The effectiveness of Open Educational Resources in college calculus. A quantitative study
Published | June 2019 |
Journal | Open Praxis Volume 11, Issue 2, Pages 185-193 |
Country | United States, North America |
ABSTRACT
We investigate Open Educational Resources (OER) in post-secondary Calculus with face-to-face instruction using web-based homework in a side-by-side comparison with Closed (Proprietary) Educational Resources (CER). Statistical analyses using multilinear regression models are developed to demonstrate several significant effects, to within a probability of 5%. Our first finding is that students’ pretest scores and access dates to online homework were both significant factors in predicting first exam scores. While pretest scores were similar between the groups, students in the OER group accessed the online homework earlier in the semester, which contributed to higher first exam scores. Second, homework scores were significantly higher in the CER group, which was a significant measure of final exam scores. In understanding this result, we cite student comments suggesting the proprietary CER homework system had more resources providing help on problems. However, the differences in final course grades were not significant. We conclude from our study that the OER materials are effective, but recommend that care is taken to ensure the free materials provide a quality experience.Keywords | calculus · closed (proprietary) educational materials · Mathematics · OER · Open Educational Resources · quantitative study · web-based homework |
ISSN | 2304-070X |
Refereed | Yes |
Rights | Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0) |
DOI | 10.5944/openpraxis.11.2.935 |
URL | https://openpraxis.org/index.php/OpenPraxis/article/view/935 |
Export options | BibTex · EndNote · Tagged XML · Google Scholar |
AVAILABLE FILES
Viewed by 167 distinct readers
CLOUD COMMUNITY REVIEWS
The evaluations below represent the judgements of our readers and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of the Cloud editors.










Click a star to be the first to rate this document
▶ POST A COMMENT
SIMILAR RECORDS
Evaluating the effectiveness of adopting open educational resources in an introductory American government course
Lawrence, Christopher N.; Lester, Julie A.
In this article, we present findings from a grant-funded initiative to replace traditional, proprietary textbooks with an open content textbook under a Creative Commons license in the introductory American government ...
Match: effectiveness; open educational resources; united states; north america
Effectiveness of OER use in first-year higher education students' mathematical course performance: A case study
Westermann Juárez, Werner; Venegas Muggli, Juan Ignacio; Hodgkinson-Williams, Cheryl; Arinto, Patricia B.
This chapter aims to understand the impact of Open Educational Resources (OER) on first-year mathematics students at the Instituto Profesional Providencia (IPP) in Santiago, Chile, where more than half (52%) of ...
Match: effectiveness; oer; open educational resources
Opening up to OERs: Electronic original sourcebook versus traditional textbook in the introduction to American Government Course
Brandle, Shawna M.
Traditional American Government textbooks are expensive and often unpopular with students. New technologies and Open Educational Resources (OERs) open up the potential for change, but questions of quality are ever ...
Match: oer; open educational resources; united states; north america
Open educational resources: A literature review
Al Abri, Maimoona; Dabbagh, Nada
The open educational resources (OER) movement is an emerging trend in higher education contexts, primarily due to the ubiquitous use of technology and access to the internet. This literature review focuses on the ...
Match: oer; open educational resources; united states; north america
Exclusive: Education officials to announce access to openly licensed content for educators
Lestch, Corinne
The Department of Education, along with major technology companies, are slated to announce that federally funded educational materials will be openly licensed to the public.
Match: oer; open educational resources; united states; north america
Edtech developers to create open educational resources
Lestch, Corinne
Ten content developers will compete to create prototype open educational resources, which are openly-licensed lesson plans and materials that can be used and modified by teachers.
Match: oer; open educational resources; united states; north america
Student perceptions of open pedagogy: An exploratory study
Hilton III, John; Wiley, David; Chaffee, Reta; Darrow, Jennifer; et al.
With the increasing development and adoption of Open Educational Resources, many researchers and practitioners are interested in more carefully examining pedagogies connected with their use. This study describes the ...
Match: oer; open educational resources; united states; north america
Finding Free OER Textbooks Online: Untangling the Web
Walters, William H.
Although Open Educational Resources (OERs) can help reduce costs and maximize access to instructional materials, academics face significant problems in identifying good OER textbooks. This can be traced, in part, to the ...
Match: oer; open educational resources; united states; north america
Cultivating textbook alternatives from the ground up: One public university’s sustainable model for open and alternative educational resource proliferation
Lashley, Jonathan; Cummings-Sauls, Rebel; Bennett, Andrew; Lindshield, Brian
This note from the field reviews the sustainability of an institution-wide program for adopting and adapting open and alternative educational resources (OAER) at Kansas State University (K-State). Developed in consult ...
Match: oer; open educational resources; united states; north america
Open Educational Resources and collaborative content development: A practical guide for state and school leaders
Patrick, Susan; Bliss, TJ; Tonks, DeLaina
Open Educational Resources and Collaborative Content Development: A Practical Guide for State and School Leaders – written by TJ Bliss, Ph.D. of the Idaho State Department of Education, DeLaina Tonks of the Mountain ...
Match: oer; open educational resources; united states; north america