Open Educational Resource Learning Impact on Students from Poverty

Teaching with open educational resources can greatly reduce the cost of education to students. Textbooks commonly cost between $125 and $175 with some specialized course textbooks costing even more. This study highlights the open educational resource program at Indiana State University through the conversion of existing engineering courses. At the time of publication, the program at Indiana State University has saved students $3,008,743.00 by converting classes to open educational resources and eliminated textbook requirements. Open educational resources are available for most topics in a wide variety of teaching materials including assignments, textbooks and course lecturing materials. Indiana State University began a pilot program in 2015 providing faculty the opportunity to convert courses using textbooks to open educational resource materials in hopes of increasing the success of students, many of which come from impoverished backgrounds. This change has resulted in a difference in student success at Indiana State University. Students with low incomes now have access to the materials they need to be successful in their coursework on the first day of class. This study focuses on Civil Engineering students at Indiana State University in courses that were converted to open educational resources. A comparison of course completion rates and course grade point averages using a before-and-after approach that sought to identify the impact that open educational resources are having on student success at Indiana State University was conducted. A survey was also distributed to students identified acceptance rates of switching a course away from a traditional textbook for a comparable experience using free use materials. Ninety-five percent with all students indicating financial benefit from free materials and wide acceptance of the learning experience. The overall findings suggest that student completion rates increased by forty percent with grade point averages increase by thirty-one percent due to the use of open educational resource materials, thus increasing the number of students who graduate in four years, an institutional goal.