10 Data on Need and Impact
Learning Outcome
By the end of the chapter, learners will:
- Understand datapoints related to the need for and impact of OER
Introduction
Data on need can help support a funding or resource request for development or expansion of an OER program. For example, negative impact of textbook costs on students is a regular topic of inquiry – a 2023 South Carolina survey found that 82% of students did not purchase required materials and 39% took fewer courses due to materials costs. Need data can motivate administration to support more positive student outcomes and retention.
Data on impact, on the other hand, is essential for demonstrating the quantitative and qualitative value of OER programs and initiatives. Previous studies have found that OER improve course grades and decreases withdrawals, and save students millions of dollars. This data can help align OER initiatives with campus success metrics and demonstrate a positive return on investment.
COUP and SCOPE Frameworks
The Open Education Group proposed the use of the COUP Framework for evaluating the impact of OER:
Cost
The adoption of Open Educational Resources can impact a range of financial and cost metrics for students and institutions. Using these resources instead of traditional publisher textbooks or digital materials will save students money. There may also be other financial impacts, like changes in bookstore revenues and tuition revenues. The Cost strand provides empirical evidence about the magnitude and direction of the financial impacts of OER adoption:
- Costs of textbooks previous assigned
- OER support fee models
- Changes in campus bookstore revenue
- Changes in tuition revenue due to changes in drop rates
- Changes in tuition revenue due to changes in enrollment intensity
- Changes in tuition revenue due to changes in persistence
- Changes in access to performance-based funding due to changes in drop, enrollment intensity, and persistence
Outcomes
OER increase student access to critical learning materials and expands instructors’ academic freedom, consequently improving student learning outcomes. The Outcomes strand provides empirical evidence about the magnitude and direction of the learning impacts of OER adoption:
- Changes in the percentage of students receiving a C or better
- Changes in rates of completion
- Changes in drop rates
- Changes in enrollment intensity
- Changes in persistence
- Changes in attainment of progress milestones (e.g., first 15 credits)
- Changes in graduation rates
Usage
The permissions provided by open licenses allow students to use OER in a range of novel ways – for example, updating a history textbook based on recent events. Likewise, the permissions provided by open licenses allow teachers to engage in new pedagogical practices. The Usage strand provides empirical evidence about the ways instructors and students use OER and the degree to which impacts on learning outcomes vary with these uses. It operationalizes the idea