Increasing textbooks costs, coupled with general rising costs of education have led some teachers to experiment with OER alternatives to textbooks. At the same time, the vast majority of educational contexts are not using OER. Perhaps one of the constraints to a broader adoption of OER is a lack of peer-reviewed research on the influence of OER. This presentation synthesizes the results of eight different peer-reviewed studies that examine (1) the perceptions students and instructors of OER that replaced traditional textbooks (2) the potential influence of OER on student learning outcomes, and (3) the cost-savings resulting from OER. I will also discuss potential paths forward in expanding the pool of academic peer reviewed research on (1) the perceptions students and instructors have of OER, (2) the potential influence of OER on student learning outcomes, and (3) the cost-savings resulting from OER.
I began researching issues related to OER in 2008. I'm passionate about increasing OER research - especially research related to efficacy and student perceptions. See http://openedgroup.org/review.