This report expands on last year’s report with updated course and enrollment data as well as new findings about students’ perceptions of their OER courses and the institutional costs and actual student savings of OER degree pathways. A final report in September 2019 will include findings on student and course outcome data. Here are several highlights from this report that caught our attention:

The Initiative has spurred significant expansion of OER courses and enrollments at participating colleges.

Students find OER materials more relevant, easier to navigate, and better aligned with learning objectives than traditional textbooks.

Faculty see increased student engagement with OER materials.

College leaders see OER degrees connected to other institutional strategic goals, including affordability, increased access and equity, decreased time to degree, and improved pedagogy.

Students realize significant savings from use of free and open course materials, savings that can help them with financial challenges that might interfere with their ability to continue and succeed in their program of study.

Keywords

higher education · OER degree · OER degree implementation