GOOD NEWS FOR OER!
The American Association of Colleges and Universities (AAC&U) has published a landmark study formally identifying open educational resources (OER) as a high-impact practice (HIP), placing them in the same category as well-established pedagogical approaches such as undergraduate research, service learning, and learning communities. This designation is significant because HIPs are widely recognized for their ability to increase student engagement, deepen learning, and improve retention—especially among populations that have been historically underserved in higher education.
The AAC&U study draws on a large and diverse evidence base, analyzing nearly 700,000 student records from 15 institutions representing six Carnegie-derived institutional classifications. In addition to this quantitative data, the researchers incorporated qualitative insights from surveys and focus groups involving more than 200 instructors. This mixed-methods approach allowed the study to capture not only measurable academic outcomes but also instructional changes and classroom-level experiences associated with OER adoption.
Across the dataset, the findings consistently point to positive academic and structural outcomes linked to OER implementation. Courses using OER were associated with lower withdrawal rates, suggesting that students were more likely to persist through the end of the term when cost barriers and access delays were reduced. In addition, students in OER-adopting courses saw increases in the proportion earning A grades across multiple institutional contexts, indicating potential gains in achievement and mastery of course content. The study also found improved time-to-completion, particularly among students who typically take longer than four years to earn a credential—an important equity indicator in higher education.
Importantly, the benefits of OER were most pronounced for students who have been historically underserved by higher education, including first-generation students, students from low-income backgrounds, and students from minoritized groups. This suggests that OER may function not only as a cost-saving intervention but also as a tool for reducing structural inequities that affect academic progression and success.
Beyond student outcomes, the study also highlights meaningful shifts in teaching practices. Approximately one-third of instructors reported changing their instructional approaches after adopting OER. These changes included adapting assignments, redesigning assessments, and restructuring course materials to better align with student needs and learning outcomes. This indicates that the impact of OER extends beyond textbook affordability and can catalyze broader pedagogical innovation.
At the institutional level, these findings have important implications for universities seeking to improve student success while addressing affordability concerns. Georgia State University has actively contributed to this work for over a decade, particularly through the efforts of the Georgia State University Library, which has developed sustained initiatives to expand awareness, adoption, and support of OER across campus.
The Georgia State University Library has played a central role in advancing open and affordable course materials through a combination of faculty support programs, grant funding, and instructional partnerships. Its OER initiatives are closely aligned with broader affordability efforts, including participation in system-wide programs such as Affordable Learning Georgia. Through workshops, consultations, and course redesign support, the library helps faculty identify high-quality open textbooks, integrate openly licensed materials into their courses, and redesign assignments that leverage open pedagogy.
In addition, the library has supported incentive-based programs that encourage faculty to transition away from costly commercial textbooks. These efforts not only reduce financial burdens for students but also contribute to improved equity outcomes, particularly for large introductory courses where textbook costs can be a significant barrier to access and persistence.
Taken together, the AAC&U findings and the work of institutions like Georgia State University and other departments at GSU like CETLOE underscore a broader shift in higher education: OER is no longer viewed solely as a cost-reduction strategy, but increasingly as a research-supported high-impact practice with measurable effects on student success, instructional quality, and educational equity.