, H. T. (2007). Predictors of delayed college enrollment and the impact of socioeconomic status. The Journal of Higher Education, 78(2), 188–214. https://doi.org/10.1080/00221546.2007.11780873
Ryan, R. M., & Deci, E. L. (2020). Intrinsic and extrinsic motivation from a self-determination theory perspective: Definitions, theory, practices, and future directions. Contemporary Educational Psychology, 61(10), 1–11. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cedpsych.2020.101860
Ryan, S. D., & Nawalaniec, T. M. (2021). An OER approach to linear algebra. Problems, Resources, and Issues in Mathematics Undergraduate Studies. https://doi.org/10.1080/10511970.2021.1905121
Sanchez, S., Carter, D. E., Morey, T., & Fedorek, B. (2021). Student perceptions of an open educational resource for an introduction to criminal justice course. Journal of Criminal Justice Education, 33(3), 426–441. https://doi.org/10.1080/10511253.2021.1986084
Sansom, R. L., Clinton-Lisell, V., & Fischer, L. (2021). Let students choose: Examining the impact of open educational resources on performance in general education. Journal of Chemistry Education, 98, 745–755. https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.jchemed.0c00595
Shadish, W. R., Cook, T. D., & Campbell, D. T. (2002). Experimental and quasi-experimental designs for generalized causal inference. Houghton.
Sheu, F., & Grissett, J. (2020). Quality and cost matter: Students’ perceptions of open versus non-open texts through a single-blind review. Open Praxis, 12(1), 101–114. https://doi.org/10.5944/openpraxis.12.1.1012
Scholarly Publishing and Academic Resources Coalition. (2018). OER state policy playbook. https://sparcopen.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/02/PARC-OER-State-Policy-Playbook.2.pdf
Stovall, J. P., Laird, S. G., Welford, L., & Williams, A. (2019). Student and instructor generated open educational resources compare favorably to a traditional textbook. Journal of Forestry, 114(4), 370–378. https://doi.org/10.1093/jofore/fvz035
Tamayo, J. P. M., Rocchi, M., Terrion, J. L., & Beaudry, S. (2022). First impressions matter! An experiment comparing autonomous and controlling language in course syllabi. International Journal for the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning, 16(2), 7. https://doi.org/10.20429/ijsotl.2022.160207
Textbook and Instructional Materials Affordability. (2022). FL Statutes § 1004.085. http://www.leg.state.fl.us/Statutes/index.cfm?App_mode=Display_Statute&Search_String=&URL=1000-1099/1004/Sections/1004.085.html
Tillinghast, B. (2021). Using a technology acceptance model to analyze faculty adoption and application of open educational resources. International Journal of Open Educational Resources, 4(1), 97–158. https://doi.org/10.18278/ijoer.4.1.8
UNESCO. (2019). Recommendations on open educational resources (OER). http://portal.unesco.org/en/ev.php-URL_ID=49556&URL_DO=DO_TOPIC&URL_SECTION=201.html
UNESCO. (2023). SDG 4 March 2023 Release. https://sdg-4.uis.unesco.org/
U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. (2020). Learn more, earn more: Education leads to higher wages, lower unemployment. https://www.bls.gov/careeroutlook/2021/data-on-display/education-pays.htm
Vander Waal Mills, K. E., Gucinski, M., & Vander Waal, K. (2019). Implementation of open textbooks in community and technical college biology courses: The good, the bad, and the data. Life Sciences Education, 18(ar44), 1–10. https://doi.org/10.1187/cb3.19-01-0022
Verkuyl, M., Lapum, J. L., St-Amant, O., Bregstein, J., & Hughes, M. (2023). Healthcare students’ use of an e-textbook open educational resource on vital sign measurement: A qualitative study. Open Learning: The Journal of Open, Distance and e-Learning, 38(1), 22–37. https://doi.org/10.1080/02680513.2020.1835623
Vogels, E. A. (2021). Digital divide persists even as Americans with lower incomes make gains in tech adoption. Pew Research Center. https://pewrsr.ch/2TRM7cP
Vojtech, G., & Grissett, J. (2017). Student perceptions of college faculty who use OER. International Review of Research in Open and Distributed Learning, 18(4), 155–171. https://doi.org/10.19173/irrodl.v18i4.3032
Vollman, B. K. (2021). Access, use and perceptions of open (free) and traditional textbooks: An exploratory comparative analysis of community college criminal justice courses. Open Learning: The Journal of Open, Distance, and e-Learning. https://doi.org/10.1080/02680513.2021.1874330
Watson, C. E., Domizi, D. P., & Clouser, S. A. (2017). Student and faculty perceptions of OpenStax in high enrollment courses. International Review of Research in Open and Distributed Learning, 18(5), 287–304. https://doi.org/10.19173/irrodl.v18i5.2462
Weller, M., de los Arcos, B., Farrow, R., Pitt, B., & McAndrew, P. (2015). The impact of OER on teaching and learning practice. Open Praxis, 7(4), 351–361. https://doi.org/10.5944/openpraxis.7.4.227
Wiley, D., Williams, L., DeMarte, D., & Hilton, J. (2016). The Tidewater Z-degree and the INTRO model for sustaining OER adoption. Education Policy Analysis Archives, 24(41), 1–15. https://doi.org/10.14507/epaa.v23.1828
Winitzky-Stephens, J., & Pickavance, J. (2017). Open educational resources and student course outcomes: A multilevel analysis. International Review of Research in Open and Distributed Learning, 18(4), 35–49. https://doi.org/10.19173/irrodl.v18i4.3118
Yasué, M., Jeno, L. M., & Langdon, J. L. (2019). Are autonomously motivated university instructors more autonomy-supportive teachers? International Journal of Teaching and Learning, 13(2), 5. https://doi.org/10.20429/ijsotl.2019.130205
Young, B. (2016). Assessing faculty perceptions of free educational resources. Journal of Electronic Resources Librarianship, 28(3), 150–158. https://doi.org/10.1080/1941126X.2016.1200924
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Ethics declarations
No human participants were involved in this research.
Conflict of Interest
The authors declare no competing interests.
Additional information
Publisher's Note
Springer Nature remains neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional affiliations.
Rights and permissions
Springer Nature or its licensor (e.g. a society or other partner) holds exclusive rights to this article under a publishing agreement with the author(s) or other rightsholder(s); author self-archiving of the accepted manuscript version of this article is solely governed by the terms of such publishing agreement and applicable law.
About this article
Cite this article
Mullens, A.M., Hoffman, B. The Affordability Solution: a Systematic Review of Open Educational Resources. Educ Psychol Rev 35, 72 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10648-023-09793-7
Accepted:
Published:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10648-023-09793-7