Reaching Students with Low Interest: Subject Matter Interest and Perceptions of Open Educational Resources in an Introductory American Government Course

Abstract

Much of the research on Open Educational Resources (OER) focuses on student perceptions of materials and their impact on student learning outcomes. However, in the case of large, general education courses, student interaction with course material may be predicated on their interest in the subject matter, a factor unaccounted for in the current scholarship. This research addresses the gap by exploring how student perceptions of OER vary compared to traditional, commercial textbooks as a function of subject-matter interest. A survey of two introductory American Government courses at Bowling Green State University suggests students with low interest in American government report greater interaction and engagement with the free, online text than their colleagues using a traditional commercial text. In contrast, students reporting a high interest in the American government engage with a traditional text at a greater rate than an open text. Results suggest OER may provide a way to reach students reporting a lower interest in American Government.