Ok, so now you're leaning towards adopting Open Education Resources, but are wary because you're concerned about the quality of the resources. They can't be that good if they're free, you say? Here's what others think about OER, and why you shouldn't be scared off by the lack of a price tag!
FAQs about OER quality include:
Here are the facts:
For more information, please see The OER Starter Kit (E-book) and the "OER Mythbusting" report.
A 2014 report published by the Babson Survey Research Group at Babson College found that once its faculty discovered and explored the possibilities of Open Education Resources, they were convinced that OER were roughly equivalent to traditional resources. Babson continues to study OER and U.S. education. Click here for more information.
Elaine Allen and Jeff Seaman, “Opening the Curriculum: Open Educational Resources in Higher Education, 2014,” Babson Survey Research Group, 2014, 3, https://www. onlinelearningsurvey.com/reports/openingthecurriculum2014.pdf.
The "OER Mythbusting" report published by the Scholarly Publishing and Academic Resources Coalition (SPARC) in 2017 addresses the top seven myths about OER in North American higher education as voted on by more than 100 faculty, librarians, students and other members of the OER community. (Click below to downloand PDF.)
Adapted from an OER research guide created by the Maureen and Mike Mansfield Library at the University of Montana.
These organizations conduct ongoing research on various aspects of OER and provide information and support for educators.