Evaluating Oregon’s Open Educational Resources Designation Requirement

Abstract

This research was conducted to assess the effectiveness of the methods that Oregon community colleges and public universities use to designate courses that use no cost and low-cost textbooks or course materials in response to the requirements set forth in House Bill 2871 (2015). Summary of Key Findings • Varying designation methods within and across institutions make finding OER/no-cost/ low-cost courses difficult for students • Many college students surveyed have been affected academically or have made a decision about a course due to the cost of required textbooks • The majority of students surveyed are unaware of what the abbreviation "OER" means • Community colleges have implemented more designations than public universities, and their students are generally more aware of no-cost or lowcost resources at their institutions • Students primarily learn about no-cost/low-cost course materials from their instructors, but not early enough to influence their course selection at the time of registration • Overall, most students don't know where to find no cost and low-cost courses • Students would like to see designations everywhere that they look for courses and course materials, including in person at the campus bookstore