This case study examined the impact of open educational resources (OER) textbooks on student academic performance at a large public research-intensive university in the United States. The study employed logistic regression of course grades in 20 undergraduate courses to examine the relationship between student performance in a course and the type of textbook their professors chose to use. Study findings suggest that students using OER textbooks are likely to have improved academic performance compared to students in classes using commercial textbooks. This study also specifically examined the impact of OER on first-generation college students, or students whose parents did not complete a four-year college degree, as an underserved population likely to be negatively impacted by high textbook costs. Findings suggest that first-generation students are significantly more likely to receive an A in a course if their professor is using an OER textbook. This study’s findings support the notion that students for whom purchasing a textbook is a barrier are likely to see academic improvement if provided free access to course materials.
Sarah LeMire (Thu,) studied this question.