Some exciting news! According to the American Association of Colleges and Universities (AAC&U), “a groundbreaking national research report demonstrating that open educational resources (OER) can positively influence student success outcomes while making higher education more accessible and affordable. Based on findings from a two-year study of nearly 700,000 student records across 15 institutions, the report concludes that OER implementation merits recognition as AAC&U’s 12th high-impact practice.”
This is a big deal! So many of us already recognize the important role that OER plays in equity and affordability in higher education, but this research shows us that OER is about more than just equity and cost savings. It’s about students and faculty collaborating to engage with course materials more meaningfully. It’s about students taking an active role in their learning, experiencing open pedagogy, and seeing their coursework live on and help other students.
Some key takeaways from from the study include:
- OER implementation was associated with lower course withdrawal rates, though the magnitude of the effect varied by institutional context.
- The number of students earning A grades increased following OER implementation across all institutional contexts.
- Students who completed at least one OER-supported course showed improved time-to-completion outcomes, particularly those taking longer than four years to earn a credential.
- One-third of instructors reported changing their teaching and learning practices after implementing OER.
- OER implementation demonstrated particular promise for supporting student success among populations historically underserved by higher education.
What is a High Impact Practice?
AAC& U defines High-impact practices (HIPs) as “teaching and learning practices that have been shown to provide significant educational benefits for students, particularly those from populations historically underserved by higher education. Current HIPs include first-year seminars, undergraduate research, internships, service learning, learning communities, and capstone experiences.”
Download the Full Report: https://www.aacu.org/research/open-education-resources-a-new-high-impact-practice
And for support from the GCC OER Committee or an OER Librarian, contact oer@gccaz.edu
