The Experiences of Community College Faculty Using Open Educational Resources versus Publisher Textbooks

Abstract

ABSTRACT A promising solution for reducing costs for students, especially textbook costs, is Open Educational Resources (OER). We explored community college faculty members’ perceptions of using OER compared with publisher textbooks. In this comparative context, we investigated how OER impacted faculty, their instructional decisions, and their students as well as other aspects of OER faculty considered beneficial. The data is from a larger mixed-methods research study conducted in one large community college with multiple campuses in the Virginia Community College System (VCCS). Interviews were conducted with four faculty members who taught both an OER and non-OER section of the same course in the same semester. Three interconnected themes emerged from faculty responses. The first theme was the customizable content and format of OER facilitated access to and for diversity. The second theme was the ease of access with OER supported student engagement with the content and with each other. The third theme was faculty engagement with OER promoted transformative and reflective pedagogies. Findings provide important insight into the contribution of OER materials to equity, diversity, and inclusion beyond the barrier of financial costs. Practitioners should be encouraged by OER’s potential benefits to students and instructors.